Keep On Thimking!

It’s been a long time…

Many years ago I was a mainframe computer operator for a company that produced oil wellheads. Massive valves that helped control the flow of oil at the openings of oil wells. Some went deep underwater, others simply sat above ground. We were located near the Astrodome in Houston, Texas. Back in 1977. Gray Tool Company.

This was one of the best times of my career that came as a result of other good experiences and led on to even greater opportunities. Though I had several good jobs before and after, these few years gave me the foundation for a future in technology.

In the Mainframe world there were same major brands of computers. IBM, Burroughs, Honeywell, and the like. Major companies with major computing presence. I’ve worked on most of them, but IBM had a corner on the marketplace. At least, in businesses that I would probably work for.

On the top of the mainframe (IBM 370/135 DOS VS/Power) was a sign that came from IBM (I think). Though the words on the sign were framed from an IBM “behind the scenes” process to promote good actions into technology, I’ve searched for a while and cannot find a particular reference to this uniquely spelled sign. At least, not from IBM. It was attached to the mainframe near a huge red emergency power off button in the top right corner. That emergency button? If there is any environmental or electrical malfunction, you were supposed to pull the button to disconnect the mainframe from potential harm.

Those years of seeing this sign were important.

Think about it… I was making about $8 buck an hour and I had the power to disconnect the living brain of a company by pulling the button.

But that sign above the Emergency Power Off button gave a warning …

The sign used a particular font that made the word stand out, and at first glance, you would think that it said: “THINK”. For several weeks I would glance at it and think that it was telling me to think about my next action while at the console. After a while, I begin to look at the word closely and it actually said “THIMK”.

Yes.. T-H-I-M-K.

Unless you observe closely and think about it correctly, you would never think that it was really telling you to thimk….

Further research shows that a popular magazine of the day (Mad) used the same word, font, color, and design, only, it said THIMK. I suspect someone had a sense of humor, and I’m not sure anyone ever caught it.

If there was something I could share with you out of this is that it is Very Important to spend time thimking things through.

You can practice, train and rehearse so much better when your mind is focused on the action. Yet, without all the thimking in the world, you will probably not be successful if you do not DO. There comes a time when you have to take all that thimking and put it to use.

I Love Collecting Keys…But…

The key to life can simply be a collection of thoughts and ideas, but unless you use what you know then you are simply wasting time, space, and effort.

Here’s My Thought

It’s from one of my favorite books in the Bible that the Apostle Paul teaches us the same thing. I’ve been sharing this for decades and it speaks to me each time I read and study his words. They are different than how I might say it, but I believe he dots the i’s and crosses the t’s much better than I.

Finally, brethren,
whatever things are true…noble…just…pure…lovely…good report…
if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—
meditate on these things.
The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do,
and the God of peace will be with you.
(Philippians 4:8-9 NKJV)

The word for “think” in the King James version is translated as “mediate” in other translations – and I’m okay with the new word. Because I think that a lot of my “thimking” is really meditating. And meditating is simply “to engage in thought or contemplation; reflect.” One definition says to “…think deeply or focus one’s mind for a period of time…”.

This is something I’m generally good at. But here’s the rub: You cannot put food on the table or a roof over your head by simply thinking. My logic for “doing” becomes defined by my action of “thimking“.

Notice what Paul says in that last sentence of scripture above. The things you’ve learned, received, heard, and seen… in me… DO. Immediately after you have spent time meditating on the good things of life, DO!

Thimking and Doing…Needs to go hand in hand!

You do not “do” without thimking it through. Make your “doing” a positive action and not simply a reaction because you’ve not spent time figuring it out.

Let me extrapolate this into another line of thimking.

You may watch someone meditate,
but I’m thimking that a lot of what Prayer should be is a meditating time.
Deep Thimking!
If God knows the thoughts of our hearts (Luke 5:22),
then prayer can be some deep thimking,
and God knows what you are saying.

If you have been around me very long then you’ve heard me preach and teach about this. A simple message. But it is very, very important.

Let’s Thimk it out, and then Let’s Do.