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

Everyone knows that prices are high—especially where gasoline is concerned. And high gas prices affect prices on other goods and services too. So it is extremely tough for a young couple with small children just starting out. And this is the reason why both the husband and wife work outside of the home. They both need to work so that enough disposable income will come into the household to pay the expenses plus buy things for a better quality of life. But many young mothers want to stay at home with their young children during their formative years and are torn between having a career and being a mom.

If they have a career, they will help their family with living expenses at the expense of time with their children. If they are a mom and do not have a career, income will be low and they will have to struggle as a family. It is probably safe to say that your family needs multiple sources of income and expense management in order to be able to pay for everything. But those multiple sources of income should not be from both parents working outside of the home.

Let’s start with expense management or budgeting. Let’s start with the single most expensive money pit we have in our homes: the second car. Seriously consider getting rid of it or at least not driving it every day to work. Use public transportation. You are young—ride a bike. Look at how to cut your vehicle expenses by cutting your vehicles.

Generating any kind of significant income from home is difficult. Don’t believe those claims many make that you can earn thousands of dollars in a short time and do very little work. It will not happen. Honest home jobs usually are found in careers of writing, web design, language translation, and computer programming. And even if you have skills in these fields, you will find that trying to make any kind of significant income from home with them can consume many hours which will rob you from time you’re your children too.

The best is to find your niche and market your own product for selling outside of your home. That takes time too but you can set your own hours as you try to build product recognition and sell it. People working from home have been known to design creations in apparel and jewelry that they can sell from a website or catalog.

So your best bet in shaking off dependence on two incomes is to closely look at and cut nonessential household expenses and then look at ways to generate income from your home in such a way as to not consume too much of your time away from your small children.

Remember that the first years of your child are the formative years. This is a time when you will be able to form a special bond with your child and keep in mind that you will never get another chance to do it again. This is when you as a Christian parent will have the time you need to teach your child about God and be able to do it every day. Keep this Bible passage from Deuteronomy in mind:

Deuteronomy 6:7 (KJV) – And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

The verse tells us to teach the ways of the Lord to our children. When? You teach them when you sit in your house (at the dinner table), when you walk to and fro, when you lie down to rest, and when you get up in the morning (and feed your children breakfast). When both parents work outside of the home, they don’t have time to this. Remember, you do not get a chance to do it over with your kids.

Suggested Reading:

The Working Parents Handbook

Ellen Melinkoff (Contributor). Fireside 1996, Paperback, 320 pages, $2.94

Working Mom’s 411

Michelle LaRowe. Regal 2009, Paperback, 224 pages, $4.49

In today’s downsized and streamlined work force, it is quite stressful for employers as they will typically be given many tasks to delegate and each client will want it done “yesterday” as they like to say. Trying to do everything at once is a prescription for going insane. But for the Christian there is a model we can follow for getting our jobs done through prioritization and sticking to the task at hand. The model we can follow is that of Nehemiah in the Old Testament of the Bible.

Nehemiah was charged with the overwhelming task of having the walls rebuilt around Jerusalem. Without those walls, the city was open to attack. It is said that people were building the wall with a trowel in one hand and a weapon in the other. Yet there were those who wanted to interfere with this task. This passage in Nehemiah chapter 6 describes how Sanballat, Geshem, and Tobiah were trying to interfere with the project:

Nehemiah 6:1-3 (KJV)

1 Now it came to pass when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;)

2 That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief.

3 And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?

You can only do one task at any given time. Although you may have many open and outstanding projects, you can still only focus on one task at a time. For Nehemiah, the task was to get the wall built as quickly as possible because the people were discouraged and Jerusalem was vulnerable. Others like Sanballat tried to sidetrack the leader of the project yet Nehemiah’s only response was that he was busy with a very important work.

If you work in an office environment, it is not hard to find the numerous time wasters that can remove you from the task at hand. There are those who love to hold meetings just to remind everyone who is in charge. There are the office “clowns” who spend more time making everyone laugh than they do getting any work done. And we all know the office busybody who walks from cubicle to cubicle looking to see what everyone is doing. There are groups congregating at the copy machine and around the box of donuts.

But as a Christian, you need to avoid these time wasters and learn how spot them before you walk across them. Then, you can stick to the task at hand and be much more effective and have a better Christian testimony too.

Suggested Reading:

Management

Peter F. Drucker. Harper Paperbacks 1993, Paperback, 864 pages, $14.50

Getting Organized

Chris Crouch. Dawson Publishing 2004, Paperback, 192 pages, $15.89

This month’s FREE giveaway

is a book titled “How to Find work in the 21st Century” by Ron McGown, published by Self Counsel Press

How to Find Work

Ron McGowan. Self Counsel Press 2009, Paperback, 264 pages, $5.97

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If someone asks what you do, how do you answer? Normally people give a job title or a brief description of their work. Rarely does anyone answer that they work for Christ, unless perhaps they work in ministry or as a missionary. Consider, however, that each Christian is urged in Ephesians 4:1 to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called.” Paul is asking believers to take up a lifestyle that reflects Christ in every respect, including the work that they do.

It’s unfortunate that many Christians view their work life as separate from their spiritual life. During the Reformation of the 16th century, Martin Luther made the case that the shoemaker working at his bench was doing God’s work just as much as the priest in the church. It is by our actions out in the world, particularly on our jobs where we spend so many hours, that Christ is made known to others.

Whatever your chosen occupation, your everyday work can indeed by sacred work. If you provide an honest day’s work for your pay, market a product at a fair price, do a job that improves the lives of others, or just plain insist on treating others honestly and respectfully, then you can consider yourself as working for Christ. In this modern, complex world, jobs unsuitable for Christians do exist. However, most modern career fields are excellent opportunities for doing God’s work.

When you head to work, consider yourself heading off to work for Christ. Your every action and word reflect your divine boss to your co-workers. Even in work environments where open discussion of your faith is unwelcome or against company policy, you still have the opportunity to work for Christ. In fact all your words are worthless, if your actions don’t back them up. Colossians 3:17 reminds us that whatever you do in word or deed, “do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.”

The next time you’re asked what you do, consider answering that you work for Christ as an accountant, a salesman, a nurse, a teacher, a waitress, a student or whatever your current occupation.

(all scripture references taken from the New American Standard Bible)

You’re riding high, having survived the interview process, made it through orientation, and settled into a routine at your new job. It comes as a surprise to some new to the ranks of the professional working world that it takes more than showing up everyday to get recognized and offered opportunities to expand your career. Talent alone won’t help you keep a job or move up the corporate ladder. Use these guidelines to prevent disappointments down the road, either in the form of a pink slip or getting passed over for promotion.

1. Be a professional at all times.

You spend a lot of time at the office, but don’t fall into the trap of spending too much time chit-chatting with your co-workers. The office gossip or resident comedian rarely become the office star. You need to strike a balance between friendly relationships and business relationships. In addition, be cautious about revealing too much personal information; this even extends to your participation in social networking websites. It’s true that what you do on your own time doesn’t necessarily impact your employer, but your employer may judge your overall character and reliability based on information gleaned from your personal life.

2. Stay informed.

You need to keep up with what’s going on in your company and in the industry. Read company newsletters and e-mails. Take a few minutes to read the business section of the local newspaper. Ask your boss if they subscribe to any industry specific publications that you can read. Valuable employees are the ones who keep their fingers on the pulse of the business. A key benefit to staying informed is that you are better prepared than less informed co-workers when changes take place and new tasks are assigned.

3. Work like you’re working for yourself.

Approach your job as if each task was contributing to your own personal bottom line. It’s a big mistake to think that your work really doesn’t matter. If the job didn’t need to be done, why would your employer pay you to do it? Recognize that your performance can either help or hurt the company’s bottom line. If this was your company what kind of job would you do each day? Employees who make positive contributions have the most success.

4. Give the job your full attention.

It may sound cliché, but take pride in your work. Pay attention to the details of each assignment. Something as simple as a misplaced decimal can have ominous consequences: 250.00 is just not the same as 2500.00. Find ways to reduce distractions, whether they come from co-workers or events occurring outside work. It really doesn’t matter whether you work in the copy room or as a junior accountant; giving 100% to the job grabs management’s attention.

5. Keep records of your accomplishments and failures.

Every employee should keep a planner or other type of log of their workday. You can do it on paper or in the computer (just back it up). You want to be sure to record important projects or assignments you worked on. Include the results, good and bad. You can use this record when it comes time for your review with your boss. Don’t expect management to remember what you’ve accomplished over the last year. With this written record you can point out your accomplishments and areas that you would like more training in. It provides a means for you to show how your skills and talents benefit the company.

Employers are willing to invest time and money into training and grooming the most outstanding of their employees—take the five steps outlined above to help create a bright future for your career.

Planning and preparing for lean times

Layoffs are a fact of life these days. It is rare that you will work for your company for the next 30 to 40 years. And even though we all know this to be true, we still do not prepare or have a plan for when the unfortunate event happens. Sometimes I hear Christians make a simple statement like, “Well, I’ll just put it in God’s hands.” While I do admire the person’s faith, I also see this person has no plan. God wants us to have faith but he also gave us the ability to plan and prepare for lean times in the future. If you don’t think so, just look at the wise ant in the Book of Proverbs:

Layoffs are a fact of life these days. It is rare that you will work for your company for the next 30 to 40 years. And even though we all know this to be true, we still do not prepare or have a plan for when the unfortunate event happens. Sometimes I hear Christians make a simple statement like, “Well, I’ll just put it in God’s hands.” While I do admire the person’s faith, I also see this person has no plan. God wants us to have faith but he also gave us the ability to plan and prepare for lean times in the future. If you don’t think so, just look at the wise ant in the Book of Proverbs:

Consider the Ant

In Proverbs 6:6-8 (KJV) Solomon says, “Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.”

The common response to layoff preparation is, “Well, I’ll just go draw unemployment.” That’s not a plan. Did you know that unemployment compensation is about the minimum wage which is not a living wage in America? Drawing unemployment compensation is an individual choice. I personally prefer not to and having been laid off twice have yet to run to the unemployment office. The problem with unemployment compensation is that it goes against the Biblical truth of “If a man does not work he should not eat” and it places an enormous burden on our social systems.

1 Timothy 5:8 (KJV) says, But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

Options: Think outside the box

The best way to prepare for a layoff is create other sources of income that you can fall back on when you lose your job. For example, many computer programmers are losing their jobs in America to companies in India. What should a computer programmer do? Well, the computer programmer can work just like the person from India and be an independent outsourcer of computer programming services too. The American programmer may have to reduce prices in order to compete with offshore programmers but over time prices can be raised as customer demand and satisfaction increases.

That’s just one idea. People have been known to start handyman services for when things break around the house or something needs maintenance. It doesn’t take much to start out as a sole proprietor. It just takes finding out what you are good at and then going for it.

Many young Christians just starting out in the work force and fresh out of college will find themselves working in a place that they would rather not stay too long. You’ve heard of these places. They are known among your colleagues as the “sweatshop.“ The sweatshop is that place where the pay and working conditions are not the greatest. It is that entry-level job right out of college. The trap the Christian falls into many times is saying that this job in the sweatshop is not God’s will and use that as an excuse to justify poor performance. But did you know that this job you’ve been given by God could be exactly his will and how your future goes depends on how you perform today?

God Uses the Sweatshop

Think about Joseph in the Old Testament. If anyone got treated unfairly by mankind it was Joseph. But his sweatshop experience of serving his masters in prison after being unjustly accused by Potiphar’s wife is an example for all of us to follow.

Do it Even if you do not like it

Take a look at this scripture here from the Bible:

Matthew 21:28-32 (KJV)

28 But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. 29 He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. 30 And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. 31 Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.

The first guy didn’t like it and voiced it too. But when he had a change of heart due to a repentant spirit, he went ahead and got it done. The other just lied and said he would do it but didn’t. Ask yourself which one is the poor testimony?

Whatever Your Hand Finds to Do

Do it as unto the Lord. The verse in Ecclesiastes 9:10 make it very clear how you are supposed to work:

Ecclesiastes 9:10 (KJV)

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

It Shows Your Boss Something Different

You have to remember never to compromise your Christian standards but when your boss is directing you within in the limits of your Christian convictions you should listen to him or her and follow directions. This is especially true in a sweatshop as your boss typically hears all of the complaining from the other employees.

Now, just because you are compliant, does not mean that your boss will suddenly subscribe to Christianity. He or she might even find your compliant reactions a little odd when compared with others. And you don’t need to go overboard with it either. Remember that is God who does the work to change your boss’s heart towards faith in Jesus. You are commanded to do God’s will and be the best employee you possibly can so that you will be faultless before your boss and represent Christianity well.

The title probably draws your attention as you might be heading to college or recently graduated from college and entering the work force. You are career-minded and want to start it off right and be very successful at it. But before you embark on your career journey, you should know what the most important career is. You should know about the career that rarely offers second chances if you fail at it. And, you should know about the career that contributes the most to others for their future careers. That is the career of being a family person. It is the career that you must focus on first and put your other career (accountant, lawyer, nurse, etc.) second.

Be a Family Person

I say “family person” as a general term to refer to husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, and adult children. Family person does not necessarily only deal with marriage or parenting. The term also refers to the child who grew to an adult and still has relationships with his or her parents and grandparents. The career of being a family person is a very critical and important one that most employers have very little concern for (in spite of what they say)

Many People Put Family Second and Career First

You’ve heard it before: “Family first.” Yet so many young people in their early adult years ignore it either because of fear of their boss or an overwhelming desire to climb the corporate ladder as quickly as possible.

I attended a funeral a couple of years ago for a friend I had known for quite a few years. In his 50s, he came down with cancer and died in a short time despite efforts to treat it. He was a friend and we also shared the same profession. During the funeral, many got up before the audience and told their stories. His children, now in their teenage years, got up and told us stories about their adventures with their dad. But not one person got up before the audience and told stories about his career pursuits or vocational achievements.

Few will talk about your career when you die

And guess what? When you die, few will talk of your career at your funeral too. No, they will talk about how you shared time with them, how you shared happy and sad moments with them, and how you helped them when in need. Take a moment and try to view off in the future and think about how that will be. What would they say about you at your funeral?

So what if your boss makes demands on you that consistently rob you of time with your family? What do you do? Quit? I’m talking about demands that have been going on for quite some time and give no indication of letting up (not just the occasional overtime).

“You can always get another job but you only get one family.”

A wise, aged, man told a young professional who was working all kinds of hours that, “You can always get another job but you only get one family.” And, he continued on to say, “No one has respect for a ‘yes’ man.”

His point is that you only get one chance at this family thing and you need to set boundaries and limits with your employer. Your most important “career” is to take care of family whether it is being a dad, or a mom, or an adult child taking care of your aging parents. These are the things that after your relationship with God matter first. Taking care of your family pleases God. And if you lose your job because of an employer who is unreasonable then consider this verse from the Bible:

Matthew 6:33 (KJV) But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

To put it simply: God wants you to take care of your family. That is his will without a doubt. Do his will in this area and he will take care of you as the verse says. Someday, you will look back and not have any regrets having made a decision to put the family “career” before your professional career.