And So On and So Forth

“Hope itself is like a star- not to be seen in the sunshine of prosperity, and only to be discovered in the night of adversity. ” 

― Charles H. Spurgeon

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:

a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace.

-Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NIV)

We can look at a new year in many ways.  most of us tend to take it one way or the other.  Either we see this new year as an immense opportunity to spread our wings and fly in new directions and to new heights or we see it as another 365 days to get through with a more-of-the-same type of attitude.  Some see adventure, while others see adversity.  Some see opportunities, while others see obstacles.

How will you see 2014?

Let's look at 2013 first, though.

What we did in 2013 included:

• Brush up our online bookstore in preparation of some new and upcoming releases for 2014
• Added some new articles about fundraising and churches doing good works
• Spent a great deal of time agonizing over poverty and its impact on folks around us and around the globe
• Wrote about unity and the power of working together to serve and save our communities
• Spoke up about youth leadership development in our churches and throughout our communities

And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.- Colossians 4:3 (NIV)

I have been seriously praying for God to lead us in a new direction and steadily along the path that He has outlined for us to take in 2014.  Surprisingly, I have discovered that God has pointed out that I have yet to do many of the things that he has already bestowed upon me.  As I look upon the incomplete, unfinished and never attempted things on my to-do list and agenda from on high, I feel convicted.  I know that I could have been a better servant than I have been in 2013.  I know that I could have been a better steward than I have been in 2013.

So now is the time to go on with what He has already given.  I have to go on and go forth.

I have to knock on doors that have yet to be opened to me.  I have call upon those who will not recognize my voice.  I have to proclaim Him to many who have yet to have an introduction to who He really is and what who the world has made Him out to be with its skewed and slated views.

If you want to join me in making the Word known throughout this world, here is how you can join in as we embark on 2014:

1. Start dreaming again and do something with your dreams
2. Start by reading a New Year's Resolution Guide
3. Understand how to start your day on a positive note

Then, once you have started on that track, continue to follow this blog as we discuss 2014's ventures and furthering the Good News.

Starting Your Own Startup

Entrepreneurship is one of the only ways some folks will ever return to the workforce.

They do not have the skills.  They lack the education or experience necessary.  They are too old.  They are not equipped, not certified or not what the recruiters and headhunters are looking for in a qualified candidate.

Entrepreneurship may be their only immediate route.

Entrepreneurship may be their one and only hope.

Imagine what the recently released felon must say about his or her chances at landing the dream job.

Think about how the recovering addict fresh out of rehab.  How is he or she going to fit in with the sales and marketing team on the sixth floor?

Picture gramps who just got let go from industry leader who decided to" go in a new direction" after using him for the past twenty-five years.  He's not exactly the best bet or best fit for hiring firms as a Baby Boomer.

Some will say that you just don't have it.  They don't believe that you have it in you.

They don't feel what you feel or see what you see.

You have the knack for being in business.

You have the drive and motivation to start and stay in business.

You've got what it takes.

I found that the knack and drive to own your own business may require you to manage conflicts on your own or with your family.  You may be required to use your living room as a home office or shop for used furniture to outfit your new brick and mortar office space.  You can become your own boss.  You can give birth to your own dreams.

Promote entrepreneurship among our people who are struggling for another chance.  Give them a leg up.  Put them in touch with community banks and micro lenders.  Educate yourself on entrepreneurship.

As a freelance writer and consult, I benefit from the help, support and advice of others.  I gain a lot from online communities and social networks as well as multimedia sharing sites.  I use freelancing to supplement my primary income.  I use some of the top freelancing sites to get my words in print or online.

I understand what it takes to run a business.  I had to believe in myself.  I had to believe in my dreams.  I had do it by myself at times and with the help of others at other times.  I had become flexible and adaptable.  I had to make adjustments on the fly, too.

If you really want it, you can succeed at being in business.  If you believe in yourself more than you believe the words of your critics and the naysayers, you can have it.

Go on and stop waiting on others.

Start taking action.

Start your own startup business now.

A New Vision for a New Year

Where there is no vision, the people perish: 

but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

- Proverbs 29:18 (KJV)

2013 is upon us.  We have some some serious choices ahead of us in the coming days.  For now, let us enter into 2013 with prayer.  Let us thank God for what He showed us in 2012, even tragedy and triumph.  Thank God for allowing us to see 2013.  Pray to God that He will bless us with all that we need in 2013, especially clarity of the vision that He has for our lives.

Amen.

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Join me on Swagbucks in 2013!

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Get Gear @ Lifepath08

Articulate Your Vision

This is what the Sovereign LORD says:

Woe to the foolish prophets

who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!

- Ezekiel 13:3 (NIV)

Everyone who is speaking about vision isn't being honest about it.  They claim to be prophets of profit or visionaries of victory.  It sounds good, but it seems worthless.  Some are called gurus.  Believe it if you dare.  They are false prophets.

They are able to lead people in a particular direction, but they do not seem to be able to accomplish true success.  Yes, they are able to have small victories and have moments of progress.  However, they have little beyond the rhetoric that they spew or the sound bites that they play repetitively throughout the airwaves.  According to Ezekiel's prophecy, they are foolish and following their own spirits, having seen nothing at all or from the Lord.

Don't be found in that category.  Lead as God leads you.  Whatever God gives you to do, articulate that vision.  Put it in words so that others can grasp the depth and the concept of the vision.  Put it in visuals where others can see the vision for themselves.  Articulate your vision with all that you have within you.

Most importantly, share the vision that God gave you just the way that God gave it to you.  Don't abridge or edit it for political correctness or popularity, not even prestige.  It's not about you or how you feel.  Your opinion doesn't even matter.  You accept it from God and make others aware of what God gave you.  Confirmation will come from God through others who speak up and say that it sounds a lot like what God had been sharing with them or what they had been reading in their daily devotional reading.  Give it to others like God gave it to you.

Marketplace Messengers

“God is moving in a powerful way in the marketplace”- Henry Blackaby

In this era of multimedia, the Christian entrepreneur has a plethora of information sources.  Many of these are exclusively online, but others are in print, on television, even the radio, and online.  These men and women offer insights and ideas on how the Christian can be a powerful vessel of God in the modern-day marketplace.


John C. Maxwell

Dave Ramsey

Ken Blanchard

Steve Marr

 

Zig Ziglar



Laurie Beth Jones
Henry Blackaby

Bob Briner



Larry Burkett 



Ron Blue