While it is not over, let’s pause from time-to-time in the coming months to remember the trip we’ve been on these past few months, weeks, and days. I look back through my emails and know they are a journal of thoughts, concerns, and wishes. Do that and reflect on what were you concerned about on March 1? Or the 12th? Or yesterday? Last year?

I’ll repeat Mr. Covey again, “we behave our way into trouble. And we don’t talk our way out, we behave our way out of trouble.” We’ve been in trouble these past few weeks, and some would say we still are……but we’ve behaved well.

Proverbs 25:2 says, “the glory of God is to conceal a matter, but the glory of man is to search a matter out.” Let’s insure we are searching out these matters. Asking ourselves what have we learned? What was the real purpose of the struggle? Was it more than just a mess? Was there a lesson? Were the triumphs themselves a lesson? If we were to be given a grade, what would it be? What do we measure it against?

Maybe it was just so we’d be more thankful. Maybe the struggle was just so we’d not be so cynical.

Yesterday morning we did not have enough warehouse line for the day. We had asked the Texas Banks for more credit last Friday and were told no. Yet yesterday, around 9am, after confirming with Roy, Bryon, and Jessica that the available warehouse lines were short by 1 million, an email came from Norman at 1st Star. Don’s phone call to give Norman a call revealed we had been given a 3 million permanent increase to our 1st Star’s line of credit.

Proverbs 1:20 says, “Wisdom calls aloud outside: She raises her voice in the open squares. She cries out in the chief concourses, At the openings of the gates in the city, She speaks her words.”

Imagine that; just think…..Wisdom is like a woman screaming out in public, “HERE I AM. I’M NOT HIDING. I’M RIGHT HERE –OUSTIDE, I’M NOT HIDING FROM YOU! LOOK AT ME! I’M WISDOM AND I’M RIGHT HERE!”

More times than not, we just need to go about our business, work the routines, search the matters out, and wisdom is bestowed upon us.

We end up looking real good. But let’s not forget how God provides. Let’s be sure and give Him the thanks for giving us the sense to behave our way through the troubles. I pray we handle the triumphs just as well. I pray that I remember Jesus today and tomorrow and on May 15th.

We’ve just finished a period of decent volume; January and February were the best fundings for those months we’ve ever had. Estimated fundings for March is 235 fundings (including LEM) and 268 purchases. Our goal, which would hopefully make us profitable for the fiscal year, was a respective 200 and 265.

This month will surely be a transition time; manual underwrites are all but going away; AUS becomes the king; new processes in processing/underwriting/closing; LTS Online going live; new LO hiring practices; AEs selling again; a new compliance agenda; ProLender; and more……..the need to perform continues.

Our funded pipeline should give us a record purchase month in April. With this and the combined open pipeline to fund out, we could set numerous records, including profitability. Profitability is important, yet not something I’ve focused on enough. That lack of focus has caused us to be barely sustainable at times and the jury is still out on how well the audited financials for the period ending 3/31/2008 will come out.

We’ve began the transition to AUS but most of us must stay engaged in the open pipeline. Though most of you will probably just start seeing and hearing bits and pieces about the transitions, and that’s what I’m hoping for; a transition that is not something so new we have to “get used to it.” I am meeting with Bryon, Chas, Paul, Mark and/or others numerous times per day as we work through bits and pieces of what the strategies might look like. The move from the Manual-to-AUS world is heaviest on most minds and should be. I’ll put out plenty of emails about the plans, but for now, unless you are requested different, please stay focused on your tasks and jobs at-hand. My office is open if you want to ask specific questions or just generally curious.

I want to thank you all again for the marvelous work you’ve done these past weeks. When I discussed back in early February about how well we needed to perform, this was what I was talking about. Last night Jessica, Gabe, and I were talking about how much better and smoother things were going in the prod/ops area; it was 6:10, the last day of the month and maybe 3 people were left in the underwriting to funding group. By 6:30 everyone was gone and it just wasn’t because of the ProLender conversion; it was because of good performance. We are performing at a higher level, with fewer people (more loans per person). This is not the results of any-one-of-us, but a testament to Teamwork.

Thank each other for that – you have all done well.

Let’s continue to behave well by being Purposeful with our actions and words; by pursuing good Results; by being Objective with our thoughts and manners; by being Vulnerable in our transparency and not have hidden agendas; by being Incarnational in how we help others; by being Dependable so that others know what to expect from us; by being Engaging and pursuing what needs to be done; and by being Resourceful and using what God has given us to succeed in life.

Today begins a new year; while learning from our history, let’s forget the past and look forward to the great things God has planned for us.

Let’s pursue that Call.

God bless,

Danny