Many years ago my grandfather gave a gift to my dad. It was book that told the story of R. G. LeTourneau, and the title of the book was ‘Mover Of Men & Mountains’.

Many years later my dad handed me that same book, and I still have it in my possession to this day, and it was then that I was first introduced to this incredibly inspiring businessman.

In LeTourneau’s book he states that, ‘Some people think I’m all mixed up — that you can’t serve the Lord and business, too, but that’s just the point. God needs businessmen as partners as well as preachers. . . . When you go into partnership with God, you’ve got a Partner closer and more active than any human partner you can ever get. He participates fully in everything you let Him do, and when you start putting on airs, and thinking you’re doing it with your own head of steam, He can set you down quicker and harder than a thunderbolt. There’s nothing dull about being in partnership with God.’

So here’s his story…

‘Robert Gilmore LeTourneau was born on November 30, 1888, in Richford, Vermont, in the United States of America.  Traditional education held little interest for LeTourneau and in 1902, at the age of 14, he left school.  He moved from Vermont to Duluth, Minnesota, then to Portland, Oregon where he began to work as an apprentice iron monger at the East Portland Iron Works.  While learning the foundry and machinist trades, he studied mechanics from an International Correspondence Schools course that had been given to him, though he never completed any official assignments.  He later moved to San Francisco, where he was employed at the Yerba Buena Power Plant and learned welding skills and became familiar with the application of electricity.  In 1909, he moved to Stockton, California.  During this time, LeTourneau worked at a number of jobs including wood cutter, farm hand, miner and carpenter’s laborer, acquiring a sound knowledge of the manual trades that would prove invaluable in later life.

In 1911, LeTourneau was employed at the Superior Garage in Stockton, California, where he learned about vehicle mechanics and later became half-owner of the business.  In 1917, he married Evelyn Peterson, the daughter of a draying company owner from Minnesota.  Refused military service because of permanent neck injuries sustained in a car racing accident, LeTourneau worked during World War I as a maintenance assistant at the Mare Island Navy Yard in California, where he was trained as an electrical machinist and improved his welding skills.  After the war, LeTourneau returned to Stockton and discovered the Superior Garage business had failed.  In order to repay his portion of the debts, he took a job repairing a Holt crawler tractor, and was then employed by the tractor owner to level 40 acres using the tractor and a towed scraper.

This type of work appealed to LeTourneau and in January of 1920, he purchased a used Holt tractor and, with a hired scraper, commenced business as a land leveling contractor.  In May of 1921, he purchased a plot of land in Stockton, California, and established a small engineering workshop, where he designed and built several types of scrapers.  Combining contracting and earthmoving equipment manufacturing, his business soon began to expand and, in 1929, his business interests were incorporated in California as R. G. LeTourneau, Inc.

LeTourneau completed many earthmoving projects during the 1920’s and early 1930’s, including the Boulder Highway to Hoover Dam in Nevada, the Marysville Levees, Orange County Dam and the Newhall Cut-off in California.  In 1933, LeTourneau retired from contracting to devote his attention to the manufacturing of earthmoving equipment.  In 1935, he built a manufacturing plant in Peoria, Illinois, and the continued expansion of his business saw the establishment of manufacturing plants in Toccoa, Georgia in 1938; Rydalmere, Australia in 1941; Vicksburg, Mississippi in 1942, and Longview, Texas in 1945.

The LeTourneau name became synonymous with earthmoving worldwide.  R. G. LeTourneau was largely responsible for the invention and development of many types of earthmoving machines that are in wide use today.  He designed and built machines using technology that was years, and sometimes decades, ahead of his time, and became recognized worldwide as a leader in the development and manufacture of heavy equipment.  The use of rubber tires in earthmoving; numerous improvements relating to scrapers; the development of low pressure heavy-duty rubber tires; the two-wheeled tractor unit (Tournapull); electric wheel drive, and mobile offshore drilling platforms, are all attributed to R. G. LeTourneau’s ingenuity.  During his lifetime, he held hundreds of patents on inventions relating to earthmoving equipment, manufacturing processes and machine tools. His factories supplied 70 percent of all heavy earthmoving equipment used by the Allied armed forces during World War II.  LeTourneau also pioneered numerous manufacturing processes and the development of specialized machine tools.

LeTourneau was a firm believer in the effectiveness of practical instruction combined with classroom studies and, in 1946, he purchased an unused military hospital, accompanying land and buildings in Longview, Texas. There he established the LeTourneau Technical Institute to provide sound technical and mechanical training, traditional college courses, and training for missionary technicians based on the philosophy of combining work, education and Christian testimony.  The LeTourneau Technical Institute became a college in its own right in 1961 and eventually gained university status to become LeTourneau University.  LeTourneau University is still in operation today, offering liberal arts and engineering courses with a strong Christian influence.

In 1952, LeTourneau began a development project in Liberia with the diverse goals of colonization, land development, agriculture, livestock, evangelism and philanthropic activities.   In 1953, LeTourneau sold his entire earthmoving equipment line to the Westinghouse Air Brake Company.  He then applied his ingenuity to the development and perfection of the electric wheel drive concept.  In 1954, a colonization project with similar objectives to those in Liberia, was established in Peru, South America.  In 1958, at the age of 70, LeTourneau re-entered the earthmoving equipment manufacturing business, offering contractors a range of high capacity earthmoving, transportation, and materials handling machines based on the revolutionary electric wheel drive system he had developed.

R. G. LeTourneau held many respected positions throughout his life as a Christian layman, including leader of the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church, president of the Christian Business Men’s Association and President of the International Gideon Society.  Throughout his career, he was the recipient of more than 30 awards and honors relating to engineering, manufacturing, and the development of heavy equipment. In 1936, he was presented with the Appreciation of Service Achievement 1931-1935 by Six Companies Incorporated for supplying earthmoving equipment to the Boulder Dam project.  Recognition of service to the earthmoving industry later came from many other contractors within the industry and, in February 1958, R. G. LeTourneau was presented with the Beavers Award at the third annual awards dinner of the Beavers, an association of leaders in the heavy construction industry.  In presenting the award to R. G. LeTourneau, Beavers president George H. Atkinson of the highly respected U.S. contractors, Guy F. Atkinson Company of San Francisco, said: “There is hardly any phase of the vast industry that has not benefited and advanced through the products of Mr. LeTourneau’s inventive genius.”

R. G. LeTourneau maintained an active role in his company as president and chairman of the board from 1929 until 1966.  He also held the position of chief engineer, personally working alongside his engineers and employees throughout his working life.  Having spent his entire life around earthmoving equipment, LeTourneau was just as likely to be seen at the controls of one of his machines, as he was to be seen attending to corporate matters. It was well known that he much preferred the former.

In 1965, I.C.S. finally awarded R. G. LeTourneau his diploma in engineering, 50 years after he studied the course.  LeTourneau was 76 years old at the time and, in accepting the diploma, jovially remarked to executive assistant, Nels Stjernstrom:  “So now I’ve got a diploma.  Now I’m educated.”   (Source:  “Stjernstrom files”, LeTourneau archives, Longview)

In 1966, at the age of 77, R. G. LeTourneau handed over presidency of his company to his son, Richard H. LeTourneau.  R. G. LeTourneau continued to work each day and could always be found at the drawing board in his modest office, designing new ways to move larger loads faster and more economically.

R. G. LeTourneau shunned the high-life often associated with successful businessmen, preferring to spend his time at the drawing board with the engineers designing new machinery, or out on the factory floor overseeing his employees building heavy equipment.  Being a man of great Christian commitment and dedication, for 30 years he flew thousands of miles each week to maintain Christian speaking engagements around the United States and overseas.

In March 1969, R. G. LeTourneau suffered a severe stroke from which he never recovered.  He died on 1 June, 1969, at the age of 80.  He was survived by his only daughter, Louise Dick and four sons, Richard, Roy, Ted and Ben.

Known throughout the construction world as ‘The Dean of Earthmoving’, R. G. LeTourneau is considered to this day to have been the world’s greatest inventor of earthmoving and materials handling equipment. Few manufacturers of that era had such a profound effect upon the art of earthmoving as did R. G. LeTourneau.  Just two years prior to his death, R. G. LeTourneau recorded his thoughts about the future of earthmoving equipment: “Within the next few years construction machinery will grow bigger and bigger, and more and more powerful.  Instead of “tons” of capacity, they’ll all be in “hundreds of tons” and instead of hundreds of horsepower, they’ll all be rated in “thousands” of horsepower.  We’re already seeing it in big hauling units in the mines, and believe me, when the contractor and mining companies start looking for bigger and more profitable hauling units and earthmoving equipment, I’m going to be right there, the firstest with the mostest.”  (Source:  NOW, February 1971)’

Source: LeTourneau Technologies

The Man Who Moved Men & Mountains is a post from: Motivational Memo Blog

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‘Holiness is in right action and in defense of others who cannot help themselves.’ The Kingdom of Heaven – The Movie

When we use the word holiness we could be mistaken to only think of cathedrals, white clothing, religious ceremonies, monasteries, austerity, confinement, abstinence, and so much more.

And yet I would like to enlighten you by expanding your thinking when it comes to the term holiness.

By way of definition holiness is the quality of being holy. It speaks of purity and Godliness. The word holy is also related to the word whole. So when we think of holiness it refers to wholeness, and that holiness is to be an all encompassing part of our whole life.

But let’s get back to the defining quote at the top of this page.

1. Holiness Is In Right Action

‘The time is always right to do what is right.’ Dr Martin Luther King

But how can you define right action?

When it comes to dealing with other people ‘do unto others as you would have them do unto you’. It’s all about treating others with respect; exactly the same as you would wish to be treated.

When it comes to dealing with day to day situations that you face, it comes down to following your conscience. It’s all about doing in the dark what you would be found doing in the light.

It’s about truth not lies. Responsibility not irresponsibility. It’s about being trustworthy, reliable and consistent.

And in the words of an anti-litter campaign that was run in my country some years ago - ‘Do the right thing!’

2. Holiness Is In The Defense Of Others Who Cannot Help Themselves

‘Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight.’ James 1:27

To be holy, or to be whole as a human being, is to live not only for ourselves, but to remember that we must also live for a cause that is far greater than ourselves.

We have a responsibility to share the wealth that we have, the love that we have, the opportunities we have, and the experiences we have  – with others.

It’s not just about the get. It is so much more about the give. And in the giving is the joy.

And in the giving is the holiness.

How To Live A Life Of Holiness is a post from: Motivational Memo Blog

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‘Empty your purse into your mind, and what is in your mind will fill your purse.’ Benjamin Franklin

There have been a number of times throughout my adult life, to the horror of my wife – and yet to her credit – she has always supported me in it, that I have emptied not only my wallet, but my entire bank account in the pursuit of knowledge.

I have done it to attend seminars and business functions, to buy books, recordings and tools, and even to hire one-on-one personal mentors.

It has at times been a stretch, and yet the return on my investment continues to grow with every day that I now live, because of those decisions to invest in mine and my family’s future.

At times I came away with simply one idea. And that is all I needed to realign my thinking and to continue on the correct path towards my destiny.

And although I am willing to spend tens of thousands of dollars on my education, I also make it my habit to attend any free seminars on offer, and I often choose to borrow books from my local library.

So there is no excuse for anyone to grow stagnant in their thinking, nor limited in their earning capacity if you simply stick at educating yourself relentlessly until you see your breakthrough.

And even then, while ever there is breath in your body – continue to invest in your ongoing education – for it will keep you young of mind, body and spirit.

To Be Full You Must First Be Empty is a post from: Motivational Memo Blog

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‘There is a king in every job.’ Chinese Saying.

I was served today by a young girl at the supermarket who failed to understand that ‘there is a king in every job’. Her face was sour, her attitude was ordinary, and her communication unenthusiastic. All in all, her interaction with both my wife and I was distasteful. In fact, we couldn’t wait to give her the money and leave. She obviously hated her job, and everything about her revealed the truth of her inner thoughts.

And then just before this, while we were both having a coffee in a local cafe, we overheard one of the management asking a staff member to sweep the floor area of the restaurant. The task was done swiftly and briefly. And in looking at what had just been done, it was hard to define what had and what hadn’t been cleaned. Yet again another demonstration of someone who had not found the ‘king in every job’.

I have to confess, and if you talk to any of my family about me, you will hear the same report, that I am what could be termed, a ‘clean freak’. Whether it is cleaning the toilet, washing the car, vacuuming the floors, tidying the yard, chopping the wood, planting the vegetables in my garden, or whatever task I assign for myself, or are assigned by others, it is my mission to always discover the ‘king in every job’.

Through the years I have packed shelves in supermarkets, mowed lawns, taught children, led young people and congregations, written books, cleaned houses and factories, played music, composed songs, recorded, performed, spoken, specialized in sales, and even been the CEO.

And yet I have discovered this one thing that can be assigned to every role you play or task you undertake, and it is this – ‘there is a king in every job’ – and it is our responsibility to always discover the royal purpose in everything we do. We must treat it with the utmost respect that it rightfully deserves, and for whom we treasure to serve – no matter whether we are thanked or not.

For there is one who watches and it should be for His pleasure that we do all that we do with a splash of excellence  and a sprinkle of royalty.

So my challenge to you is this: Be the king in every job, and bring the king into every job.

How To Put Royalty Into Every Job is a post from: Motivational Memo Blog

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‘Wisdom tends to grow in proportion to one’s awareness of one’s ignorance.’ Anthony De Mello

The over-riding and enduring evidence of someone who is wise are the foundations of integrity and humility that have been forged throughout the years within the fabric of their beings.

The more they grow the less they realize they know. They are in no need of self promotion. They have no desire to raise themselves above others. They flow seamlessly between those surrounded by abundance and those surrounded by lack. They are as comfortable in the company of paupers as they are in the company of kings.

They are as at home in the solitude as they are in the noise of civilization. Slow to speak. Quick to listen. Ever observing. Attuned to good counsel. Commonsensical in all matters. Disciplined. Persistent. Blessed. Righteous. Just. Insightful.Virtuous.

They have no company with that which is evil. Discrete. Knowledgeable. Lovers of truth. Far more wealthy than any money could ever purchase. They are honored with a name that is defined by goodness and by an abundance of life.

So let wisdom be what you seek. And seek to grow in wisdom far above any other venture. For she, when she is found, is the giver of life; real, lasting and bountiful life.

Reference: Proverbs 8

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I recently spent three hours with two individuals who seemed to have lost the happiness in their lives. To spend such a length of time with such negative companions is rare for me, but because of circumstances beyond my control it was unavoidable.

The fact is that joy had left their sorry lives, and those who surrounded them had also allowed the negative circumstance that had overtaken them to suck the very life out of their beings.

Even their family had spiraled into lives devoid of happiness. Bickering, mistrust and disagreement was a part of their daily encounters with each other. Not a shred of real happiness could be dug from the murky mire of unhappiness that had become their lot. They had allowed themselves to devote their entire lifetime to misery and miserable words that had encapsulated their miserable lives.

So how does one find the happiness?

Change your perception.

Bad things happen. It’s a fact.

Tragedy occurs. It’s a fact.

Death and sickness come. It’s a fact.

Bankruptcy pounces. It’s a fact.

And yet, amidst the darkest hours that any of us have to ever face there is always a sliver of light. Amidst the helplessness of hopelessness there is always an essence of hope…..if you look for it.

A speck of gold is found under a ton of dirt. A rainbow appears after the fiercest of storms.

We all have a choice. We can either stay fixated on the dirt and riddled with fear amidst the storm, or we can turn our eyes towards the speck of gold and seek out the spectrum displayed by the rainbow.

What will you focus on today?

For whatever you focus on will determine whether or not you will ever find the happiness that was designed for you to have in abundance.

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‘Talk the walk, then walk the talk.’

People don’t like associating with hypocrites. Particularly, if you a hold a position of leadership, followers want to know that you’re not just a bunch of words. They want to be assured that what you talk, you walk.

Now let’s be totally honest with each other. None of us is entirely faultless, but I have found that in raising three children I was given the greatest opportunity through the years to develop the practice of lining up my walking with my talking. Children don’t miss a thing.

So whenever I asked my children to clean up their room, I always needed to make sure that I had already cleaned up my shed.

When it comes to guiding those whom I employ, I need to never ask someone to do what I’m not willing to first do myself. I suppose it’s all summed up by the three words, ‘Lead by example’.

In leadership your confession should always be, ‘Do what I do, not just do what I say’.

If you live like that, you will never lack followers.

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It is in the place called obscurity that the maturing process does her greatest work. For it is from that place in the wilderness that you are translated from obstacle to influence, from challenge to championship, and from affliction to no restriction.

Many a great man or woman has been shaped and formed in the desert. For this is where the thirsty thrive and where the hungry dine.

Hardship shapes the desert dweller for leadership, and in the solitude is formed the foundations that will sustain them in the crowd.

Do not despise the desert. Embrace her. For within her is found the healing space and the preparation place. Draw on the power infused into your life during the time of equipping that occurs within your wilderness. For it is a necessary part of your development, and will transport you from great challenge to great influence.

For as you then share your story, your listeners will relate to you, while at the same time be greatly encouraged in the pursuit of their own dreams.

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‘Those who know do not speak; those who speak do not know.’ Lao Tzu

The Greek philosopher Epictecus explained it this way, that ‘we have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.’

And I tend to think that Lao Tzu was thinking very much along those lines when he wrote the words, ‘Those who know do not speak; those who speak do not know.’

We have all been in a social setting where there is one particular person in the group who dominates the conversation. Now may I add, that the one with the loudest or most dominating voice is not necessarily the wisest.

Then there is the other person who constantly speaks over you, cuts you off mid sentence, or is quick to point out why you are wrong.

But from time to time you are fortunate enough to come into the presence of wisdom. Little is said, and yet what is uttered is profound and life changing.

Remember, it’s not always what you say that will make a difference. It’s often also how you say it, and in many cases when you say it. And sometimes it’s best that you say nothing.

‘For those who know do not speak.’

So let us all pause before we speak, and consider how we can all become far more proficient in the fine art of good speech.

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I recently came across some writings by the philosopher Bertrand Russell, and discovered that in 1927 he published a book, ‘Why I Am Not A Christian’.

So I am compelled to write this article, not a book, from the perspective of someone who is a Christian, not seeking to win an argument, but to simply relate from my own personal experience up to this point in my life.

I am not the first to write such a piece, but I always believe that one should never be ashamed of what they believe in and that we should always be forthright in sharing the foundations upon which our lives are built.

So here are five reasons why I am not an atheist.

1. I Am No Fool

Psalm 14: 1 states that the fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ So to believe in your heart that there is a God is to be wise. That makes me no fool.

2. I Am Convinced

‘I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus.’ Romans 8:38,39

I am the first to understand why people get angry with what religion has done in the name of God. I identify with those who have lost loved ones with no acceptable explanation. I have experienced tragedy and loss in my own life, and yet I am convinced that God loves me and He loves you.

3. I Have Faith

‘Without faith it’s impossible to please God’, and may I add that without faith it’s impossible to believe that there is a God.

4. I Experience Creation

‘For since the creation of the world God’s invisible attributes are clearly seen.’ Romans 1:20

When I awake most mornings, I am met by the sunrise and I am greeted by birdsong. As I walk along the beach I am accompanied by the crashing of the waves. I am surrounded by the sights, the sounds, the smells of a creation that has been created by a creator with a mind that far surpasses anything that we as humans could ever concoct, no matter how brilliant we may be.

5. I Know God Personally

‘With your whole being you embrace God setting things right and then you say it, right out loud: ‘God has set everything right between him and me!’ Scripture reassures us, ‘No one who trusts God like this – heart and soul will ever regret it.’ Romans 10:10,11

This same God has shown himself strong in my life, ever since I acknowledged Him as the God who had created me. He has healed my body of sickness time and again, raised the dead within my own arms, and given me a purpose and an eternal hope. I talk to Him. He speaks to me. He has replaced my fear of the future, and what it holds for me, with faith and peace. My life is guided by two abiding principles – love God, love people.

What I have shared in this short piece is not designed as an all encompassing argument, but rather a short critique of what I have found to be true in my own life.

My prayer for you as my reader is that you make your peace with God while breath is still in your body. But know this. God loves you, and so do I.

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