Something a little different today...
This past Sunday at our church was "Youth Sunday," which, as we learned, was a worship service led by high schoolers. In addition to making me feel quite old, these folks challenged me to think about "trust" in new ways.
Many of us likely recall the following parable... but I'd like to offer a refresher and humbly challenge you... regardless of your religious persuasion... to take another look at the final message and consider... are you maximining your talents?
Excerpts from Matthew 25:13-30
Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip.
Chrysler Building via Wikipedia
The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more. But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money.
Taj Mahal Flikr: voobie
After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, ‘Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.’
The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!'
Wedgewood
The servant who had received the two bags of silver came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two bags of silver to invest, and I have earned two more.’
The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’
Harry Winston
Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’
“But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’
Oscar de la Renta via Fabsugar
To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.
Barbara Barry via JLC Studio Blogspot
To use an overused phrase, "what would you accomploish if you weren't afraid to fail?"
Michelangelo, Sistine Chapel
I am tremendously risk-averse, but haven't really thought of that as running contrary to the charge to make the most of the gifts that I've been given. That puts it in a whole new perspective...
-Emmie
Baughman was born in Kansas in 1923, but moved with his family to Long Beach, California not long after. While many designers first start their design careers by attending school, Baughman’s design origin was a bit more unusual. When he was thirteen, his family built a new house, and he was presented with the daunting job of designing the exterior and interior! Obviously enjoying the task, he discovered his unique passions and talents at design. Even while later enlisting and serving in the army, Baughman found a way to incorporate design, often charged with decorating officer’s clubs. After the army, Baughman finally decided to get a formal education and enrolled in the California Institute of the Arts in product and architectural design.
His first official design job was as an interior designer and custom furniture designer for a store called Frank Brothers Furniture. He quickly got noticed for his brilliant modern creations, and the store soon became famous for its modern offerings. Also soon after graduation, he started a publication with a fellow designer, Georgia Christensen, called “Furniture Forum”. In 1947, after already achieving much, he decided to strike out on his own with Milo Baughman Design Inc.
Almost right off the bat, Baughman started working with other furniture manufacturers on designs, like Glenn of California and Pacific Iron, both prominent companies of that era. Soon Baughman would be collaborating with many other famous furniture companies like Mode Furniture, Calif-Asia, Murray Furniture of Winchendon, Woodard, Arch Gordon, George Kovacs, Directional, The Inco Company, and Henredon and Drexel.
In 1953, he began his most important and long lasting (50 years) collaboration with the company Thayer Coggin Inc., who are still in business today. Though he made many high-quality designs for Thayer Coggin some of his most recognizable are 1962’s 951-103 chair, the 820-400 chaise from 1954, the 989-103 Lounge Chair, and 955-304 Sofa.
While he often worked with walnut, iron and Formica materials, his furniture designs are varied and not easily categorized. Baughman often said that “furniture that is too obviously designed is very interesting, but too often belongs only in museums.” He aimed to create good, quality designs that could be enjoyed by a wide range of tastes. Seeing as his designs are still popular today, it would seem he succeeded. 
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