Making Room for Peace to Your Life

Despite my schedule which includes 40 flights the first six months of 2016, my life is pretty simply. My intentions were never to live a simple life but it just sort of happened that way. My good friend, Anthony Kober, used to shake his head at me because of how little I decorated my house. I am grateful for his skill to make into a home and feel warm and inviting and yet still be simple. Recently I was listening to Joyce Meyer and realized her practical suggestions to live a simple life were already actions I have implemented in my life. Here are a few of her suggestions:

1. Get rid of clutter. Books and newspapers have boundaries. Rooms, calendars, counter tops should have boundaries too. They give us balance.
2. Be yourself and stop trying to impress others.
3. Don’t be easily offended and be quick to forgive.
4. When you sin, admit it, receive forgiveness and move on.
5. Give people mercy instead of trying to get revenge.
6. When you need help ask for it.
7. Make decisions as fast as possible.
8. Don’t be over committed.

Applying any of these suggestions to your life will bring additional peace. Some of it will be mentally, some of it will be physical and some of it will be emotional. For some of us, applying these suggestions will take hard work and the opportunity to learn a new trait – the ability to say, “No.”

Jesus said in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (NIV) Do you have peace? Do you have trouble in your heart? Are you afraid? If so, take some time, review the suggestions above and go about making room in your life for the peace of God.

Peace be with you!

What can Happen in 90 days?

It is often said that we over estimate what we can do in a day and underestimate what we can do in a year. Have you found this to be true as well? My to-do list is usually longer than my day but when I think about what I want to accomplish in the next 12 months my list is not much longer. This reality came true to me so well in the past 90 days. At the end of 2015, I started a Couch (read – potato couch) to 5K training program. It is an app on my phone that I can use while exercising that will help me go from sitting on the couch not running at all to running a 5K (3.1 miles.) Each week you have different walking/running assignments that gradually increasing to running 30 minutes straight.

For example, week 1 is made of 3 “runs” in which I walked 90 seconds than jogged 60 seconds and repeat for a total of 20 minutes per run. Week 2 the regime was 3 “runs” of 90 seconds of walking then 2 minutes of walking and repeat for a total of 20 minutes per run. Week 5 was jog for 5 minutes then walk for 3 minutes and repeat for a total of 21 minutes. Lastly, week 8 was jog of 28 minutes after a 5 minute warm up.

On December 28th, when I started, I really struggled to jog the 60 seconds. Everything hurt, I couldn’t breathe, I barely picked up my feet. It was pretty pitiful. I thought that there was no way I could ever run for 3+ miles! But I didn’t quit. I did what the app told me to do and I did it when it was cold, when it rained or when I was tired. However, before I knew it I had done it!! I had run a 5K and then I got really crazy and have started to Couch to 10K app.

The first of week of the third quarter is coming. The sun will set and the sun will rise 90 times and there is nothing we can do to stop that. However, we can be different people at this year’s 4^th of July party. We can choose a goal, make a plan and then execute on that plan. You have the power to change you. Will you do it or will you be the same?

Please reach out to me if you need help with a plan or just to tell me what you plan to change in these next 90 days. See a change, make a plan and then do it!

If you write it down, there is power!

For many years now, I have written down my goals – personal and professional. Goals that were short term (less than a year and sometimes a week) and goals that were much longer (right now I have two goals that have “my lifetime” deadline on them.) I started this practice in the early 90s when I grasp the concepts by Hyrum Smith in 10 Natural Laws of Time and Life Management. What I have found to be amazing is sometimes just the process of writing them down brings them to completion. What I mean is that I have goals that I wrote down and then never intentionally worked on them and in some cases simply forgot about and later on I would stumble across the list and realize they had been completed. I think that is why in Habakkuk, God encourages us to write it down. “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it.” Habakkuk 2:2 (ESV) Last summer, my coach, Steve Knox, encouraged me to take some time during vacation to write out some more goals and add the component of accountability by telling three people that goal and when I was going to accomplish it. One of the goals I wrote down was to be the National Managing Partner for The Barnabas Group (TBG) by 2020. The reason I wanted this role is because it would fulfill three of my values:

• I love Christ and desire for Him to be glorified.
• I strive for excellence.
• I influence others.

And when I told the three people, they all encouraged me that I was on the right path.

Well, despite my time frame of 2020, God’s time frame was a bit earlier. On March 1^st, Bob Shank, chairman of TBG-National, called and asked if I would be interested in considering taking over this role. As the Lord would have it, I was already schedule to be in Orange County, CA on the 2^nd so we had breakfast along with Steve Esser, board member of TBG-National, and discussed what is the vision for TBG. There was an obvious alignment and I officially accepted the position on March 3^rd and started immediately.

What is interesting is that of the 14 goals I wrote down in June of 2015, four of them have already been accomplished and I am on track with three others to be finished by June of 2016. Writing it down gives focus and clarity and in a strange way I think God thinks we really mean it when we do and His sovereignty is made evident as we work out these goals.

I would love to hear from you about any goals you have written down. Are you seeing them come to completion?

Maxwell, Italian Economy and Leadership

John Maxwell is a leadership guru that is well known around the world. Just last year Inc. Magazine named him the #1 leadership and management expert in the world. He has written over 20 books and sold over 19 million copies. And despite the fact that I read LOTS of books each year I don’t think I have read any he has written. However, one of the best leadership principles I have used in my life I credit to him. It is the 80/20 principle. The 80/20 principle was originally “discovered” by Italian economist, Vilfredo Pareto, in 1906 when describing the unequal distribution of wealth in his country. Eighty percent of land was owned by 20% of the people. However, this principle applies to just about anything…

• 80% of management problems come from 20% of the staff
• 80% of donations come from 20% of the donors
• 20% of the workforce produces 80% of the output

It even applies to life…80% of your calls go to 20% of the numbers in your phone’s contact list.

So how does this apply to leadership? If there is someone on your staff, on your committee, in your family, etc. that can do something 80% as well as you can, release them to do it. Yes, it will not be as “good” as you did it and you may have to give some guidance in the beginning, but releasing it to them frees you up to go and do more of the 20% of life that produces 80% of your successes.

You can also apply this in the reverse…if you are only 20% good at (or only 20% “enjoy” a task), find someone to do that task for you. Outsourcing those tasks, even if there is a cost upfront, will reap benefits down the road as you re-direct your efforts in areas that produce a greater return of your energy and time investment.

So take some time the next seven days and track what you do, how long it takes and how much you enjoy doing it. At the end of the week, review the list and see if there is anything you can off-load so you can do more of what you love and which produces the best outcomes for you.

The Seeds that We Sow

In 1965, the first lady of the United States, Lady Bird Johnson, was instrumental in the passing of the Beautification Act. This act called for a control of outdoor advertising as well as scenic enhancement and roadside development along the interstates of America. We experience the beauty of wildflowers along the interstates because of seeds that were planted decades ago! This morning in my quiet time I read this verse:

Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. (2 Corinthians 9:10-11)

The Apostle Paul in this verse is specifically talking about finances but the principle applies to all that we sow. The seed sown could be time, talent, influence, etc. – anything that we possess that we can give away. In this sowing not only will those we sown into be blessed but we also have an increase in the “seed.” Personally, I have experienced this with my time as well as my skills and most recently I experienced this with my finances.

I was blessed to be able to purchase a major appliance for a friend and it was $750. Of course, she gave thanks to me but also to our God for the provision. But what is so cool in that in the next 10 days, the following happened:

• Received an unplanned for bonus check
• Signed another contract
• Invited to speak at an event
• Did NOT have to pay for a plane ticket
• Had entered my mortgage payment in twice in check register
• Unexpected reimbursement for items purchased in 9/2013

Total increase? $4,423!!!

Now I am giving thanks to God for His faithfulness! As verse 12 promises, the results will be thanksgiving to God.

What can you sow today – not to get the increase – but so that God will be glorified and thanked?

How's Your Retirement Plan Going?

The birds are whistling as the sun is coming up.

The palm trees are singing as the wind blows through their fronds.

The lake is ripping as the breeze moves gently across the waters.

It is peaceful place.

It is a serene time.

It is a tangible feeling.

This is my patio. This is my refuge. This is my "settling my soul" place.

But as the rush of the traffic is off in the distance and the to-do list Siren is calling my name, I am reminded of the following story:

The yuppie was taking his annual 5-day vacation at a tropical resort that was isolated but not so remote that his iPhone didn’t work. Each morning, he watched a local fisherman walk to the port, board his boat and push out to fish. Upon returning to port, he would sell the fish at the market and then after lunch take a nap in his hammock while his children played in the yard. He would then finish off his day watching the sunset with his wife from the front porch of his hut.

After two days of this, the businessman decided to not waste his vacation but rather help this uneducated fisherman out. He devised a strategic plan and on day 4 of his vacation he met the fisherman as he walked to his hammock.

“Look here, sir, I have a great plan to share with you that will change your life!” This of course intrigued the fisherman and he stopped to listen.

“Here is the plan…if instead of working just three hours a day you worked eight (or maybe 10), you could purchase a car within six (or maybe 9) months so that you don’t have to walk to the port. After ten (or maybe 18) months, you could purchase a second boat and hire your buddies to work for you. After five (or maybe 9) years, you could have a fleet of boats and would be managing the entire operation from your office. Then after 10 (or maybe 14) years with, of course, proper investment, you could sell the business and retire. And I would be happy to come once a year to help you make this happen. So what do you think?”

The fisherman pondered a moment and said, “If I purchase a car, then how will I let my mind ponder? If I hire my buddies to work for me, how will that affect our relationships? If I managed the fleet from my office, how can I feel the wind on my face and the sun on my back?”

“Those our all good questions,” the businessman said but in his mind he was thinking, “This guy is really a fool!”

“But it is all worth it, sir, because you will be able to retire!!”

“Retire…what is that?”

“Well, when you retire you can take long afternoon naps, play with your grandchildren whenever you want and sit on the porch and watch the sunset every evening.” 

Who is the wise one now? May we fish less and retire more!

Friend or Foe?

Recently, my iPad needed to be charging overnight and since I didn’t want to arise to go plug it in across the room after I finished reading a few chapters on my Kindle app, I just unplugged my bedside lamp and plugged in the charger there. So now all I needed to do was place my iPad on the bedside table and rollover when done. After a few minutes, my eyelids were getting pretty heavy so I closed the iPad, placed it on the bedside table and reached up to turn off the unplugged and dark lamp!!! Why did I do this? Habit!  For decades now I have read before going to bed and the steps taken after eyelids have started drooping is to place book on table and turn off light. So, despite the darkened room, I still reached up to “turn off” the light.

This riddle, that I originally read in Hyrum Smith’s book, 10 Natural Laws of Successful Time and Life Management, most aptly describes the power of a habit.

I am your constant companion. I am your greatest helper or heaviest burden.

I will push you onward or drag you down to failure. I am completely at your command.

Half the things I do you might as well turn over to me and I will be able to do them quickly and correctly.

I am easily managed - you must merely be firm with me. Show me exactly how you want something done and after a few lessons I will do it automatically.

I am the servant of all great individuals and, alas, of all failures as well. Those who are great, I have made great. Those who are failures, I have made failures.

I am not a machine, though I work with all the precision of a machine plus the intelligence of a human. You may run me for profit or run me for ruin - it makes no difference to me.

Take me, train me, be firm with me, and I will place the world at your feet. Be easy with me and I will destroy you.

Who am I?

I am Habit.

Habits can be our friends and they can so be our foes. What habits do you need to stop doing or start doing? The answers to this question can change ours lives!

I was going to do a Part 2 of how to form new habits but in the process of searching for a "habit" image (which I never found) I ran across this blog that is better than what I would have written. Check it out if you are ready to form new habits!

How Bad is It, Really?

There are some areas of my life were I am definitely a snob. Technology – I always want the latest and greatest phone, computer, apps, etc.

Seating – I will chose to leave an event if I do no have a great seat.  Some of that is because I am so easily distracted but a lot of it is because I am a snob.

Ink Pens – If it does not flow smoothly, it is in the trash.  Won’t find any hotel pens in my purse.

However, I did not think that I was a coffee snob.  Now don’t get me wrong, I am definitely a coffee lover (read addiction here) and I will bellying up the Starbuck’s bar with the best of them but I will also drink McDonalds, Waffle House or Bob Evans coffee without any problem.  So when I was making plans to come to the Middle East and knew that coffee pots were rare, I thought, “I can do Nescafe for six weeks. How bad can it be?”  Well, it was pretty bad...but I run ahead of myself.

The first sign that maybe this was not going to work was the fact that I had to put so much real sugar and real cream into it to be able to drink.  The next sign was the time about three days into my first week that I thought, “I think I will have a cup of coffee” and then I thought, “On second thought, I don’t think I want one.”  Me not wanting a cup of coffee? This was getting desperate!

I shared my concerns with my fellow Americans – who also happen to be coffee lovers and lived in the home with THE coffee pot and a solution was found.  I would have a pour over every day (actually several of them)!  “What exactly is a pour over?” I hear you asking.  It is basically my own automatic drip coffee maker that is not automatic.

Mark grinded me up some coffee beans.  (Of course, they not only had THE coffee pot but only whole beans – no, I wasn’t bitter – I had the swimming pool at my house.)  Found a filter that would work and voila  my own personal coffee maker. 

The next morning when I made that first cup I thought this is not going to work at all but when that hot, aromatic coffee touched my taste buds for the first time not only did it make me want to slap my mama but also made my tongue slap my brain!!

Now, despite the fact that it takes about 5 minutes to make each cup of coffee, I never hesitate when my brain says, “How about a cup of coffee?”

I guess the point of this whole story is how stinking spoiled I am!  I was whining about coffee while living in a city where the slums are like a scene from a Mad Max movie and the compound in which I live has a humvee at the entrance and the guards I speak to each morning are holding M-16 rifles.  Get some perspective here, Becky!

What about you?  Are you whining about something when it really might not be that bad?  Do you need a perspective adjustment like I did?

Are You Settling?

It was early evening and the restaurant was not too crowded when a family of four came into the restaurant.  You could see the dynamics before they even spoke a word.  Dad's Windsor knot was open to about the third button on his shirt.  Mom was still in her workout clothes from her morning aerobics class.  The teenage boy was riveted to his handheld video game and his little sister just wanted someone to talk with her.

Once seated it was not long before the waitress had brought their drinks and were awaiting their orders.  Dad, mom and son were Johnny on the spot but the daughter was really struggling.

"Just pick something, Amy."

"But, mom, there is nothing I really want very much and I am not that hungry."

"You have to get something.  It doesn't matter.  Just decide."

"Ok, I guess I will take the chicken fingers."

We have all been there, seen this and have played the role of Amy and mom in this story.  Just pick something.  Anything will do.  It is really not that important.  Average or just above will work.  It is good enough.  Settle on something.  And in many ways what Amy chose for dinner would not propel her down the path of destruction or happiness but there are many times in our lives that the choice will greatly affect us.

Or how about when others settle for us?  "This is what you are going to get - be satisfied with it."  Now don't get me wrong...there is a level of truth in that statement and we can't complain and be disgruntled about everything that comes into our lives.  But, when fine is good enough all the time or when we are afraid to wait out for the best - for the promise land of God - and chose to settle for the ordinary, our lives will be impacted.

When I think about settling, I can't help but think about a house settling.  As a home is being built, the foundation is poured, the framing is done, the roof is laid and the walls are established.  In five or maybe ten years, the home settles into the ground and the cracks in the walls begin to appear.  The foundation of the home is hard as a rock but the ground under the foundation is sifting sand.

When we settle and are content with mediocrity, day in and day out, we limit God's blessings in our lives.

Is there an area in your life that you have already settled?  “So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten...”  Joel 2:25

Are there areas in your life were you are tempted to settle?  To not wait on the best?  “The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him!”  Lamentations 3:25

In your work, do you have an attitude of settling?  “B- work is good enough.”   “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Living in the Moment

The air is warm as the city electricity was just cut off and the generator has not kicked in yet.  In some ways, this is my favorite time of the day because there is no humming. You know – the humming that comes from all the electrical equipment running.  The hum of the AC.  The buzzing of the refrigerator.  The whirling of the computer hard drive.  The running of the pool pump.  They have all been silenced with the flip of a switch.  It is amazing to realize such peace in the middle of a war zone. Eventually the silence is broken as overhead a helicopter flies by as another dignitary is being taxied into the safe area.  (It is cheaper to hire a helicopter than a personal security detail.) The haunting sounds of the noon call for prayer are beginning to wander into my room.  The guard has gone and switched on the generator and all is humming again.

However, the wonderful thing is that the Peace remains as I continue to be still before Him.  I am so grateful for the transforming work of the Holy Spirit in my life as it was not too many years (maybe even months) back that I would have panicked, literally, with the thought of having to spend so much time alone.  So much time not being entertained by the television or not hanging out with friends or not having a long list of to-dos done or not being able to go to a gym and work out.

You see, I am writing this while in the Middle East teaching English at a language institute.  Because of some peaceful religious activities, there were extensive road closures and the institute shut down for three days.  My cancelled classes and the subsequent three days of NOTHING on the calendar became a blessing rather than a curse.  I do think that He is teaching me to enjoy the moment.  To live in the present.  And I am thoroughly enjoying it!

Who would have thought it would have required a trip to a foreign land to bring about this change?  But some lessons are only learned on field trips.

How about you?  How are you doing being “present?”  How are you doing enjoying the moment?

The Barnabas Group

I Peter 4:10 says, “As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”  According to the dictionary on my MacBook, steward means a person employed to manage another's property, especially a large house or estate.  And even the original Greek word used in the Bible, oikonomos, has the same connotation of one who manages someone else’s estate or affairs. A friend of mine is a wealth manager – he manages or stewards his clients’ monies and does it based on their preferences.  If my friend were to say to one of his clients, “I know you wanted to invest that money in Coca-Cola but I decided to spend it on my son’s college tuition.  I hope you don’t mind – you have plenty," he would be fired and I am sure that some ethics committee somewhere would be calling.

The management of one’s estate goes beyond just finances but includes hiring and firing staff, building and remodeling facilities, land usage, etc.  This is true for believers as well.  Often we think of just our tithe or financial gifts when discussing stewardship.  But it goes so much further than that to include our time, talent as well as touch (or sphere of influence.)  As believers, we have an obligation to the Owner of the estate to manage His affairs well.

The Barnabas Group, where I am blessed to be the managing partner, is all about helping people be good stewards of the estate that they have been given.  Our mission is to leverage the time, talent, touch and treasure of marketplace and other Kingdom leaders to help ministries transform lives worldwide.  We are all about connecting leaders and changing lives.

We have an abundance mentality and desire to see the release of generosity in our communities with the utilization of everyone’s unique gift of time, talent, touch and treasure to God’s service.  We do this through quarterly breakfasts in which three to four pre-vetted ministries are able to present their organization as well as their needs to our membership.  When their mission connects with someone’s passion, then we have been successful.

How are you doing on your stewardship?  Does The Barnabas Group sound like something you would be interested in being a part of?  I would love to have you at our next breakfast.

Snap! Snap! Snap! (Part 2)

Last week, I shared the beginning of how the Lord has lead me to a deeper commitment to the Life movement.  Here is the rest of the story.  (I am going to just jump right in so you may need to go back to the previous post for context.) Well, at that Saturday lunch meeting, I was just a consultant who came in to help facilitate the meeting and had no idea what the Lord was going to do in my heart over the next 24 hours.  By the end of the night I was committed to being a part of rectifying this problem.  Of being a part of bringing back the culture of Life to Houston!  And being a part of closing down as many abortion providers as possible.  I committed to being a part of the rectification of this discrepancy!

Even as I type this, tears are streaming down my face – why?  Three reasons:  #1 Passion for Life.  Next to evangelism, I believe God’s second heartbeat is the Life issue and it is mine as well.  I have been in this battle since 1999 and I thought when I left LifeHouse in April of 2010 I had been honorably discharged from that army.  But when something burns deep in your soul, you can never leave it behind.  I am passionate about seeing the sanctity of Life restored and was more than happy to re-enlist when Cynthia Wenz, CEO of The Source, asked me to join them.

Secondly, with my life before the non-profit world being totally in the business world, the concept of comparing ourselves to our competitors made complete sense to me.  To end abortion in Houston, I don’t have to change the laws (even though that is wonderful and praise God for the Texas Legislature and the passing and signing of the Sonogram bill.)  As Dr. Wilkinson said Wal-Mart didn’t close down K-Mart by picketing out front...they closed down K-Mart by providing greater value for the customer.  When K-Mart lost so many customers, they had to shut their doors.  The abortion providers will go out of business if we take their customers away!

Lastly, I am pretty literal when it comes to the Bible and I do believe that 2 Corinthians 5:10 is true! For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. One day I will stand before the Lord and He will ask me what I did about the destruction of thousands of innocent lives in my own backyard.  I am taking responsibility for my part and not just giving it a passing glance and say I already served in that area.  I am not just writing a check that’s, percentage-wise, less than what I tip waitresses.  I am not going to stand by and just let this go on during my watch.

Cynthia has put together an amazing 4-part strategy to fulfill what was committed that night – to save 1,001 babies before May 31^st, 2012.  That is a four-fold increase over last year but is still a drop in the bucket compared to our competition.  But with these sustained strategies, I believe with everything in me that in the following year the number of babies saved will be 2,002...Snap!  Abortion.  Snap!  Abortion.  Snap!  Abortion.  Snap!  Abortion.  Snap!  Abortion.  Snap!  Abortion.  Snap!  Baby Saved!

Then 4,004...Snap!  Abortion.  Snap!  Abortion.  Snap!  Abortion.  Snap!  Abortion.  Snap!  Abortion.  Snap!  Abortion.  Snap!  Baby Saved!

Then 8,016...Snap!  Abortion.  Snap!  Abortion.  Snap!  Abortion.  Snap!  Baby Saved!

Then 16,032 in 2016...Snap!  Baby Saved!  Snap!  Baby Saved!  Snap! Baby Saved!

Five years!   Y2K was over a decade ago – five years will fly by.  During those years, we at The Source alongside of countless other pro-life battlers will be ending abortion in Houston!!  What will you be doing?

Snap! Snap! Snap!

In my last post I mentioned that my first contract when starting KBT Consulting was with The Source for Women.  That contract as well as the words spoken to me by The Source’s CEO, Cynthia Wenz, encouraged me to “go for it” and believe the impossible.  Since the completion of that contract, there have been other contracts but it was a “volunteer” engagement as a panelist at their spring banquet that has lead me back into a deeper commitment one of my two passions – the Life movement. Let me tell you about that night...

Snap!  Abortion.  Snap!  Abortion.  Snap!  Abortion.  Snap!  Abortion.  Snap!  Abortion.  Snap!  Abortion.  Snap!  Abortion.  Snap!  Abortion.  Snap!  Abortion.  Snap!  Baby Saved!

The sound of Dr. Bruce Wilkinson’s, keynote speaker at the 2011 The Source for Women banquet, finger snapping still resonates in my ear.  Praise the Lord for the 240 babies that were saved through the ministry of The Source in 2010.  Praise Him for the estimated 2,400 little ones and their mothers who were snatched from the edge of a life changing choice by the work of the 20+ pregnancy centers in the Greater Houston area.  Each life is a vast potential of unknown impact.  We are grateful!

However, as Dr. Wilkinson clearly pointed it out...we are failing miserably compared to our competition – abortion providers.  Yes, we did better than last year and yes, are “numbers” look great compared to other centers and even compared to other non-profits.  However, when we compare our selves with our competitors – we come up sorely short, even woefully.  Based on the latest annual statistics, there were at least 24,000 abortions!  That means for every baby saved, nine!! were lost to the “competition.”

Every 22 minutes a baby is lost to abortion in the Greater Houston area.  Every 3 hours and 40 minutes a baby is saved by a pregnancy center!

Snap!  Abortion.  Snap!  Abortion.  Snap!  Abortion.  Snap!  Abortion.  Snap!  Abortion.  Snap!  Abortion.  Snap!  Abortion.  Snap!  Abortion.  Snap!  Abortion.  Snap!  Baby Saved!  Snap!

Dr. Wilkinson shared a visit he once made to the Saturday morning leadership team meeting at Wal-Mart.  On the screen, broken down by departments, were the weekly sales numbers of Wal-Mart as well as their leading competitors (K-Mart, Sears, etc.)  Every department leader who’s sales were less than the competitors had to stand, give an explanation and provide the solution as to how he was going to rectify the difference that next week.  Responsibility and accountability played out.

Before Dr. Wilkerson stood before the amazing supporters of The Source for Women the Saturday night before Easter, he stood before the board and the leadership team of The Source and said, “Here are the numbers.  How are you going to rectify this in the coming year?”  He challenged them to responsibility and accountability.

You may wonder, “Why ‘them’ and not ‘us’?  As the Director of Development, Becky, aren’t you part of the leadership team?”... (to be continued next week)

Where in the World is Becky Today?

It is hard to believe that it has been almost 16 months since I resigned from LifeHouse (read about it here and here) and started out on this new adventure!! As my dear friend, Andrea, says, “Days drag but years fly.” I know this to be true. As you know, upon leaving LifeHouse, I did not have another job and felt strongly that I was to start my own business. A few people looked at me with just a bit of skepticism (or was it pity) that I was starting a business in this current state of the economy. However, I was surrounded by many who cheered me on to do it. My first contract was with The Source for Women and it was the encouragement I needed to believe that KBT Consulting might actually be a viable business.

Just FYI, there was a BIG safety net under me and it was not some “sugar daddy” or a huge inheritance left behind for me. The safety net was that years ago the Lord had called me to live a frugal and debt free life. Because of that, when He asked me to walk away from a regular paycheck there was little fear because my cost of living was so low.

In America today, slavery is still a real issue. Millions of Americans are enslaved to their credit card company (or companies) and the ball and chain around their ankles is consumer debt. “The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.” Proverbs 22:7 (NKJV) Nine out of ten Americans claim that credit card debt has never been a source of worry but 47% would refuse to tell a friend how much they owe.

Please listen, my friends, there is NOTHING that I denied myself the years it took to get debt free that compares to the FREEDOM (read this with the emphasis of William Wallace at the end of Braveheart) I experience today. Please, if you are enslaved to consumer debt, do whatever it takes to become debt free.

I have learned a lot about myself during these past 16 months – I enjoy my quiet time but working out of my home and not going into an office can affect my emotions. Also, when working out of my home, establishing boundaries is so important. All work and no play was not good for me at all.

The Lord has been SO blessed me and has provided all that I have needed. By the middle of last summer, I had enough clients that my revenue covered all of my living expenses. This past April, God really showed off and now the revenue into KBT Consulting exceeds my salary at LifeHouse! I do give Him all the credit because every one of my clients came to me. I did not approach them and the few times I did try and “drum up” some business I never landed the contract!!

As I type this I am actually in the Middle East for six weeks teaching English. This is my second trip here this year. I have also been to Honduras for a week and have spent lots of time in Atlanta as well as Lakeland, Florida with friends and family. All of this could not have happened if I still was working a 9-5 job.

So yes, days drag and years fly and another 16 pages of the calendar will roll off before we know it. Who knows where in the world I will be in August 2012!!  And who knows where in the world you will be then.   But I do know this – the decisions I made 16 months ago have significantly impacted where I am today. May we all make wise decisions as we travel around the sun another 427 times!

Forgiveness...Why So Hard

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4.32

Forgiveness is the willingness to relinquish the pursuit of justice in response to who’s wrong you.  A willingness to free them of the debt that they owe you.  Our motivation to do this is because God forgave us.  Because of the shed blood of Jesus, God’s justice was satisfied and He has forgiven us of the debt that we owed to Him.

Even with this great motivation, forgiveness is still one of the most challenging character traits to walk out.  What makes it so difficult is our inability to forget the offense.  I wish that when I forgave someone the memory of that offense could be wiped from my mind but that is just not the case.  When this happens, I often want to seek justice for things that have already been forgiven and shed the blood of war in peacetime as David said to Solomon in I Kings 2:5.

David’s army commander, Joab, lost a brother in war at the hands of the enemy.  After the war was over and the peace treaty was signed, Joab went and killed the man who had killed his brother.  He sought justice for a wartime offense after peace had been established.

Unfortunately, I can do the exact same thing.  Now, it might not be that I go and murder someone but often times I have extended forgiveness to someone, they have responded appropriately and we are fully reconciled.  Then, one day, week, decade later the memory comes back and I seek justice, again.  I want another, “I’m sorry.”  I am seeking forgiveness in peacetime for something that was already covered.

When the memory comes back, instead of going to the forgiven offender, I need to go to God and ask for Him to heal me in that area and to walk out the forgiveness that was freely given to me.

Bear with Others

Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Colossians 3.13 Forgiveness is one of the hardest acts God calls us to do.  As the wickedness in the world increases, the level of offenses increases as well thus making forgiveness even harder.  To truly walk in forgiveness for these offenses takes much prayer, ministering and even counsel to move beyond the offense.

Many times I focus more on the 2^nd half of this verse, “Forgive as the Lord forgave you,” and the overwhelmingness of that concept almost paralyzes me.  “How can I forgive that offense?”  “It hurts so much”  “They will just do it again”  “It will not change anything” are some of the mantras I start rehearsing in my mind and I often do nothing to move past the offense.

However, if instead of focusing on the second half of the verse, I focus on bearing with others, walking in forgiveness becomes easier.  Not because in any way it lessens the offense but because it causes my heart to begin to softer towards others and to the things of God.  (Please note that this bearing with others may or may not apply to the offender.)

I like to think of bearing with others in the terms of extending grace to them.  Yes, they just did something that could cause me to be offended but I am going to think the best of them and just extend grace.  Yes, what just happened grieved me but I am not going to seek justice in this matter but release them of the debt I believe they owe me and trust God to deal with them.   Christ Jesus on the day He was crucified bore the burdens of our sins and our offenses on His physical body.  Through His Spirit, we can bear with those around us and move toward forgiveness and beyond the offense.

When you are offended, are you quick to seek justice for that offense or are you quick to bear with them and extend grace?  Through out the day today bear with others and intentionally extend grace to all who are around you.

Are You a Pro?

Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives tales, rather, train yourself to be godly.  1 Timothy 4:7

A dear friend of mine was an ice dancer and spent countless hours on the rink doing the same 4-minute routine again and again.  They would even break down the free dance and do a specific lift or jump that may only be 10 seconds long dozens of times.  Why?  Because amateurs train until they get it right while professionals train until they can't get it wrong.

The question before us today is, “Are we amateur Christians who do just enough to get by or are we professional Christians who train ourselves to be godly?”

To train ourselves in godliness takes three things:  knowledge, practice and coaching.  Obviously, the most logical place to gain knowledge about godliness is through the study of God’s Word.  But we can also gain knowledge by doing life with others.  Want to know what a godly spouse looks like?  Go hang out with someone who models that.  What to know how to run a business in a godly way?  Read a biography of a businessman who does this.

The next step after gaining the knowledge is to start practicing what we know because to know and not do is sin (James 4:17).  The key point here is that it is practice – sometimes we will nail that jump and sometimes we will fail flat on our face.  But regardless, do it again!!

Lastly, we all need a coach, a mentor, an older man or woman to walk alongside of us and encourage, direct and correct.  It takes a huge act of courage to be willing to be vulnerable enough to allow some one into our lives to see the good, the bad and the ugly.  But when we do that not only will we grow but also we will impact those that are around us.

So strap on those skates, grab a coach and hit the ice!!  The Kingdom of God is relying on us.

What areas do you need to shore up your training routine?  More knowledge?  More practice?  A coach?

How's Your Faith Impacting Your Work

Last week, I was blessed to be at a breakfast that was raising funds for an amazing ministry, WorkFaith Connection.  I had heard most of the testimonies before and was close to quite a few of those testifying but I was still moved to tears.  WorkFaith Connection is all about helping others understand and find the wonderful gift of work.  More than a job...a new life! As I was reviewing one of The Master's Program books, The Spirit of Disciplines, later that same day this quote by Martin Luther helped me make another connection between Work and Faith.

[Faith] is a living well-founded confidence in the grace of God, so perfectly certain that it would die a thousand times rather than surrender its conviction.  Such confidence and personal knowledge of divine grace makes its possessor joyful, bold, and full of warm affection toward God and all created things - all of which the Holy Spirit works in faith.  Hence, such a man becomes without constraint willing and eager to do good to everyone, to serve everyone, to suffer all manner of ills, in order to please and glorify God, who has shown toward him such grace. Because of an unwavering faith (i.e. confidence, assurance, belief, knowledge) that God's grace covers me, it compels me to be a good worker as well as a good friend, a good family member and even a good enemy.  My gratitude for having the physical ability or mental capacity (all given by God) to even have a job should motivate me to give my "utmost for His Highest."  Assurance of His grace should not spur me on to slothfulness but to doing all things as unto the Lord!

The profound thing is this...we don’t need to “work” harder but rather have more faith.  This increased faith will then impact our work.  Of course, our cry will always be, "Lord, I believe.  Help my unbelief!"

How is your faith being demonstrated in your work - whether at the office or at home?  Do we demonstrate our faith in God’s grace by the way we do “life” with those around us?

Regretting or Rejoicing on 1/1/11?

Wahoo! It is the 1st of October! A new month, a new quarter and it is on a Friday! It could only be better if it was a Sunday then it would be a new week as well. I LOVE new beginnings. Pulling out the next set of pages for my planner – they are all blank without anything on them but possibility. It is also a great responsibility – this precious commodity of time. In a flash, it will be gone and I can never reclaim it but if I am mindful and aware, stewardship will come naturally and I will hear a “well done.” We all know that the last quarter of the year flies by because of the “push” the retail world does toward Christmas (I saw them putting up Christmas lights yesterday at Highland Village and it is not even Halloween!) as well as the busyness of our schedules. So, if we are not intentional with our time, the quarter will be gone and we will be eating black-eyed peas and turnip greens on January 1st regretting what we did not get done. I challenge you today to make a plan so that does not happen.  Why not rejoice on that day by setting a few simple goals that will help you be a good steward of this commodity called time?

To give you some ideas, here is what can be done in 90 days in some key areas of our lives.

Lose 10 pounds. Ramp up the exercise, reduce your portions of food (some of us can do by half - others may only need 10-20% reduction) and do not indulge daily from the Halloween candy to the Thanksgiving turkey to the Christmas treats.

Save $250. Are you a Starbuck’s drinker? $4 a day times 5 days a week times 13 weeks. You can even make it spiritually and say you are fasting from Starbuck’s!

Save $650. Are you a family of four that eats out regularly? $50 a meal times 12 weeks…you get the picture

Memorize Psalm 32. It is only 11 verses long!

Read 3 books on significant areas of your life (i.e. marriage, faith, family, leadership, teaching, etc.) On average people read 200 words per minute and a book is on average 60,000 words. If you read only 15 minutes a day, you can read a book in 20 days. Why not skip one TV show a night (they will be doing re-runs in January) and read instead? If you are married, why not read it out loud and discuss it? You may not get as many books read but having deep conversations with your spouse is way more important.

Send 26 handwritten note cards to encourage or bless those who are in your life. Don’t be too closed minded about this….include your friends and family but why not write a note to your pastor or to your Sunday school teacher or the custodian who empties the trash in your office? Also, don’t forget to think about those whom you may never hear back from – governmental leadership that you pray for and support; a solider serving in the military or a famous pastor or Bible teacher who has really impacted your life.

Read the Bible in 90 Days or at least the New Testament.

Take your child out on 13 dates or for that matter how about your spouse. (To not throw #2 or #3 from above off, here are 21 cheap dates that you can modify to do with your child or your spouse.)

Train for a 5K (even if you are a couch potato).

These are just a few of the hundreds of things you can accomplish in just 90 days. What about you? How are you going to avoid regrets on 1/1/11? What are you going to do in the next 90 days? Would love to hear from you!

Finishing Well

In May of 2005 at a retreat for about 60 women, I had the privilege of spending quality time with amazing women such as Jennifer O’Neill, Cheryl Reccord and Vonette Bright.  Mrs. Bright as many of you know is the wife of Campus Crusade founder, Bill Bright.  During the long weekend together, I was able to visit with Mrs. Bright and during our conversation I asked how I could pray for her.  She immediately responded, “That I would finish well.” Last week as I read about many of the kings of Judah in II Chronicles, this prayer request came to my mind because most, despite starting strong, did not finish well.  I have been there – have you?  You know, start a diet on Monday and do great until Wednesday’s lunch at the Mexican restaurant and I go off track. Or start on January 1 to read the Bible through in a year and do great until I get to the list of who is begetting who in Genesis or the laws in Leviticus and I stop.  Or I use kind words to those around me until I get cut off in traffic.

Despite the starts and stops, if we want to finish well, we can never quit at a “stop” but we must begin again.  There are five months left in 2010 and I want to finish 2010 well so I must finish August well, September well, October well, etc.  I think you get the picture.  Finishing well does not happen at the finish line but at each day along the way.

Where do you want to finish well?  In five months, 20 pounds of weight loss is possible or going from couch potato to 10K race is obtainable.  You can read the entire New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs in five months or memorize 20 verses of the Bible.  You could send 50 or more encouraging notes to your friends and family or read 10 books.

If you would like to finish strong in 2010, why don’t you take just a few minutes now and write out three goals that you would like to accomplish in the next five months?  Take those goals and make a plan each day to work on them.  I have done that and, if you do it as well, I believe we will both be amazed at what we can accomplish.