What Really Happens in VEGAS?

Some really WONDERFUL THINGS!! Graduation, Baptisms, Great friends, Fun and best of all you can remember evertything in the Morning.

Back to School..

We had a Great Summer but now it is back to school for the two youngest! We all really enjoyed friends and family who were able to come see us at our new home in Austin. No regrets! It is quiet in our home right now. I am working in my office but I find myself a little distracted by the lack of life happening in the home. I am going to go to lunch with a friend out where people make noise. Here is a re-cap of a summer highlight for us.




Recently I took my family and some of our friends from out of state to downtown Austin along the famed 6th street. We took the Duck Boat tour http://www.austinducks.com/ it was a blast. You will learn all about the history of Austin and how it became the capitol of Texas. We finished the evening off at Bess Bistro http://www.bessbistro.com/ (my oldest daughter is a pastry chef there) Bess is owned by Sandra Bullock and is a great way to get the Austin Flavor. A stroll down 6th street will put you in ears shot of some of the best music in the country. Each cafe, bar and restaurant have live music as Austin loves to proclaim itself as The Nations Capitol for Live Music.
The Real Estate Market in Austin remains strong despite what has happened in other parts of the country. This can be attributed to a strong economy in Texas especially in central Texas. Where people work they also must have homes to buy or lease. The strong economy has attracted both investors and new residents from LasVegas, California and Arizona where the real estate market booms have created wealth for home owners in a short period of time. To protect their gains they have migrated to a more solid market where their money has incredible purchase power http://alanmaz.actris.mlxchange.com/



If you want to find out more about owning a piece of Austin feel free to contact me: 512-709-3336 or just email me your questions at alanmaz1@earthlink.net

Have a noisy day!!

Alan

Weekend to Remember

This past weekend, my wife had given me two tickets to the Cowboy vs Bronco's game in Dallas Texas. I am a huge Dallas Cowboy fan from my childhood. My son and I went to the game, my middle daughter came along with us to Dallas but stayed with other family members while we were at the game.

It was my second game in Texas Stadium. By television, I had watched some of the great NFL players of all time play on that field: Bob Lilly, Roger Stabauch, Tony Dorsett, Emmitt Smith and so many more. For those friends of mine who secretly love the Cowboys too, they did win the game 31-20. Looks like this could be a great season if key players stay healthy.

The best part of my weekend however was not the game. It was being with my children. My wife and I are blessed with 3 beautiful children. They are very sweet (when they are asleep) and obedient (when I carry a big stick) but most of all they love each other. Perhaps that will be the greatest legacy that Michele and I will leave behind is the relationship our children have with each other.

I can tell you it has not been easy work to get them to this point. They each have very different personalities. What one loves the other may not care for at all. Zak loves to read, Amanda loves to sing, Mikah loves to dance and cook pasteries.

Sounds like the perfect Circus doesn't it? I am so thankful that they care for each other. As I look around at the fractured famlies that make up America today, I see a vast sea of lonely people. My prayer is that our kids will always love each other and be there for one another.

No matter how old we get or how far we may move away our siblings can make life a richer blessing or a unbearble burden. I am the oldest of 4 siblings and we are close. It would be great to be closer, but I do know that we love each other. Adversity in our life has revealed that time and again.

This weekend, I saw my children love me and love each other. We went to church together and I saw them love Jesus. What joy! When we decided to move to Austin Texas, my oldest daughter did not have to move it was love of family that caused her to move. What a joy it has been to have her close by her brother and sister dearly love spending time with her.

My oldest daughter no longer lives at home and her siblings and parents miss her. She misses us too and often comes over for dinner. When at home now during the day at times I will hear Zak and Amanda upstairs laughing and playing together it makes me smile.

It is not that they never fight it is that Michele and I raise the value of each child and the value of loving each other. We model it, reward it when we see it and discpline strongly when it is violated.

Re-inventing The Wheel

No matter how old I get (I am approaching another birthday) it still amazes me when I encounter the Re-Inventors. You don't have to travel far to meet them. They are your friends, neighbors, family members. Some are even students (which is even more amazing).

The Re-inventors are impressed by only one thing, their personal experiences. When facing an extreme challenge in life they would rather seek personal experience over experienced counsel. It's time to buy their first car. No need to ask anyone for advice, just hustle on down to the car dealership and let the happy car salesman educate you. He just needs to know how much you want your monthly payment to be. There is no substitute for raw personal experience.

Just imagine this: when I started in my career field I actually used to pay guys to teach me what they knew and how they became successful in that field. What a waist of money! I went to College and then Masters work, it was just like throwing money in the trash. I could have learned it all on my own. What I must have missed by listening to experienced counsel from others rather than charging forward armed with my ideas untested life philosophy.

There is a passage in the Bible that states "there is wisdom in the midst of much counsel." Wisdom easily obtained by just asking others. People all around us who will teach us wisdom. The challenge is to have a teachable attitude. As long as we can listen without thinking about what we are going to say when the other person stops talking we are in at least reasonable learning mode. It is really that simple.

The Re-inventors are not devoid counsel, they surround themselves with people who agree with their point of view. It is usually a small tight nit group of people who stand at the ready for each other should their philosophy or ideas be challenged by someone outside the circle. The mission is not to learn truth but rather to be proclaimed "right".

Good news! You do not have to Re-invent the wheel.