Focus on the Foundation (Part 2)

Since last week you began to write a vision for your life, this week you're ready for part 2 of the Focus on the Foundation process which involves surveying your surroundings.

If you are going to maximize your potential you are going to have to be willing to take a moment to assess what you're working with. I recently read an article by Pastor Steven Furtick of Elevation Church. The objective of the article was to encourage leaders to "Think inside the box." What he was suggesting was that you should consider what you have before you assume that you need what you don't.

Take an honest look at what you have in your hands and consider what could help you as well as what could hinder your progress. A great way to do this is to complete a SWOT analysis on yourself. "What is that", you ask? That's when you reflect on your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. This could be a series by itself but the aim of this exercise is to help you to stop sleep walking through life and make the most of where you are.

If you use what you have where you are it can help you to get where you're going but if you fail to assess your surroundings you'll miss the jewels that are present in your everyday life. This week don't just look ahead, look around!

You can find the podcast of this motivation at http://www.jessiejennings.podbean.com

Http://www.Mindtools.com has great tools for your SWOT analysis so check them out today.

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Focus on the Foundation (Part 1)

Now is the time to build the foundation of the life that you desire. Don’t delay, start building today! Many times what stops us from stepping forward is the question, “Where do I start?” This is a valid question because you have to have a blue print BEFORE you begin to build so that you won’t waste valuable time and resources. 

As you begin to draw your blueprints for your professional & personal goals you have to visualize how the finished product will look. In other words, what are you building toward? You need to be able to see this before you start. Having a vision is not optional, it’s absolutely necessary. Having a vision and knowing what you desire can prevent unnecessary delays and help you to avoid distractions because you know exactly what you’re all about.

A story is often told od how “Soon after the completion of Disney World someone said, ‘Isn’t it too bad that Walt Disney didn’t live to see this?’ Mike Vance the creative director of Disney Studios replied, ‘He did see it, that’s why it’s here.”

You have to be able to see it before you can see it. If you can’t see it in your heart you won’t see it in your hands.

NEXT STEP: This week get alone for a moment with a blank sheet of paper and write out where you’re going. What does your perfect job, relationship, company, future look like? Once you can see it, you’ll be able to press forward to seize it.

**You can find this podcast here.

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It's Still There...

Remember when you were young and you knew that you would be in trouble when your parents got home? Perhaps you did something you shouldn't have at school. Maybe you broke something playing in the house or maybe you were playing outside when they told you not to and a neighbor thought they would bless your parents with this information. Remember how you felt as you anxiously awaited your parents arrival? I would venture to say that many Christians know this feeling quite well, because it's the same feeling we get when we think about God or the return of Christ. Why? Because we're painfully aware that the verse that says that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" rings true in our own experiences.

We know we've not been perfect and that scares us when we consider that we have to stand before a perfect God. God is pure, we are not. God is holy, we have hangups. God is righteous and we feel wretched. What can we do but feel anxious? I would like to suggest that there's a better way. We can remember that we have sinned but place it next to the fact that God's love is still there.

It's Still There.

Psalm 100:5 tells us, "For the LORD is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation." (New Living Translation)

Even though we're imperfect, even though we're broken, even though we disappoint ourselves and feel as though we've disappointed God we can rest assured that God's love is still there. Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:38-39) so don't allow anxiety to grip your heart. God knows everything about you and love is still there. He knows every mistake you've made, every promise you've broken, every missed step & missed mark and yet, love is still there. 

Never forget that. Granted, there may be work that needs to be done to carry you out of where you are and into where God has always wanted you to be but it will not be conducted by a spiteful superior...God will lovingly walk you through. He still has plans for you. He still has a perfect plan for your life. He has an undying love for you that began long before you did anything right or wrong.

Rest in the love of God because, believe it or not, it's still there.

**Have you ever felt unlovable? How did you snap out of it?

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Fix Your Focus

Have you ever been in a season when all you wanted to do was just lay in the bed and sleep your life away? This can be a challenge because in moments like those, if you're anything like me, you can't really sleep that well but it just seems better to lay there anyway. If you're dealing with that type of experience right now, I know how you feel.

When you're feeling pressed down by a discouraging present you probably aren't doing much thinking about the possibilities of the future. How could you? Your present requires so much attention, right? Perhaps, but over the last few days I've discovered that it helps to fix your focus beyond your present circumstances. It doesn't matter how distressing the difficulty if you can keep your focus fixed on your destiny, but if your focus is broken it multiplies the impact of the problem. All of a sudden a challenge becomes a catastrophe because now you are unable to see beyond it. The mole hill has officially become a mountain and you can't imagine ever being able to climb over it.

Fix your focus!

When things have gone terribly wrong it can shock you for a moment but it would be in your best interest to preserve your focus. Keep your mind focused on higher things than what has happened. What can you be grateful for? What can you learn? What can you concentrate on instead of your present? In other words, how can you get a vision again? The Bible shares that "Without a vision the people perish." (Proverbs 29:18) and if you feel as though your life, your year, or your passion is passing away you may need a fresh dose of vision.

As I scanned my life to consider what I would do if I could do anything with the rest of my life, instead of feeling down about my present or past, I mumbled within that I have always wanted to learn how to play the guitar. That sounded like a glimpse of vision to me, so guess what I did? I bought my very first guitar yesterday and have spent 6 or more hours playing it along with tutorials...and that's just after 1 day! Am I a pro? Not yet, but am I still slouching around thinking "Woe is me?" Absolutely not. What changed? Did God fast-forward past my problems? No. I fixed my focus. I stopped looking back, and even stopped looking around me, so that I could start looking forward.

How can you do the same?

If you've been discouraged or depressed lately, fix your focus. Get a renewed vision for your life and for the possibilities of your future. You just might see that there are brighter days beyond your present problems. Keep pressing forward and when it's tough to do so, give yourself a vision to shoot for and watch your mind & spirit begin to rise up and reach beyond where you are.  

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It's Worth the Wait

I voted today. I stood in line for about an hour in a hall that seemed to go on forever. The paint was bland, the walls were bare and the conversation was kept just above a whisper, but still I waited. I decided to vote early because its just, well, convenient but as I waited I heard the complaints of others of how inconvenient this voting process had become. "The should've had more people working the polls." "This line is too long." "I might as well have come on election day" some remarked...but I couldn't help but imagine how it used to be, while I waited.

I could imagine the dogs barking at me as I tried to exercise my right. I could envision the scowls of the angry mob as they jeered and threw bottles at me as I tried to vote. All of a sudden the wait didn't seem so bad because, after all, all I had to do was wait.

Not fight, but wait.
Not fear bodily harm, but wait.
Not plug my ears to ignore the racial epithets of others, but just wait.

When I thought about what others have had to do to cast their ballot before me, when I compared their experiences to the minor "inconvenience" I was enduring I couldn't help but enjoy the wait because the joy of being able to do what I was doing made it well worth (a lot more than) the wait.

If you haven't already gone to the polls to vote, do so this week. There may be a line and it may be inconvenient but trust me when I tell you that it's worth the wait. 

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What to Read as You Lead

It goes without saying that leaders are readers. So why say it (or type it)? Because all of us will encounter people who endeavor to lead but don't desire to read. If this is your state of mind this will greatly limit the scope of your leadership because you will be bound by your own ideas and unable to go any farther than your own personal experiences. Not a very productive approach. When you read you expand your experiences to include the experiences of others. Since that is true, I would like to challenge you to pick up one leadership book a month (that's one new book every 31 days...you can do that) to add to your mental repertoire. Not just to your bookshelf or ibooks on your ipad but to your brain.

To start your journey toward experience expansion I would like to suggest the following books:

1. The Bible- This is a timeless resource to gain wisdom as well as to shape your character. This is critically important because the news clearly illustrates that ethics can easily suffer if a leader becomes successful without consistently taking time to recalibrate their moral compass.

2. EntreLeadership by Dave Ramsey- Dave has a way of mixing humor with a straight forward, in your face, practical wisdom concerning leadership and business. His record speaks for him and his honestly encourages you as you read.

3. Boom!:7 Choices for Blowing the Doors off Business as Usual by Dr. Kevin Freiberg and Jackie Freiberg- Not only will you benefit from this book but it is also a great resource for your entire team. I mentioned in the post "If Your Team Sucks..." that it is your responsibility to improve or remove them, this book is a great tool to help them to improve.

4. The Leadership Secrets of Billy Graham by Harold Myra and Marshall Shelley- Billy Graham has been far more than a successful evangelist, he has also been a remarkable leader through the years. If you desire to leave a legacy that stands the test of time this book is a great blueprint of how to do so. It describes how he handled controversy, conflict, temptation, finances and so much more. Get this book, read it, then lead with integrity.

5. Leadership 101 by John Maxwell- This book will take you a short afternoon to read but can have a tremendous impact on your leadership style if you put the principles to practice. Get it now and your team will thank you later.

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If Your Team Sucks...

If you think you would be doing better if you just had a better team to work with chances are you have thought, more than once, that your team sucks. You're not the only one...but when these thoughts come there are several dynamics at work.

First, if you think your team sucks...your outlook probably does too.

If you consistently view your job as a burden, your department as a war zone and your team as a bunch of losers your mind will be closed to the creative thoughts of how you can turn it all around. Even if God were to give you an idea of small steps that will take you in the direction of a stronger team you won't see it because all you can see is that "so and so" is holding you back. Lift your eyes to higher heights. Sure, things may not be the way you want them to be yet. Sure, you may have been given a difficult hand to play but don't through it in just yet. Search for possible solutions instead of just resting on the fact that your team is under performing at the moment. When you raise your level of expectation your team just might raise their level of exertion to meet it. When you expect more, you can experience more.

Second, if you think your team sucks...your leadership skills may leave something to be desired as well.

There are some who need to improve and others you need to remove but that is your responsibility as the leader of the team. What are you doing about it? Are you just sitting in your office pouting thinking "This sucks!" or are you developing a strategy to help each person on the team to stop "sucking" or to take their sucky attitude somewhere else? That is your right and responsibility as the leader of your team and the more you demonstrate to your team that you are working to improve the work experience of the entire team it will boost morale which can increase performance. Then they stop viewing themselves as a losing team and start to see themselves as the underdogs who are about to come away with the victory.

Take some time each week to read materials that will help you to hone your skills as a leader. There are countless classics out there that describe principles that can help you to lead more effectively. Don't reinvent the wheel, find one that will roll smoothly in your organizational environment and build your "vehicle" around it. In the next few days I'll post a few books that I have been reading to get you going but don't delay...START TODAY!

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Thinking Like a Champion

The Olympics has come and gone and once again we are forced to find our inspiration elsewhere. The stories behind the athletes were incredible and it didn't take long to be inspired by their perseverance and dedication to excellence. I'm sure no one was on the field or in the pool practicing. They did not go to London to experiment. They went to repeat what they had done in preparation. They planned to succeed.

Plan

Are you thinking like a champion? Have you planned to succeed in your business? Do you have a training program in place to direct your team members toward excellence and an evaluation process that will either elevate or terminate them based on their performance? Do you have any idea where your industry is heading in the next 5-10 years and have you developed a strategy to ensure that your company is positioned to be there excelling and not just existing?

It has been said time and time again that people don't plan to fail, they fail to plan. So why don't more people plan? I believe it's because there are so many things to do on a daily basis that most of their time is used putting out small fires so when the week is over they look up and just want to rest. There's no time to plan...or so they think. If you don't make time to plan you can bet that your time is not being used wisely because you aren't sure that what you are doing is going to get you where you desire to be. Write a plan, you'll be glad you did.

Persevere

The action of writing out a plan can relieve tension in and of itself but that is only the beginning of the process of becoming a champion in your industry. After you have a plan you must roll up your sleeves and carry it out. It does no good to know what to do if you are not willing to actually do it. You must be prepared to wake up every day and do something that will push you toward one of the benchmarks in your plan. Break your plan down into manageable steps and then start taking them.

As you slowly begin to move forward you will gain momentum which will encourage you to keep going. You'll be well on your way to champion status. This is not always easy but it is definitely effective. This can be seen in the fact that the Olympics has levels that a person has to compete on before they arrive in the "big leagues." When you get there, chances are that you're ready. Much in the same way, persevering through the steps necessary to get where you desire to be financially (through writing a budget, cutting expenses/ liabilities, increasing income/assets) or professionally (through increasing your knowledge, improving your performance and providing the highest quality of service) will ensure that you will be ready to manage life on that level when you get there. You'll be ready for the podium. You'll be positioned to go for the gold in a way that you would not have been had you gotten there over night.

Don't give up. Keep going! Write your plan and then persevere through the process because any champion will tell you that getting there wasn't easy but it was unbelievably worth it. Think like a champion!

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Slow Leaks and 3 Ways to Handle Them

This week my wife asked me to check on her front tire. It was getting lower and lower by the day and it had come to the point where if nothing was one to correct it, the problem could get dangerous. How did this happen? It's not a bad tire, we just put it on a few months ago. What could have gone wrong?

It was clear that she was experiencing what you may be going through right now as well. A slow leak. This is when you are losing enthusiasm each week but go to work anyway because you have to. This is when you look at your bank account at the end of a pay period or at market sheets at the end of a quarter and wonder where all the money went. This is when your view of your spouse has shifted from celebration to toleration. A slow leak doesn't happen over night but, if left unchecked, it can limit your mobility and increase the possibility of a crash.

So what can be done? I would suggest 3 things...

1.) Find the problem and fix it- No surprise here. If your leak is in your finances you would benefit from calling an emergency strategy session with yourself so you can write down your budget and see where the money is going. Money can be like a curious child that will wonder away if you aren't keeping an eye on it. Develop a budget, see where you can cut costs, and determine what is sucking the life out of your finances. Could be that weekly gourmet coffee you just have to have or those sales that you can't seem to pass up. Find what's causing the leak and plug it!

2.) Use A Preventative Approach- As the old saying goes, "An ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure." Determine what you can do on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis that can prevent these slow leaks from getting out of hand. If it concerns your enthusiasm perhaps you could use a vacation or a quiet moment where you sketch out your desired destination. When you constantly remind yourself that what you're doing is getting you where you're going it makes it easier to stay motivated about it.

3.) Don't Ignore the Issue- You can act like it's not happening at first but over time you and everyone around you will be able to notice the leak in your life, finances, or department. Don't act like it's not happening. Don't act like everything is alright when it's not. If there is an area that is slowly losing steam take note and then take action. You'll be glad you did! After I took the time to take her car to correct the problem it drove a million times better. It was more pleasant to drive because the ride was quite a bit smoother and the stress of wondering if it was going to give out was gone. Wouldn't you like to experience that same relief of stress in your life? Stop ignoring the leaks & decide to do something about it.

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Team Work Makes My Head Hurt

You've heard the old saying, "Team work makes the dream work." That's true...but what I've also found is that team work can make your head hurt. What I mean is that team work can be one of the most frustrating and irritating parts of success. This is because it involves trust and understanding, both of which can lead to disappointment. What if they don't do their part? What if they don't know what you need to do yours? Communication can break down, selfishness raise its ugly head and miscommunications can cause unnecessary conflict.

It's making my head hurt just thinking about it.

Since team work is so important and yet, often times, so irritating what can be done to improve the experience?

Honesty

There has to be a space where each member of the team can honestly express their concerns about the other team members without the possibility of causing a rift in the team. If you can't confidently communicate what's wrong how can either of you expect to make things right? Each member of the team must be allowed to share things that will help the team improve without the other team members looking at them in contempt. If you can't be honest you can't take the team higher. Period.

Credibility

One of the reasons people aren't open to constructive criticism is because it's not being offered by someone who is actually putting their criticism into practice. In other words, you don't practice what you preach. When you don't set an example in your own character of the conduct that you expect out of the rest of the team, you greatly limit the amount of influence that you have with them. You may have the right answers but no one wants to hear them from you. Since this is true, make sure you do it first and ask others to do it second.

Respect

"You always drop the ball!" "You never come through!" "You are such a loser!" Who wants to respond well to that? Not me, and I'm sure you don't either so make every effort to communicate with a high level of respect. This is not just saying, "with all due respect" before you tear them a new belly button. This is saying what you're saying in a tone and with words that illustrate that your end goal is to help not to humiliate.

Hard Work

Finally, you have to be willing to work at building your team every day. This will not be easy but it can unquestionably multiply your department's performance. You can't do it all, that's why you have a team. Take some Tylenol and build your team so that your team work will make your head hurt a lot less and make your dream work a lot more.

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How to Lose Customers (Part3)

After you have offered service quickly and with a personal touch things can still go sour from time to time. This is when your customer service kicks in.

If you want to lose customers make customer service your last priority. Make it appear as though you don't care what happens after the sale.

This practice may cut it if you were a peanut butter factory in the middle of a deserted island full of vegetarians but chances are this isn't the makeup of your customer base. In reality, you are not the only business, church, or employee who offers what you are "selling" so what are you doing to make people glad that they picked you? On a daily basis people are making decisions and why should they decide on you? When others have worked with you or attended your services did you make them feel glad that they did or did you make them regret their decision?

If you are going to grow as an entrepreneur, manager, pastor, or leader you have to think through the experiences that others have when interacting with you. For example: Is it difficult to get in touch with you when they have a problem? Can you quickly address concerns or is there a stack of red tape that they have to go through to get it addressed. Do you reply with canned responses or do you demonstrate that you actually listened to what they said? In business the customer counts. I won't go as far as to say that they are always right because you know that's not the case but they deserve to be treated with respect if for no other reason than you reflect Jesus to them because you proclaim that you are a Christian.

How would Jesus want you to treat them? Ignore their calls? Take 3 weeks to respond? Hide your "contact us" info under a stack of links on your website? I don't think so. If you want to lose them, look over them. If you want to keep them, care for them.

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How to Lose Customers (Part 2)

Not only is it important to offer excellent service in a timely manner but another aspect of service involves personal attention. If you want to lose customers treat every one as though you are doing them a favor and their business does not matter.

The moment that people feel as though you don't care about them or that you only see dollar signs when you look at them they will leave your church or business faster than you can say "Yabba Dabba Doo." People want to feel valued and if you can offer this in addition to whatever product or service that you provide you will begin to stand head and shoulders above the rest because many people/ organizations are unwilling to go above and beyond the call of duty.

You may have a million and one members, customers, or clients today but one of the factors that will determine whether or not you have them with you tomorrow is if you are willing to treat each one as if they are the only one. You have to work to make each person feel special. You can do this by truly being in the moment when you're interacting with them. Not looking at your watch and not easing away but truly being in the moment (even if only for a minute or two).

If you are on the phone with one don't try to hurry them off the line to talk to another. Be on the line with them. If you see a member in the store don't rush away to get out of the door, take a moment to actually acknowledge them. Sure you can't spend all day with each person, after all you have a business, organization or church to run, but you can spare a minute and trust that God is able to redeem the time from you pausing to demonstrate a loving attitude toward one of the people that He has sent your way. At best, you may change their life and at the very least you will demonstrate that they have value in your eyes and I have found that the more you value others the more they will value you.

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How to Lose a Customer (Part 1)

Everyone has a customer base. Everyone is trying to sell others on something. For you this may mean convincing others that your products or services deserve to be paid for. Or perhaps you are selling people on an idea such as: "My church is awesome, you should come!" or "I am worth every penny of the salary that you're paying me." Whether you realize it or not you have a customer base, a clientele that you're serving every day so it is important to understand the things that consistently drive people away so that you can avoid them at all costs.

In the first of this three-part series on How to Lose Customers I'd like to describe something that can test one's love for Christ to it's very core. Okay...that was a bit dramatic, maybe it's not that critical but it can definitely play a huge role in someone's decision to stick with you or move on. The characteristic that I am referring to is impatience. Companies, organizations and/or employees that consistently keep people waiting are consistently losing business, clients, constituents and congregants. The reason is clear...NO ONE WANTS TO WAIT! We live in a culture that makes it convenient to find what we're looking for quickly and if you are unable/ unwilling to do so be prepared to see the window of opportunity slide shut right before your eyes.

You may think that people should be more patient in which case you would be right, but are you going to be the employee who is known for consistently offering your boss "character building opportunities?" I don't think so! You'll be known as the one who just can't seem to get things done. Are you going to be known as the business that offers service with a smile and a side order of opportunities to practice patience? Probably not. You're going to be known as the company that couldn't cut it last time and most people aren't forgiving enough to continue to give multiple opportunities.

If you're going to do business, ministry or service differently you would do well to offer excellence expeditiously. When you do this they'll tell others but if you don't do this they'll tell others! Which testimony would you want to be told about you?

Don't keep people waiting.

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The Best Kept Secret!

It's a Fact of Life.

Do you remember the old television show called The Facts of Life? One of the lines in the theme song was “You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have the Facts of Life, the Facts of Life.” Well, one fact of life that you can be sure of it is that you are going to be tempted. I know you don't think so, or at least you want people to think that you're beyond that but I have discovered that it doesn’t matter how much you pray, fast, go to church or read your Bible temptation is going to knock on your door. Don’t be alarmed; you’re not the only one. A very well known young man in the Bible named Joseph had to endure tempting as he tried to be all that God was telling him that he could be (Genesis 39: 7-10).

It's not just You.

The bible tells us that the only things that tempt us are the things that commonly tempt others (1 Corinthians 10:13) so there are no new temptations out there. All of us get tempted. All of us!

It can be Overcome!

So how can we overcome these temptations? We can not prevent them from coming in and out of our minds but what we can do is make our minds hostile to temptation by filling it with God’s Word.

When Jesus was being tempted the only thing that He continued to repeat was the Word of the LORD concerning the areas of temptation. He emerged victorious and so can we. The next time temptation raises its ugly head in your mind quickly reply to it with the Word of the Lord because there's another "fact of life" which is that God’s Word never fails.

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What to do while you wait...

A few months ago I tried to complete a puzzle. I was so excited about it, I had invited a friend over and honestly thought that we would finish most of it that night…Not so…That night I learned very clearly that many things in life will require a process.

Much in the same way, the promotions that we seek don’t usually happen instantly. With such being the case we have to ask ourselves on a daily basis, “Am I willing to wait for what God has for me?” When I was working on that puzzle it sat on my living room table for about 2 weeks but where is it now? Back in the box! I wasn’t willing to wait and work patiently to see it completed.

Before you judge me and say I’m too impatient consider whether or not you're willing to work while you wait without giving up on what you want. The truth of the matter is that you might have to wait on that job, career, diploma or degree.

Are you willing to keep the faith & continue to work while you wait?

That’s a powerful question…

In the Bible Joseph (found in Genesis 41) waited a couple years before the cupbearer remembered something he had done and, in turn, referred him to Pharaoh. Are you willing to wait on something that will be a greater blessing than you’ve ever known after a while? Waiting is not always easy but I’ve learned that time goes by a lot faster when you are doing something instead of focusing on the fact that you’re still waiting.

Don’t just stand there. Work while you wait!

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Why you can believe it's possible!

Psalm 77: 11- I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles from long ago.

The word “remember” comes from two Latin words that mean to be “again-mindful”. You can’t be “mindful again” concerning something that you didn’t know before. I have to have known something before if I’m going to be mindful of it again because I can’t remember what I never knew! That’s why it’s so important to read your bible and spend some personal time getting to know the Word of the Lord because there will be times where you’ll need to remember God’s past miracles to be persuaded that He can perform one in your present circumstance!

God’s history demonstrates His credibility. When we’re extending our trust we always want to know if the one we’re trusting in is credible and trustworthy. So how do I know that God can come through for you this time? I can I be so convinced that it's still possible when I have no idea what you're going through?

I can believe that because I remember. Do you?

Remember how the Lord turned water into wine?
Remember how the Lord healed blinded eyes and weak legs?
Remember how the Lord split a sea and a river for His people to cross?
Remember how the Lord called Lazarus from the grave?

If you remember what the Lord has already done you’ll be able to convince yourself of what God is able to do.

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Dealing With Difficulties (Part 2)

Psalm 77:7

(7) ‘Will the Lord reject forever? Will he never show His unfailing love again? (8) Has his promise failed for all time? (9) Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld his compassion?’ (10) Then I thought, ’To this will I appeal: The years of the right hand of the Most High.’

I’ve always found it amazing that, in the middle of this psalm, the psalm writer seemed to realize that he couldn’t just sit around thinking about the negative things that were happening in his life. Perhaps he understood that if he kept thinking about the negative he would keep feeling down, so in order to get the negative things out of his mind he decided to replace them with thoughts about the Lord. There is an old proverb that says,

“Instead of cursing the darkness, light a candle.”

Many times when we find ourselves in dark situations in life, dark situations at work, dark situations in our families we try to find someone to call and say, “It sure is dark” when what we really need to do is replace those thoughts with thoughts about the light.

Those children may be acting out of character but at least they’re healthy!

They may not pay you what you desire right now but at least you’re working!

They may have walked out of your life but at least they didn’t take you out on the way!

Instead of cursing the dark areas in your life, I dare you to light a candle of gratitude. It may not correct the problem but it will at least provide enough light for you to find your way out of it.

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Dealing with Difficulties (Part 1)

There is a tremendous difference between driving during the daytime and driving at night. During the day you can clearly see where you’re heading, others can easily take notice of you and you usually have a deeper sense of security and stability. Whereas at night you have to have lights to help you see what’s right in front of you, it’s easier for people to overlook where you are and your sense of security can be transformed into a sense of vulnerability.

Night is defined as, “the time between dusk and dawn when no light is visible”

If you would be honest I’m sure that you would admit that there have been times in your life where you seemed to be caught between sunset & sunrise and there seemed to be no light visible. It seemed as though the opposition was too strong for you. Maybe you feel that way now. This reminds me of an experience in the life of the Prophet Elisha. The enemy had them surrounded and his servant was overwhelmed. Then the Bible says something interesting in 2 Kings 6:17 where it states that, “Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes so he may see.’ Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”

Even though the situation looked bleak, the only thing that the servant needed was for his eyes to be opened. Could such also be the case with you?

The only difference in driving during the day and driving at night is the fact that at night you have to supply your own light. I pray that God would open your eyes so that you’ll see that the help you have (God) is greater than the hindrances that you face. When you understand this fact, it can give you the strength to keep the flame of faith burning through the dark days of your life and give you the ability to see through the dark.

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How to Find Your Purpose (Part 2)

2 Kings 9:1-2
(1)“ The prophet Elisha summoned a man from the company of the prophets and said to him, “Tuck your cloak into your belt, take this flask of oil with you and go to Ramoth Gilead. (2) When you get there, look for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi. Go to him, get him away from his companions and take him into the inner room.


When you want to discover the Lord’s purpose for your life you have to give careful consideration to your external and internal conditions. You have to make sure that you have the proper insulation in place. What do I mean? Well, there are two purposes of insulation that I believe were relevant in this interaction between the prophet and Jehu and for us as well.

1. Insulation helps you to keep out what you don’t want in.

For example, your refrigerator has insulation in the walls that will keep the hot air on the outside from seeping in and spoiling what’s on the inside.

What does that have to do with you? Well, when you’re trying to find God’s purpose for your life you can’t allow everyone and everything to have input in the conversation. That’s why there are adults living unfulfilled lives trying to live out their parents dreams, because they didn’t have the proper insulation! It keeps out what you don’t want in.

2. Insulation helps you keep in what you don’t want out.

This point is for those of us who still struggle with unbelief every now and again and still have some areas that the Lord has to perfect in us. What I’ve discovered is that sometimes the proper insulation (the proper environment) will help to keep you from making decisions that contradict the destiny that the Lord has for you. Some of us could solve a large portion of our problems if we would just be willing to change our position. Isn't it amazing how people no longer irritate you when you aren't around them. It may be time to make some moves.

If you and I are going be all that God desires for us to be we’re going to have to ensure that we are using the proper insulation and as a result, the negativity of naysayers won’t be able to get in, and the sinful desires that we wrestle with within won’t be able to get out.

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How to Find Your Purpose (Part 1)

A little known fact about Jessie Jennings is that I’ve become accustomed to visiting the neighborhood Walmart at least two or three times a week. I will periodically pop in to pick up my lunch for the week or milk for the house or little odds & ends that come up along the way. Such was the case a while back when I decided to make a quick Walmart run and realized that you can really benefit from having a shopping list developed before you get to the store. (Stay with me I’m going somewhere.) I say this because although the store was extremely crowded, I was able to accelerate my shopping time and minimize my frustration for one reason and one reason only… because I knew why I was there!

I didn’t have to waste time in the lawn care section, I wasn’t there for that. I didn’t need to go through the automotive section, I wasn’t there for that. I like to look in the electronics department but that wasn’t the day to do it because I wasn’t there for that. I was able to minimize the time I wasted wandering because I knew why I was there!
Have you ever wasted time wondering through life because you weren’t sure why you’re here? I know what it’s like to wander and I’m sure you do too.

Maybe you wandered into a career choice and now you’re thinking, “How did I end up here?”

Maybe you wandered into a relationship and now you’re thinking, “How did I end up with you?”

Maybe you wandered into an investment that ended up being a waste of time just because you didn’t know why you’re here. Have you ever told yourself, “If I only knew then what I know now?” I know I have.

All of us have experienced moments of uncertainty, times when we just don’t know which way to go but the Bible gives us a clear direction of what to do in these instances. James 1:5 says, “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”

If you are unsure about the next step to take in your relationship, with your career or toward your goals ask God. He is more than able to give you the insight that you need so that you don’t waste your emotions on people you’re not supposed to be with, in a place you’re not supposed to be in or in a profession that you’re not supposed to be on. Ask!

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