Month: September 2021

Closing the Gap

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One of the tasks often undertaken by someone in my profession of business analysis is a “gap analysis.” Said gap is the difference between the current state of a business or product and the future state. If you can identify what’s missing, than you can come up with a plan to close that gap and transform the business or product into that future version, often done by undertaking a project or by taking smaller steps or iterations toward the future state. So the Parable of the Gap Analysis comes from personal experience (though I’ve never encountered such a drastic situation).

Even though He didn’t approach it quite this way, Heavenly Father’s plan and purpose for life on earth reminds me of this situation—hence the parable.

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The Orchestra Conductors

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The conductor of a world-renowned orchestra announced her intention to retire at the end of the year; the search for a new conductor began in earnest with the outgoing conductor herself taking part in the interviews and selection.

Many observers and commentators considered the orchestra’s assistant conductor to be a shoo-in. She had worked under the supervision of the conductor for the last ten years and had arranged many of the pieces the orchestra had performed over the last seven. Her years attending prestigious universities studying music theory, the resulting degrees, and her years conducting smaller orchestras further made her the obvious choice.

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The Vanished Daughter

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As she neared the end of her teenage years, on the verge of becoming a woman, Eva had a falling out with her parents. She wept hot, angry tears as she stuffed some belongings into a backpack and stormed out of their home. Theirs—not hers any longer.

Her parents and older brother, Albert, watched her go with no fewer tears. “She knows her way back, and we’ll see her again soon,” they told each other.

But days lengthened into years until Albert told his parents, “I will find Eva and bring her back.”

Albert first tried tracking her down using the Internet, but Eva’s social media accounts had long since gone silent. He sent messages to all of the mutual friends he could, but none of them had heard from her.

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Our Most Important Friendship

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I’m sure the Last Supper involved many poignant moments, but a prominent one for me is when Jesus said to His apostles, “With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer” (Luke 22:15).

In His final hours before the greatest trial that anyone would or could ever experience came upon Him, He wanted to be with some of those He had the closest relationships with. His friends.

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The Hidden Journals

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History on Flynn’s ancestors seemed hard to come by. For example, his grandfather had passed away before his great-grandfather, and Flynn’s own father couldn’t remember much about either of them. All the family had about Great-Grandfather was an early journal he had written. They enjoyed reading it, and they wished he had written more. They longed to learn more about his life and personality.

One day, Flynn’s father found a key in some old things with a tag bearing the name of a bank and a number. He gave Flynn the key in case he could track down what it was for. Flynn conducted some research on the Internet and traced the key to a bank in a distant city. He called the bank and was told that a safe deposit box with that number still held some items belonging to Flynn’s great-grandfather.

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