David understood one of the essential qualities of a leader, as we see in 2 Samuel 23:3. Anyone who wants to lead well must fear the Lord. When we talk about fearing God, we are not talking about a wrong kind of fear. We are talking about the reverential fear that causes us to bow in His presence and even to prostrate ourselves before Him and say, “My God, there is none like You; Whom shall I fear? If You are for me, what can man do to me?’

The apostle Paul wrote something in Galatians 1:10, He said, “Now am I trying to win the favor of men, or of God? Do I seek to please men? If I were still seeking popularity with men, I should not be a bond servant of Christ (the Messiah).”

We know Satan firsthand uses rejection to prevent us from going forward with the call of God on our our lives. Have you ever been attacked with rejection? The devil uses this very effective tool to keep us from making progress.

How many of you have gone to the bank to get a loan for your business and were turned down? Wanted more money to expand? Wanted to hire a few more people? How many people were skeptical when you told them you were starting a business, or joining a partnership with someone, or told you all of the reasons why they failed in business and why you would too? It’s very difficult to go on when you are being rejected by someone you love and care about or others who have the power and ability to help but do not buy into your vision. I know what that feels like when you take the leap of faith and do what you believe you have been called to do. I shudder to think what I might have sacrificed had I bowed down to the pressure and the weight of rejection. Everywhere I went for help they told me no, or I didn’t qualify, but thank God I didn’t give up.

Have you ever been in a situation when the devil leveled an attack against you at the same time when God was trying to promote you into the next level of what he has for your life?

Anyone who is going to do the will of God must have more fear of God than of man. We all want acceptance and for others to support our dreams. It takes courage to live your dreams. And you have to be willing to lose everything to do it. What does that mean? The trials and storms of life will come. They must. Do you stay and fight for the dream and the desire that you believe God has placed on the inside of you, or do you turn in defeat because it’s just too hard?

Anyone who is going to do God’s will must remember what Jesus told His disciples: “A servant is not greater than his master…If they persecuted Me, they will also persecut you” (John 15:20). He was saying, “If they reject you, in effect they are rejecting Me.” I believe the Lord takes it personally when people reject you because you are trying to do the right thing. He knows how you feel about being rejected, because He felt the same thing. He is your Vindicator; your reward comes from Him, and you must reverentially fear and honor Him more than anything or anyone else.

As you have made the decision, for God I live, and for God I die, know that God is equally commited to the promise as well. Romans 8:31,32 “What then shall we say to [all] this? If God is for us, who [can be] against us? [Who can be our foe, if God is on our side?] [Ps. 118:6]

32 He who did not withhold or spare [even] His own Son but gave Him up for us all, will He not also with Him freely and graciously give us all [other] things?

God approved of you before anybody else ever got a chance to disapprove. Do not spend your time playing it safe in the illusion of a down economy (because millionaries are being made everyday, banks are still giving corporate execs million dollar bonuses) don’t buy into the hype! Safety is very comfortable, but it may keep you from God’s perfect plan for your life.  If we want to continue to succeed in this environment, our focus must be customer focus coupled with outstanding customer service. Not because it will keep your customer and repeat business, but if you never see them again, the honor and privilege is in being in a position to serve.

Trust His Word and keep your heart willing and ready to obey. Be willing to try new things, especially if it is something you have never done before. You will find throughout your life that God regularly calls us out of our comfort zones and into new places of faith and growth in Him.

On the way to your destination, enjoy the journey.

Linda Dillard

Founder/CEO & Relationship Strategist for Power In Progress, LLC & Creator of the “CEO Method”

How many of you are just like me, Class A+ Procrastinators?

Did you know having good intentions can still be a form of disobedience? Procrastination is very deceptive and Proverbs 3:27,28 instructs us not to do it. Often, we do not see putting things off as disobedience because we intend to obey God; it is just that we are going to do it when–when we have more money, when we are not so busy, as soon as Christmas is over, after we get the kids in school/college, when we return from vacation, after the snow is gone, etc. Remember, the best intentions do not produce results. Ask God to help you take action in a timely manner in every situtation.

So, what are some strategic solutions to helping Class A+ Procrastinators; Proverbs 4:5 instructs us to get “skillful and godly Wisdom,” and here are some of the results that you can expect as you apply wisdom in your life.

Wisdom will always lead you to God’s best. Wisdom teaches that you will not keep friends if you try to control and dominate everything that goes on in your life and theirs. You will not keep friends if you talk about them behind their backs or tell their secrets. Wisdom says, “Do not say things about others that you would not want people saying about you.”

Wisdom will guide you in money matters. You will not get into debt if you do not spend more money than you make. A lot of people never have fruitful ministries because they think they can run a ministry without good business principles. The Holy Spirit does not need to speak in an audible voice to tell us that we cannot have more money going out than we have coming in. Wisdom tells us that we will get in trouble if we do that.

Wisdom will not let us get overextended in our commitments if we listen to her. No matter how anxious we may be to accomplish things, wisdom says we need to take time and wait on God to give us peace about what we are to do and not do. It has been very difficult for me over the years to learn to say no to certain speaking opportunities, but I have learned that it is not wise to wear myself out trying do to so much that I end up not doing a quality job.

To God, quality is more important than quantity. Many times wisdom leads us to say no to things we would like to say yes to. Wisdom may also lead us to say yes to something to which we would like to say no. Having an opportunity that will stretch you outside of your comfort zone may cause you to say no, because you are afraid you might fail. But Wisdom may be telling you that you can do all things through Christ that strengthens you, and although you may have never done this or that, or tried this or that, doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try. How do you ever grow beyond what you are capable of if you never put yourself in a situation where you know exactly what you are made of. Feel the fear and do it anyway.

Wisdom is our friend; it helps us not to live in regret. I think one of the saddest things in the world would be to reach old age and look back at your life and feel nothing but regret about what you did or did not do. So many people are playing it safe. In case you haven’t noticed, “You can’t get out of life ALIVE!” It’s always more fun on the field than it is in the stands. Failure is merely feedback. The sorrow is not in the falling down, the tragedy is in never having tried in the first place. Wisdom helps us make choices now that we will be happy with later.

A word of advice to all my soon to be reformed Class A+ Procrastinators, don’t put off for tomorrow what you can to today, maximize your moment!

Be Encouraged. [Excerpts from Joyce Meyer Amplified Bible] 

Linda Dillard

Founder/CEO & Relationship Strategist for Power In Progress, LLC

Why does it always take a tragedy to wake us up out of our unconcious state of selfishness before we are willing to help one another? Apparently, Hurricane Katrina was not enough for us to sustain a long lasting commitment to love one another as we love ourselves.

The US has no Interest in Haiti

How unfortunate it is that it took a devastating Earthquake in Haiti before the world woke up. What amazes me is that Haiti has been an impoverished country for many years. The fact that the United States has no vested interest in Haiti in terms of what it can get from the people or country of Haiti is irrelevant. Why must God get our attention by allowing such mass destruction to occur?

Why do bad things happen to good people?

I have often wondered why bad things happen to good people? It’s sad to know that we have all contributed in some way due to our mass consciousness of caring about self only.

In 2 Corinthians 9:10-12 (amp), “And [God] Who provides seed for the sower and bread for eating will also provide and multiply your [resources for] sowing and increase the fruits of your righteousness [which manifest istself in active goodness, kindness, and charity]. [Isa. 55:10; Hos. 10:12]

11 Thus you will be enriched in all things and in every way, so that you can be generous, and [your generosity as it is] administered by us will bring forth thanksgiving to God.

12 For the service that the ministering of this fund renders does not only fully supply what is lacking to the saints (God’s people), but it also overflows in many [cries of] thanksgiving to God.”

God will provide us a seed to sow

In times like these, it’s easy to withhold seed because we are uncertain if we will have enough. But a seed can never multiply and bear fruit until it has been planted. Whenever we invest in God’s people at home or abroad, we can rest assure that God will continue to provide seed for us to sow, and those in whom we sow seed will cry out to God with thanksgiving.

I say to the many of you who were like me before I read this passage, there is so much money and aid needed for these hurting people, how will I know if my seed will be used for that which it was intended?

What’s your motive?

 Well, we can thank God that he does not judge our outward appearance but our heart and our motives. Whether our seed ever gets to where it is intended, God will still honor our heart to give and you will be blessed. For those who misuse the seed, and cause even more suffering because of their lack of integrity, God is in control of that as well. So give, so seed.

Our job and our responsibility is not to judge others for what they are or are not doing, our only responsibility is to make sure we are doing what we are suppose to do. We serve a God that never slumbers or sleep, and he is always on top of his game. Let our business be a reflection of how we are, not just who we are. Whether your are providing aid to Haiti, or giving your left over food from your resturant to a shelter, orphanage, or a parent who waits table and would welcome the extra food to feed their family, when you have a need, sow a seed.

So take heart my sister, my brother; Love thy neighbor as thyself (Mark 12:31).  In so doing, the recipient of this goodness, kindness, and charity will cry out to God in thanksgiving. 

Be Inspired,

Linda Dillard
Founder/CEO Power In Progress, LLC
Relationship Strategist

What do we mean by a flexible Christian? We mean the Christian who can take the waves and winds of life and not break. Life is full of problems and just because you are a Christian it does not mean you will be problem free. Your reaction to the problems when they come is what is going to either defeat you or allow you to keep going. Some Christians get extremely angry and “lose it” with those around them when they are hurting while other Christians will respond to situations through prayer and trust in God. This is also known as the reaction to stressors and different reactions can produce different results. Always having an angry reaction to stress can cause health problems not to mention hurt your relationship with God. The Christian must be flexible in order to weather the storms of this Christian journey.

Few of us have been through the storms weathered by Job in the Old Testament. Job lost his entire family except for his wife and lost all his riches in one day. Most of us lose these over time if it happens to us but he lost pretty much everything all at once. Was he heartbroken? You can be sure of that. Was he full of grief? Yes, absolutely. Did he have sin in his life? If you read the first part of the book of Job you will see God was very pleased with him. Did Job pray for God’s help? Yes he did. Did he see answers right away? No he did not yet God was still working. Job’s response when this tragedy happened was found in Job 1:21 (KJV):

And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.

Wow! What a reaction. Few of us react that way when life’s storms hit but it should be something we as Christians try to model. And God had a purpose in this and it was to show Satan that Job was strong in his faith even when blessings were removed from him. The whole experience probably made Job stronger too.

One of the great things about being in a church among a group of believers is that many times there will be prayer groups that get together and pray for those they know in need, having a difficult time, or sick. If you are in a church that does not encourage prayer for those suffering you might want to seriously consider changing churches. But let’s just assume you are in a church with an organized prayer program. Typically what happens in these prayer meetings as they are called is a leader will have people share prayer requests and then everyone breaks off an prays. But did you know that if you are not careful, you could be actually be sharing gossip about someone in these meetings? We are told in the Bible not to gossip and not to be busybodies. Be careful how you present prayer requests because they could be gossip.

It’s Okay to Have an Unspoken Request

If making a prayer request would reveal too much embarrassing information about the subject of the prayer then present it to the group as an unspoken request.

Don’t Reveal Personal Information about a Subject

It’s okay to tell everyone that so and so is in the hospital after being in a serious automobile accident and they need prayer. It’s not okay to tell everyone that so-and-so is dealing with a drug or alcohol problem and needs prayer. You will destroy that person who is trying to overcome a bad habit for the better.

Don’t Talk About Your Kids’ Faults

Most every parent is going to have to deal with the rebellious child. It is a helpless feeling and naturally the Christian parent wants help for his or her child through prayer. But all too often we think because we are parents that we can air our dirty laundry about our kids with everyone. Don’t embarrass your children. It does not help to embarrass them.

The church should be a place known to care about people—not embarrass them so much that they never return. Everyone has problems and when you have problems you will certainly want the church to pray for you. But think about how you would feel if you confided in a Christian friend and this same friend gossips about your personal and private problems to everyone in the name of prayer. You wouldn’t like it much would you?

Marsha Carter is the successful founder of MyBizNext, LLC and Star Scholars, LLC. MyBizNext, LLC is a management consulting firm dedicated to helping business optimize resources, capitalize on opportunities and increase their productivity.

Marsha Carter’s story is not unique. Her story simply reminds us of the power of perseverance, determination, and endurance.

“I am a firm believer of faith. I believe what God has for me is for me. I do not compare; I admire. ” In August 2005, I left the Buccini Pollin Group as an Accountant.

I was afforded an opportunity to return back to school. Oblivious to the consequences, August 2005 I enrolled into the Master’s of Public Administration program at the University of Delaware. All expenses were to be paid by the college of Urban Affairs and Public Policy…

Challenge question: How do you maintain a grad school 3.0 required gpa, bills, and no real steady income.

Well obviously, MC didn’t totally have the answer. Over time the 3.5 gpa slightly dropped as stress continued to build over how to pay bills. In January 2006, MC with Latonya Maddrey decided to start MyBizNext, LLC. “Initially, it was just a way to generate extra income to support our true desire of founding an education institution.” Shortly after, Mrs. Maddrey headed back to Maryland and left the bleak responsibilities to MC; changing from a multi to a single member LLC.

“One night I had a dream—so real. I woke up in our home and everything was empty. There were people cleaning out our home. I walked down the hall to the bathroom and asked “did you know that someone was living here”. The lady stated, “did you not hear the news, you have to leave.” As I walked back into the room there was a mural on the corner of the room that read “HOPE, FAITH, BELIEVE.” I will never forget that. It was the turning point of my life. I decided to let everything go and in less than 3 months, my children and I were at a shelter – EVERYTHING truck, home, etc gone!

All that was left was my family and God. A formed a different kind of faith and relationship with God. For the first time, I began to understand – “I will supply all your needs.” I walked around one week with $20 in my pocket all week! My perception of homelessness changed. My gratitude changed. My relationship with my children strengthened. I began to admire my son and daughter as they too were so positive. There were days we filled the entire room with the peace of God and vibrations of Shirley Caesar (I can make it) rang in the air. My kids would touch me and each other and speak of just how good God was… Can you imagine?

Anyhow, I decided I wanted to find a job (enough to qualify for subsidize housing), so I could just focus on completing my studies and being there for my children. “I was giving up on this entrepreneurship thing.” In my mind, it left me broke and homeless. I searched high and low and could not find a job whereas 6 months prior to giving up I received at least 3 job offers.

Well that was not what God had for me. One of my most supportive mentors and clients, Joe Abelson, Chairman of Rodney Street Tennis & Tutoring Assoc hired me to write a proposal that would change my life. The catch – “the nonprofit did not have any additional funds. Not sure if they could pay right now.” It was almost like God appeared to me directly and we talked (well I more or less I attempted to rebel) to write this proposal for free. “But Father you know my situation, why would I do this for free. I need to get a job, I’m not allowed out of my room after 11:00pm in the lobby, and shouldn’t I just write the proposal for myself.” Oh yes, the excuses just kept coming. More importantly, the only place I could get a wireless connection was by sitting in the corner of the lobby AND it was due in less than 48 hours. Okay, another turning point. I wrote the proposal, it was awarded, and I was still paid $1,000. Does God know what He’s doing or what?

Let’s just say that as I continued to grow and meet more people, I started to realize more success. I remained an entrepreneur (never gave up). Star Scholars was started to help “eliminate the education gap.” Well I would say that after working very longggg hours and spending many countless hours of sacrifice (financially and with time), since then I have realized a great deal of independence. For many, this is minute. For me, this is major for all I asked from God was that I could do the following:

Live in a 4 bedroom home. I now live in a 6 bedroom home for over a year waiting for a new addition to my family – Faith Marciair (pronounced Mar-cee-air)

Make over $150,000. In cooperation with 2008 and already for 2009, I have nearly reached that goal.

Be home with my children. Although a great challenge, both are currently being homeschooled.

Be able to retire by 35. Although this may need to change to 40, I am very confident that through God’s grace; the businesses created today will enable this to occur.

To me it is not about the money. It is simply that God has provided me with all my needs first and desires second. I strongly believe that because of my faith in Him, He has shown me what He could do. I now can stand naked and tell others just how good He is EVEN in the midst of troubles. There may be gloomy days (I sometimes experience them today), but I know that I know if nothing else; somehow some way it will always work itself out for those who believe. Consequently, through all the trials and tribulations; I stand with God by my side, Edward (my husband), Sierra, Richard and soon to be Faith!