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SOME POSTS FROM THE DREAM FACTORY

Don't Give Up ... Today

At this very moment, out of the 1470 people receiving this bulletin, someone is considering quitting.

It is not their job that they are tempted to walk out on, or necessarily their marriage, or anything that anyone will immediately notice. It is something far more important ... their dreams.

Someone is about to give up on their dreams and it will show gradually and in very subtle ways.

They are discouraged and hopeless and the rewards just are not coming from their efforts.

I have one word for you, dear friend, and it is not necessarily brilliant. There will be tomorrow. You will have countless opportunities to quit. Quitting will always be an option for you unless and until you come to the place of deciding that it is not. Here is the word: WAIT.

I am just saying, wait. Don't quit today. Give it another day and get back with me. You have no idea what inspiration, burst of energy, word of encouragement, seed of an idea, or Word from God is right around the corner for you.

You just don't know. You still have some strength; use it to get through the day. you still have some faith; apply it. You still have time; you don't have to quit today.

Down time is OK. in fact, it is sometimes necessary. Down time is waiting time - time to "not quit."

There is always tomorrow to throw away your hopes, dreams, ideas, and the investments you have already made. You don't have to quit today.

Wait.

I know you can do that. While you are waiting to regain your belief in yourself, use a little of mine in you.

Blessings,

- Tom
The Dream Factory

Quotes on "I Can!"

We can do anything we want if we stick to it long enough. Helen Keller

If you can dream it, you can do it. Always remember that this whole thing
was started with a dream and a mouse.
Walt Disney

Whatever you can do or dream, you can begin it.
Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin now!
Goethe

Humanity cannot forget its dreamers. It cannot let their ideas fade and
die. It lives in them. It knows them as the realities which it shall one
day see and know. Composers, sculptors, painters, poets, prophets and sages these are the makers of tomorrow. These are the architects of heaven.
John Donne

Commit yourself to a dream. Nobody who tries to do something great but fails is a total failure. Why? Because he can always rest assured that he
succeeded in life's most important battle; he defeated his fear of trying.
Dr. Robert Schuller

The Dream Factory

Why Do People Shop Online

One of the fastest growing shopping centers on the planet is available to many people by taking a few short steps in the pajamas, sitting down at their computers, and logging on to the Internet. More and more people are shopping online for everything from tires to college education, from hardware to nutritional products, and even for groceries. That is right! Groceries. look at this to prove it:

So, why do people shop online? There are several reasons that pop out at me immediately:

1) Convenience. You really can shop in your pajamas. There is no travel, no loading and unloading from the car, and no hassles. A few clicks and you are done.

2) Reduced temptation for impulse buying. It really is a more considered shopping environment. You do not tend to be tricked into getting what you do not need because it smells good and looks good.

3) Bargains. Because there is more direct distribution, you can often get better quality at better prices.

4) Savings in the cost of gasoline and wear and tear on your car.

5) Wider selection. you don't have to drive from store to store, just surf a little for the best prices and selection.

6) Time savings. You are busy and online shopping is quicker.

7) Fun. it really is fun to shop online.

There are other good reasons for online shopping, but these should be enough.

With so many people moving to online malls, there is a great opportunity for online entrepreneurs to get involved in any number of businesses that transact commerce over the Internet. These eliminate the need to prepare invoices, collect debts, and even take orders. It is all automated. It is a win for the consumer and it is a win for the merchant.

Win - Win.

Leaders are readers!

Here are some powerful titles on business and leadership from noted Christian authors that i highly recomend:

The Difference Maker: Making Your Attitude Your Greatest Asset By John C. Maxwell / Nelson Business What one factor can make all the difference in your life? Your attitude! In this life-changing volume, the best-selling author of The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership shows how a positive outlook can revolutionize your ability to overcome and grow from common challenges such as discouragement, change, problems, fear, and failure. 208 pages; 5" x 7"; Hardcover.

The 360 Degree Leader: Developing Your Influence from Anywhere in the Organization By John C. Maxwell / Thomas Nelson Wondering how to apply leadership principles if you're not the boss? Maxwell has answers! Debunking myths and clarifying challenges, the popular author asserts that you don't have to be the "main" person to impact your organization. You'll discover specific ways to influence peers and superiors-and become a more valuable team member.

The Richest Man Who Ever Lived: King Solomon's Secrets to Success, Wealth, and Happiness By Steven K. Scott / Random House, Inc After Steven Scott flunked out of six jobs in his first four years after college, his best friend, Gary Smalley, offered one simple suggestion that would transform his life: study a chapter in Proverbs every day. Two years later, using the amazing strategies he gleaned from Solomon, Scott started a small business. In this life-changing book, Scott reveals Solomon's often-overlooked wisdom for achieving breakthrough success in one's work, health, marriage, and relationship with God.

Integrity : The Courage to Meet the Demands of Reality By Dr. Henry Cloud / Zondervan/harpercollins Publishers Drawing on experiences from his work with Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits, and individual leaders, Dr. Henry Cloud, a clinical psychologist and nationally syndicated radio host, shows how our character can keep us from achieving all we want to (or could) be. In Integrity, Dr. Cloud explores the six qualities of character that define integrity. He uses stories from well-known business leaders like Michael Dell and sports figures like Tiger Woods to illustrate each of these qualities. He shows us how people with integrity: Are able to connect with others and build trust Are oriented toward reality Finish well Embrace the negative Are oriented toward increase Have an understanding of the transcendent

Business by the Book, Updated By Larry Burkett / Thomas Nelson Now readers can approach the new millennium by incorporating Burkett's tried and true advice into their business world with this updated edition of the best-selling classic containing some of the actual study material used in Burkett's worldwide seminars.

The Fred Factor: How Passion in Your Work and Life Can Turn the Ordinary into the Extraordinary By Mark Sanborn / Random House, Inc Is your professional commitment wavering? Do you just want to get the job done and go home? Find fresh energy and creativity for your life and work by imitating the example of Sanborn's postman, "Fred." Four Bible-based principles will help you make a difference every day, excel in your career, and make your daily life extraordinary. 114 pages, hardcover from Waterbrook.

Life Unlimited: When Average Just Isn't Enough By John Bolin / Multnomah What's the secret to living a truly extraordinary life? John Bolin goes straight to the source for a Christ-inspired approach to personal growth and leadership development. Based on Luke 2:52, Life Unlimited helps readers develop in the same ways that Jesus did: mentally, physically, spiritually, and socially. Bolin has included a step-by-step program that allows readers to begin putting the principles into practice and achieve greater influence for God. A balanced and meaningful life is within reach!

About My Father's Business: Taking Your Faith to Work By Regi Campbell / Multnomah Many books stress the need to be "marketplace ministers." An equal or greater number tell you why you should be in marketplace ministry. About My Father's Business tells you how, offering proven methodology for becoming a spiritual leader at work, regardless of position or title. Regi Campbell has more than twenty years of experience learning and implementing these strategies in companies small and large. With refreshing transparency, he shares struggles to save his marriage, build his career, and pursue his mission to have influence for Jesus Christ with coworkers. The result is a practical guide for reconciling the quest for corporate accomplishment with the call to be a disciple of Christ 24/7.

Mastering Monday: A Guide to Integrating Faith and Work By John D. Beckett & Ken Blanchard / Inter-varsity Press

Spelling MONEY Biblically

M - MANAGE it; never let it manage you. It is a great slave and a poor master. Love people and use money; not the reverse. It is not money, but the love of money that is the root of all evil.(I Timothy 6:10). in fact, Ecclesiastes 5:10 says that the person who loves money never has enough. Management is what stewardship is all about. It is all God's money and He has given us management responsibility for it.

O - Let it bring you OPPORTUNITIES and let OPPORTUNITY bring money to you. It will enable you to embrace those opportunities as they come along and seizing opportunities for success will enable you to accumulate more. In Luke 10, the Good Samaritan could not have been as helpful to the wounded and robbed man if he had not had the money to pay for his care.

N - Take care of the NECESSITIES before you start on the frivolities. Though not always seen as a necessity by all, building a business, profession, or income form the future is essential. Build your source of income first before you build a lifestyle. (Proverbs 24:27). we also need to have the integrity to pay our bills before we purchase luxuries.

E - EXPAND the reach of your influence using money as a tool. Proverbs 11:25 says that a generous man will prosper. Proverbs 22:9 says that he will be blessed. Proverbs 17:8 says that "a bribe is a charm to the one who gives it; wherever he turns, he succeeds." Since verse Proverbs 17:23 frowns on bribes being received to pervert justice, this might be understood as a gift given to open doors in a business relationship. Money in good peoples' hands can do a lot of good in the world.

Y - Say "YES" to options, yes to people, and yes to God. How many times have you had to say "no" because you were in financial bondage to debt or lack of positive cash flow? Money can be a tool for freedom in its proper perspective. II Corinthians 1:20 says, " For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God."

Posted at the The Dream Factory

Get Paid Every Day!

You can actually help people with this problem and other legal needs and earn a good living:

Today's Proverb for Work and Wealth

Proverbs 14:23 - "All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty."

In today's readings of Proverbs, one stands out to be as instructive in the matter of work and wealth.

It has to do with the value of hard work and it suggests that there is always profit in hard work.

It does not define that profit as always being a commission at the end of the day. in fact, the profit for today may be that step of character development that leads to the next level of skill that leads to eventual income.

The harvest, the sale, the royalty, or the commission may be off in the distance, but today's hard work is contributing to that pay off.

On the other hand, the fruit of mere talk is clearly defined as poverty - no money, no profit, no advance toward one's goals. Talk is good, but mere talk is fruitless. More than that, it is a thief, robbing us of precious time and draining our energy and enthusiasm.

Your assignment for today is to do something to advance toward your goals. Do something purposeful and intelligent. Don't wait for it to be the perfect something. Don't wait for a guaranteed and immediate payoff. Make an effort, the best you can with what you have and what you know right now. Be willing to make some mistakes and move forward.

There will be profit in it.

It pays well.

Some suggestions for doing SOMETHING today are:

1. S - Serve . if you can't thing of anything else to do, serve someone in some way. if you are in business, do something to serve your clients or customers. If you are in ministry, serve the people God has called you to shepherd. Do something unexpected and unprompted.

2. O - Out-perform yesterday's effort. Take it to the next step or level. Compete only with yourself and out-perform yourself.

3. M - Mean it. If you do something, do it with your heart. Guy Williams is a master. I sit in the back of a Starbucks - HIS Starbucks - and watch him talk to everyone within any proximity of him. He represents an extremely credible company with a dynamic product and a powerful business opportunity and he never sells. He just talks to people. as he says, "When it goes from your head to your heart, the rest is a slam dunk." He means it.

4. E - Expect something. Our proverb doesn't exactly tell us what to express in terms of profit, but it tells us to expect SOME SORT OF PROFIT. That is because it is a timeless law of God's universe. The universe did not create that law. God did and God enforces it. He rewards honest, purposeful effort and the positive attitude that believes His word on the matter to be true.

5 - T - Talk, but Temper Talk with Traction. Traction happens when we dig in and move our wheels across the surface. It requires some inner propulsion and intentionality, but there is no advantage to our endlessly gunning our engines to gear up for activity. Act and move.

6 - H - Hang out and Hang in. Your work will most likely involve "being there" where people are. Sometimes the first thing you need to do is put yourself in the right location. From that point, be open, available, and consistent. for much of what you want to accomplish, you will need to make friends over the long haul. Hang in there with your hanging out - but get out today and start hanging.

7 - Insist on your own activity, you are your own supervisor. No one else is going to make you do what needs to be done. accountability partners are helpful and running buddies are necessary encouragement, but there is no substitute for self-motivation. Take care of it. read what you need to read. Listen to enough of what pumps you up and then, when you still don't feel like doing something, do it any way. insist on it.

8 - N - Need what you are working for. Need it deeply. Find that place inside of you that longs for the fruit of your labors. Cultivate the need. Visualize the payoff. Keep it before you. Need it.

9 - GO for it! At some point you have read all the points and it is time to take action. go out and do so.

Do SOMETHING!

Read the entire article HERE and more encouragement at The Dream Factory. Also posted on my MySpace blog and at The Entrepreneur's Table .

This is a good, simple, and comprehensive training video.



Contact me for more information on network marketing opportunities.

'Happyness' for sale

He's gone from homeless single dad to successful stockbroker. And that's just the start for Chris Gardner Inc.

By Jia Lynn Yang, Fortune Magazine reporter

September 15 2006: 2:22 PM EDT

(Fortune Magazine) -- In 1982, Chris Gardner was just another go-getter in the training program at Dean Witter's San Francisco office, making $1,000 a month. He was also homeless. Gardner couldn't afford both day care for his 20-month-old son, whom he was raising alone, and a place to live.

So for a year he and Chris Jr. slept where they could - cheap hotel rooms in West Oakland, a shelter at a church in the Tenderloin, under his office desk, even, on occasion, the bathroom at the Bay Area Rapid Transit MacArthur station. He remembered the words of his mother, Bettye Jean Triplett, another single parent, who grew up during the Depression outside Rayville, La., where slavery was still a living memory: "You can only depend on yourself. The cavalry ain't coming."

Looking up: Gardner is enjoying watching his life turn into a major movie.

So Gardner worked, making 200 calls a day to snag clients for Dean Witter. "Every time I picked up the phone," he recalls, "I knew I was getting closer to digging myself out of the hole." Within five years he had opened his own institutional brokerage firm in Chicago called Gardner Rich, which is still thriving today.

Then, in 2002, a story on local TV set in motion a series of events that will culminate this December, when a movie based on his life, "The Pursuit of Happyness", hits the theaters, with Will Smith playing the lead role.

For More Go to the Money/CNN article.

Zipper Down on the Highway to WELATH

Have you ever discovered that your zipper is down and wondered how long you had been parading around in this condition and why no one informed you?

They may have been too embarrassed.

The solution is to let you be embarrassed.

How do you navigate these sensitive situations? I had an article up here with a severely misspelled title for at least a week. I spelled "wealth" as "welath."no one said anything - or noticed - OR did they? I was embarrassed - but not much.

I misspell all the time, but usually not in a title.

Should someone have said something or would that have been nit picky?

I just finally saw "The Pursuit of Happiness" last night - at least I thought I did. Then I looked and it was spelled HAPPYness - just like a recurring scene from the movie where Chris Gardner is repeatedly annoyed at the misspelling on a wall in his neighborhood.

It is funny how little things keep us from focusing on the pursuit of the BIG things.

Ultimately, they did not stop Chris Gardner. See the movie and read the book if you are discouraged, thinking of giving up, or devastated by a zipper down after being in public for hours. Few people have had to overcome the challenges he faced on the road to success, but everyone has their own.

• 

  Chris Gardner: The Pursuit of Happyness

To learn more about Chris, his philosophy, philanthropy, and work, go to his official site.

I just finished Bob Burg's book and audio set, "Winning Without Intimidation." Bob is REAL. His authenticity is evident to everyone he meets. He treats all people the same - as if they were the most important people in the world - and he wins - and they win! he might have an answer to the zipper question.

• 

  Bob Burg: Winning Without Intimidation : How to Master the Art of Positive Persuasion in Today's Real World in Order to Get What You Want, When You Want It

By the way, the whole zipper/mispeelink thing was just a point of inspiration and a launch pad for me to start writing this morning. Whether you are pursuing wealth or welath, the pursuit is the it of it and it will be hampered if you major on the minor distractions or allow perfectionism to become an excuse for inaction.

The conditions were never just right for Chris Gardner to pursue his goals and they will never be just right for you - so get started now! There is no better time.

While we are at it, let's embrace a new philosophy of WELATH.

W - Welcome life with all its imperfections, embarrassing moments, and hardships because there will be m ore joys that sorrows if you will pursue them and embrace them.

E - Elevate others along the way and build them up rather than tearing them down.

L - Live, Laugh, Love with expectancy, wonder, and authenticity.

A - Accept Abundance as the true measure of wealth. Abundance means that there is more than absolutely necessary for mere survival. Abundance is accepting grace as a lifestyle and as n endless supply from a generous God to children He loves. It also means that we appreciate what we receive and receive it with giddy joy.

T -Take the steps necessary to move incrementally toward your goals of wealth or welath. Just like it doesn't ultimately matter if you mess up the letter order, there may be some play ion the order in which you take these steps, but take them and do not expect to arrive quickly. "Get rich quick" almost always implies gimmickry. The studies i am doing loosely, informally, and occasionally from Proverbs on wealth and work all point to this reality. you could also call it TIME. Take Time!

H - Hope and keep hoping. Never surrender your possibility view of things to come. That which is not can be. Persevere with hope!

I am on a personal retreat in the Sierra right now. I drove into Sonora to do my blogging at a Starbucks. I always appreciate my friends, the Greens for their generous offering of their cabin in the hills for my study and enrichment time. I also appreciate their cable television, but I must say that it is sometimes a distraction from my mission.

This time the cable is off and I am grateful. It has forced me in two directions:

(1) I am taking fewer breaks to catch the latest repeats of old news on CNN.
(2) It has forced me to watch the encouraging videos I brought from home in the evening while I am sorting papers. In addition the "The Pursuit of Happyness," I finally watched, "Facing The Giants."

I was tearfully encouraged and you will be too. Then, you may want to read the book. You can probably get the video at the same link:

• 

  Stephen Kendrick and Alex Kendrick: Facing the Giants: novelization by Eric Wilson

The joke is still on me. After running spell check, I discovered, as I had suspected, that I had misspelled, "misspell" throughout this entry.

Keep on kmeeping on!

Should You Consider Network Marketing?

No one system of commerce has received as much enthusiasm on one sign and criticism on the other. I am a big supporter of the concept of network marketing for reasons I state below. However, it is important to factor in some questions when choosing to affiliate with one of the many fine network marketing companies available:

1. Is this a company YOU want to be associated with? Do they have the track record, integrity, management, and stability necessary to meet YOUR needs?

2. What organization and team will you be joining within the company? What is its training system like? Do you like and can you relate to the leaders? Are they supportive and helpful? Can they lead you to success?

3. Is the product needed, compelling, credible, and something you can be passionate about?

4. Are you willing to invest the time, effort, and money in my training and in the promotion of my business that it will take to succeed? Am you willing to take ownership of the responsibility for your own success?

5. Are you willing to grow, change, and be challenged? Can you take direction, criticism, and help?

6. Is the compensation system sound and is it something that rewards success and organizational growth?

7. Do you like people or are you willing to learn to like people?

8. Are you willing to put in one full year of effort before assessing success or failure?

If you can answer most of those questions affirmatively, here are some reasons I believe you should give it a shot:

* Network marketing is based upon the Golden Rule - It is about helping other people. The mentor does not benefit from the person being mentored unless he or she helps that person become successful. He does not give advice that is not to the mutual benefit of both.

* Network marketing is based upon a multiplication of influence model. A person becomes effective by leveraging time and influence and developing leaders.

* Network marketing is a way of helping people develop their fullest potential, to do what others say can't be done.* Network marketing helps people develop character. Unless there is character development, success is unlikely.

* Network marketing thrives is an atmosphere of integrity, honesty, and excellence. Since it utilizes word of mouth as its primary means of advertising, it is absolutely necessary to maintain a high regard for truth and quality.

* Network marketing rewards effort. It thrives on the law of sowing and reaping.

* Network marketing promotes personal growth, reading, education, and acquisition of new skills.

* Network marketing is an arena where people are valued and people skills are taught. Relationships are nurtured and cherished.

* Network marketing provides an opportunity for developing new relationships which are essential in any model of success.

* Network marketing promotes principles of good stewardship, generosity, and delayed gratification.

* Network marketing helps people get out of debt and promotes a healthy view of credit and debt.

* Network marketing teaches punctuality, reliability, and leadership, as well as other skills that are transferable to other areas of life.

* Network marketing provides a platform for successful people to reach vast audiences with their message.

* Network marketing teaches people to dream great dreams, to build faith, and to have hope.

* Network marketing helps people become financially free to support worthwhile causes.

* Network marketing helps people reach the place where they will not become financially dependent upon their children and society in their old age.

* Network marketing teaches respect, good etiquette, and consideration of others.

* Network marketing gives people back their times so that they can do the things with their lives that they were born to do, whether that is more time with family, service, or community work.

Many wonderful products and services are offered today through multi-level networks (Really, all businesses are multi-level). Find the team and product that is right for you and give it your all.

Excerpts on Entrepreneurship

A Few Moments in the Limelight Can Boost a Small Business - SmartMoney.com, March 12, 2007 BUSINESS OWNERS EAGER for exposure can only dream of the celebrity attention that Stacey Griffin of New Orleans is getting. Griffin started a new business in December selling eight-ounce boxes of purified water called Aqua2Go. The product, designed for kids and adults alike, is convenient like a juice box (and even comes with a straw) but contains water instead of a sugary-sweet beverage. With limited resources for marketing, "I started sending emails to everyone and anyone I could think of," she says.

The Entrepreneur's Challenge In Nigeria - Forbes.com, March 7, 2007 Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has set an ambitious goal: He wants the country to become one of the world's top 20 economies during the next two decades. To hit that target by 2020, Nigeria will need to increasingly globalize education in two key areas: Information and communications technology, and entrepreneurship. In fact, Obasanjo has mandated that all university students in Nigeria, regardless of their major, will need to study entrepreneurship.

Need Ideas Marketing A Small Business? - NewsReleaseWire.com, March 7, 2007 Just starting out doesn’t have to mean spending on expensive marketing and branding activities. New business opportunities will be missed if new business owners spend all their start-up money outsourcing these activities, but they can learn to do marketing and branding themselves.

New investment fund for startups - suntimes.com, February 26, 2007 A new $10 million investment fund for early-stage startups, the Illinois Innovation Accelerator Fund, backed by state taxpayers and local investors, will be unveiled today.

Entrepreneurship Week USA - What's Your BIG Idea? Take It On! - The Public Forum Institute, February 7, 2007 From February 24 to March 3, 2007, EntrepreneurshipWeek USA will be a collection of thousands of activities, ranging from high school competitions to academic gatherings and local town halls to a national policy summit. More than 700 organizations throughout the country have answered the call, planning activities in all fifty states.

Attack of the mini-Googles! - Business 2.0, January 20, 2007

Subject-specific search engines are proliferating like mad. But the smartest, like Mobissimo, are following the lead of the master.

How To Reap The Rewards Of Your Innovation - Forbes.com, January 17, 2007

A new book by two Boston Consulting Group gurus addresses the fundamental challenge of chasing new ideas.

Will My New Business Ever Make Money? - Forbes.com, January 16, 2007

Prepare a break-even analysis before laying out on a complete business plan. Here's how.

From the Technology Entrepreneur Center.

Welcome to a Vital Community Resource

Central Valley Christian Network is a great asset to the Christian community in Fresno and the Central Valley and is a fine example of entrepreneurial initiative. I was able to post an announcement for The Entrepreneur's Table meetings of our church on their site with great ease and a link back here. We'd like to welcome anyone coming from that link and congratulate CVCN for a job well done.

By the way, when you are near Fresno, drop in on one of our meetings:

The Entrepreneur's Table is a educational, support, and encouragement ministry as well as a leads group for believers who wish to apply biblical principles to their businesses and entrepreneurial initiatives.

Participants are welcome to bring their own dinner and share together while they eat.

We meet in the Fellowship Hall at Baptist Temple, the Fellowship of Joy, 4141 N. Fresno St. between Ashlan and Dakota.

It is a small and energetic group.

The Entrepreneurial URGE

The entrepreneurial urge is the motivational edge of men and women who love to develop bold initiatives and who change the world little by little.

When Steve Jobs approached John Sculley, then C.E.O. at PepsiCo about coming on board at Apple, he posed this question:

"Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life, or do you want to change the world?"

No doubt, Jobs knew that the question would go to the heart of Sculley's "urge" and elicit the desired response.

Do you want to change the world?

That is what entrepreneurs do every day. They change it person by person, idea by idea, perception by perception, piece by piece. They do it the way you eat an elephant, one bite at a time.

Here is an acronym for URGE. I am making it up as I write it here:

1. U = Urgency. That is what an urge is, an inner sense of urgency that says that something has to be done and it has to be done now and by YOU!
2. R = Resources. The entrepreneur may or may not have adequate resources, but she is willing to invest whatever she has and look for the rest. She is, after all, resourceful and sometimes that means being very creative.
3. G = Grandiosity. The entrepreneurial urge is to think big - bigger than is practical, vaster than the present reality, greater than others can imagine. You see it when others don't.
4. E = Energy. This is so vital to the entrepreneurial mindset and spirit. Energy flows and is directed toward the point of focus. The entrepreneur makes other people tired because he is tireless and does not quit.

Do you have the urge? Do you want to change the world?

From Crown Ministries

Managing time with a home business

by Crown Financial Ministries

According to several recent surveys, more women than ever are seeking to leave full-time jobs and return home to become stay-at-home moms or to operate home-based businesses. However, many of these stay-at-home moms who have chosen to start an at-home business have discovered that there are not enough hours in the day to accomplish all that needs to be done. Read More! In fact, some feel as if they are busier than when they worked full time outside the home. 10 tips for managing time Working at home requires a certain level of flexibility and liberty, but daily abandoning scheduled work can lead to an unhealthy business. “The Lord your God will prosper you abundantly in all the work of your hand, in the offspring of your body…for the Lord will again rejoice over you for good” (Deuteronomy 30:9-10). The following are 10 tips that will help any stay-at-home mother manage her home business.

Carving Out the Time

A minority of the people who have great dreams and the drive to to live them have the time necessary to build what is in their heart. Hearty souls do it anyway. They carve out time in small segments. They build their businesses in the cracks and crevices of their schedules. They get up early and go to bed late. They turn off their televisions. They consolidate trips. They do more than one thing at the same time.

They are creative with time and committed to their vision.

Do you waste time? Is it possible that some of you who said "no" might not realize that you do? Have you carefully considered how to be more time efficient and still have time for rest and family?

Sometimes it is a matter of optimum time. There are rhythms and tides in your day and week that, when fully appreciated and managed, allow you to do the right thing at the right time and get more done. Pay attention to the tides.

No one has done anything great just because they had a lot of time on their hands. No one has been hindered from greatness just for a lack of time.

5 Vital Signs of Healthy Leadership

Written by Mike Tucker

Vital signs help medical professionals assess the health of patients under their care. Vital signs are a quick and effective way of diagnosing a patient’s health. Assessing leaders in a local church is more difficult. How can church leaders know if they are leading their churches in a healthy way?

Spiritual Leadership

The Apostle Paul was a healthy leader. In his letter to the church at Philippi we discover five vital signs of healthy leadership.

Vital Sign #1: Healthy Leaders Demonstrate Spiritual Vitality
Paul was a healthy leader because he was spiritually vibrant and alive. In Philippians 1:21 Paul stated: “For me, living in Christ and dying is gain.” Paul shared the secret to spiritual vitality: We must move from a self-directed life to a God-directed life. Ministry leadership in the church is not about us. It’s not about buildings, budgets, or baptisms – healthy leadership is all about God’s presence in our lives.

Paul’s’ leadership was rooted in healthy theology. His leadership was spiritually vibrant and alive because he had a healthy perspective. Because Paul surrendered all he had to Jesus he didn’t fear death. He was able to demonstrate courage regardless of circumstances. Paul’s example reminds us that spiritual vitality begins with surrender, gains a proper perspective, and is lived out in courage.

Vital Sign #2: Healthy Leaders Are Motivated by a Compelling Vision
Paul was consumed by a compelling vision. He understood his mission to share the gospel and nothing could stop him. Even being under house arrest couldn’t stop him. In Philippians 1:12 he shared: “How I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has actually resulted in the advancement of the gospel.” He shared the gospel with prison guards.

Healthy leaders are passionate and motivated by a compelling vision. Healthy leaders know who they are and what God wants them to do. Vision propels them forward. It’s always about tomorrow, never yesterday. Healthy leaders are “tomorrow people” – reaching, serving, and leading to grasp and obey the vision God has for them.

A compelling vision simplifies matters. It cuts through the fog of activity and takes hold of us. Healthy leaders with a compelling God-sized vision have no trouble getting up in the morning. They look forward to the ministry God has in store for them. Ministry isn’t a chore – it’s a calling.

Vital Sign #3: Healthy Leaders Commit to Ongoing Learning
In Philippians 3:10,12 Paul prayed, “ My goal is to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings…Not that I have already reached the goal…but I make every effort.” In this passage Paul stated that he wanted to know Jesus. He knew he has more to learn.

Healthy leaders look for regular opportunities to “sharpen the saw.” They are lifetime learners who continue to study and grow. Healthy leaders give time to learning new skills that enhance their ability to lead.

Vital Sign #4: Health Leaders Are Relationally Connected
Paul cherished his relationship with the believers at Philippi. In Philippians 1:3 he said, “I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you.” As a healthy leader Paul has established a partnership with this church. It was based on their common experience together. There are times when leaders must face loneliness, but leadership does not happen in isolation. Healthy leaders resist the temptation to push or pull. Healthy leaders are connected to those they lead.

Unhealthy leaders distance themselves from people. This leads to a lack of fellowship and accountability that can be fatal for a leader’s ministry. Unhealthy leaders let relational problems fester by refusing to deal with them. Repairing relationships is hard and exhausting work but absolutely essential for a healthy leader.

When leaders are vitally connected to others, there is accountability. Healthy leaders surround themselves with people who are willing to hold them accountable. Everyone in leadership needs those who love him or her enough to tell him or her when he or she has blown it. Without accountability, pride erodes our ability to lead.

Vital Sign # 5: Healthy Leaders Serve with a Sense of Divine Empowerment
In Philippians 4:13,19 Paul declared: “ I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me…And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Paul knew that the epicenter of his leadership was Jesus Christ. Paul knew that only when we are totally dependent on God and empowered by His Spirit are we genuinely sufficient.

Healthy leaders know that when their lives are linked with God’s purposes, we share in His resources. Healthy leaders give up their small ambitions because they know God will supply all they need to do His will. They look beyond themselves to see His grand purpose in their lives. And they stimulate others to join them in the greatest adventure of life – serving God and seeing His will unfold before them.

Consider your present ministry. How do you ministry vital signs compare with these of healthy leaders? Are there areas of your life and ministry in which you want to improve? Determine today how you can become a healthier ministry leader.

Use A Healthy Leadership Self-Examination Checklist to evaluate the evidence of healthy leadership in your life and ministry.

Mike Tucker serves as a LifeWay Church Consultant in Flower Mound, Texas.

Related Articles:

1. Insights in Christian Education
2. The Minister of Education As a Strategist
3. Equipping Leaders in a Fast-Break World
4. Education Ministry in Changing Times

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LifeWay Christian Resources

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