The Last Ice Man in Town

I'm not sure where that phrase came from, but being "the last ice man in town" is a great way to determine if your small business has a chance in your town. The idea is this: 100 years ago the way people got ice was that it was delivered to them. It came in huge blocks and guys would bring them around in trucks. You would store the ice in your "ice box" and it would keep your food cold and you could chip away at it if necessary to put into your drinks. The invention of the air compressor and modern day cooling devices meant that everyone didn't need ice deliverers. However, occasionally people do need ice delivered and they need it to happen quick. Therefore, if you're the last ice guy in town, you can sell some pretty expensive hockey flooring.

Same idea applies to small business. What can you do, and where is the need? That's the most fundamental principle to a successful business. If you can do what no one else can, and you can do what people need, you can charge for it. A bad business principle would be to open up a brand new electronics store next to Best Buy. "We've got one of those. Who are you?"

Now for the spiritual part. How many religions are based on works? Islam, Buddhism, Native-American Rain Dancing, Hindu, Wicca, modern day Judaism.... this list goes on forever, because every "religion" finds it's definition as a "set of principles and actions whereby man relates to God(s)". Christianity, to my knowledge, is one of the only ones that is based almost entirely around relationship (ancient Greek mythology was as well, but since we've been able to scale Olympus, sort of destroys the framework). Jesus made it clear: either He knows you or He doesn't. Under this scope it also makes it clear why other religions would dislike us so much. Jesus doesn't make you really do all that much, besides lay down your life for Him.

Last thought: the simplicity you find in following Jesus doesn't speak to blandness. It speaks to order. It doesn't need the bells and whistles of a diet, routine, schedule, alter, building, country, hat, robe, necklace... it speaks to you where you are. You either will accept Christ for what He did, or you will reject Him. And that is far more important than which way East is. Come to think of it, I believe Christianity is the only religion you could successfully practice on the moon...

+ Christian