Posts Tagged ‘Work Life Balance’
Friday, December 18th, 2009
The following wonderful and challenging message is from Os Hillman.
If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were raising himself against me, I could hide from him. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend.
Psalm 55:12-13
“You will always be attacked in the place of your inheritance,” said the man sitting across the breakfast table. “God has called you to bring people together and to impact other people’s lives as a result of this anointing in your life. You must make sure that you seek to maintain righteousness in all of your relationships.” Those words came from someone who had the wisdom and authority to speak them to me.
I have had a number of close relationships that ended in betrayal. I am very loyal to my friends and those with whom I have covenant relationships. Yet there are times that no matter how righteous you are, when someone means to betray you, he will do it. Loving those who betray you is “graduate-level Christianity.” The religious community and one of His closest friends betrayed Jesus. Those who were closest to David betrayed him. Joseph’s own family betrayed him. Loving our enemies cannot be accomplished by mustering it up. It can only happen when we have come to a death in ourselves so that Christ can love through us. It is truly one of those acts of identifying with the cross.
If you are a leader, you can be sure God will allow you to experience betrayal. It is one of those courses in the Kingdom that may not be required until God has seen that you have successfully passed other tests. It is the most difficult and most gut wrenching of all tests. A godly response goes against all that is in us. Our natural response is to protect, retaliate, and retain unforgiveness and bitterness. Our natural response is satan’s most powerful weapon; to overcome it requires much grace from God. Ask God to build His nature in you now so that when such attacks come, you will be aware that it is a test and you will respond in righteousness.
A suggested resource to go along with this exhortation is “Real Love In The Workplace” by Greg Baer M.D.
Tags: Balanced Life, Be Happy, Betrayal, Bitterness, Conflict Resolution, Contentment, Discouragement, Faithfulness, Happiness, Happy Life, Happy Relationship, Hope, Joy, Leadership, Life Crisis, Life Trials, Living a Happy Life, Overcome Anger, Overcoming Discouragement, Pain, Peace, Pressure at Work, Relationships, Righteousness, Success, successful career, Unforgiveness, Victorious Life, Work Life Balance, Workplace Relationships
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Wednesday, November 11th, 2009
“Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.” - Psalm 126:5
Psalm 126 describes an interesting process that goes against our natural tendencies when we are taken into a difficult period in our lives. Whenever we are hurled into a crisis that brings tears, our tendency is to retreat or recoil in fear and hurt. However, there is a better way that God tells us to handle such times of travail.
Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. “He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him” (Ps. 126:5-6). God is telling us that if we will do what is unnatural for us in these circumstances, He will make sure that what we sow in tears will return in joy. This is one of the most important lessons I have learned when faced with difficult circumstances. Rather than sit back and allow self-pity and discouragement to consume us, we should plant seed during this time. Reach out to a person who needs a friend. Invest in the life of another. See where you can be a blessing to someone. Give of yourself.
The psalmist acknowledges that we are doing this while we are in our pain. However, during this time we are to sow seed. That seed will return to us in another form. Here is what will happen when we do this. “He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.” We will receive joy and fruit from the seed that we plant during this time. Sheaves represent the fruit of a harvest. We will actually get a harvest from this seed.
“You must not let the circumstances destroy you! Too many in the Kingdom are counting on you to come through this because of the calling on your life!” Those were the words spoken to me by a friend one time when I was in the midst of a very difficult business and personal circumstance that was threatening to destroy me emotionally. This person saw what God was doing and the fruit that God wanted to bring from these circumstances. Sometimes we need others around us to push us through the difficult times. If you find yourself in a difficult place today, see where you can sow some seed. Soon you will be reaping songs of joy and be Happy in life and at work.
Suggested resource The Upside of Adversity by Os Hillman.
Can God actually use prolonged difficulty in our lives for good? Os Hillman says yes! After a seven-year journey filled with disappointement and adversity in his personal and work life, Os went from the pit of despair and unhappiness to operating an international speaking and teaching organization for workplace leaders that has taken him to more than 20 countries. Like the Joseph of the Bible, Os let God use a long string of personal calamities-what he terms his “Joseph Pit”-to form him for leadership, influence and service and bring real happiness and joy into his life and work.
Tags: Be Happy, Blessings, Contentment, Crisis, Difficult Circumstances, Discouragement, Get out of the pit, Happiness, Happy Family, Happy Home, Happy Life, Happy Marriage, Happy Relationship, Hurt, Joy, Joy Filled Life, Life Crisis, Life Trials, Living a Happy Life, Overcoming Discouragement, Pain, Peace, Self Pity, Songs of Joy, Sowing, Success, successful career, Tears, Travails, Victorious Life, Weeping, Work Life Balance
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Friday, November 6th, 2009
I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten – the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm – My great army that I sent among you.” – Joel 2:25
There are seasons in our lives that involve times of famine and times of restoration. Solomon tells us that He has made everything beautiful in its time and that there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under Heaven. (See Ecclesiastes 3:1,11.)
God brings about both the good and the bad. The seasons of famine have a divine purpose in our lives. They accomplish things that only these hard places can accomplish. But there is a time when those hard places have accomplished their purpose and He begins to restore. God did this with the nation of Israel after a season of famine and devastation.
Be glad, O people of Zion, rejoice in the Lord your God, for He has given you the autumn rains in righteousness. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before. The threshing floors will be filled with grain; the vats will overflow with new wine and oil. “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten – the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm – My great army that I sent among you. You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will My people be shamed. Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the Lord your God, and that there is no other; never again will My people be shamed” (Joel 2:23-27).
God wants each of us to know that there is a time when He will restore in order to demonstrate His gracious hand in our lives. He is a loving Father who tenderly guides His children through the difficult places. If God has taken you through a time of leanness, know that He is the restorer of that which the locusts have eaten. Wait patiently for Him to bring this about in your life. He will do it.
Reccomended reading: The Joseph-Daniel Calling
Like Joseph and Daniel in the Bible, God is calling men and women to serve in strategic positions of influence and power in the workplace for His purposes. This book addresses the dynamics of this calling, God?s economy, and the challenges of these uniquely called Josephs and Daniels. Among other agendas, they will be facilitators of the release of the wealth of the wicked into Kingdom initiatives.
Tags: Abide, Abiding, Abundance, Be Happy, Contentment, Discouragement, Faithfulness, Get out of the pit, Happiness, Happy Family, Happy Home, Happy Life, Happy Marriage, Happy Relationship, Joy, Life Crisis, Life Purpose, Life Trials, Living a Happy Life, Obedience, Overcoming Discouragement, Patience, Peace, Pupose in Life, Purpose of life, Seasons of Life, Solomon, Success, successful career, Surviving Life, Work Life Balance
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Monday, November 2nd, 2009
Do you have distractions in your life? Of course, we all do.
Distractions are the poison of life. Thye keep us from seeing and being a part of God’s work in and around us. Author Leighton Ford knew this, so he began a journey of longing and looking for God. And it started with paying attention.
In the pages of his book, The Attentive Life: Discerning God’s Presence in All Things, he invites you to journey with him as he seeks to rid himself of distractions and live the joyfilled, purposeful life God intended.
I encourage you to read this book!
Ford will walk with you, helping you pay attention to God’s work in you and around you throughout each day and in different seasons of your life. He will help you to realize that spending time alone with God, away from the normal distractions of life, will bring you a peace never before experienced. You will learn to abide rather than strive. You will learn to trust God more and worry less. You will learn to hear God’s still, quiet voice and be confident in your focus and pupose each day.
So, If you’re busy, distracted, discouraged, disillusioned, and tired of rushing through each day, you might be feeling disconnected from God, unable to see how he’s working and how you fit into his work. But the way toward him starts with a pause and a prayer with intention and attention and becomes a way of life, awake and alive to the peaceful, powerful presence of God.
I hope you enjoy The Attentive Life by Leighton Ford.
Tags: Abiding, Attentive Life, Balanced Life, Be Happy, Contentment, Discouragement, Freedom, Get out of the pit, Happiness, Happy Family, Happy Home, Happy Life, Happy Marriage, Happy Relationship, Joy, Living a Happy Life, Obedience, Overcoming Discouragement, Peace, Pressure at Work, Rest, Success, successful career, Victorious Life, Work Life Balance
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Saturday, October 31st, 2009
You may have heard the saying “plan the work and work the plan”. It is a great reminder that, in order to experience success, it helps to have a vision and a plan for what you hope to accomplish, to remian focused and committed to your plan, and to be purposeful and intentional in working toward accomplishing the plan.
This adage is most commonly applied in business, but I believe we shoud all consider applying it within our families. Our families need a vision, a mssion, and a plan. A good place to start is to establish your family values, a set of guiding principles that help steer eveyone as they makes decsions about what you do, what you say, who you select as friends, and how you spend your money and time. Below are some examples of family values that I have collected from freinds that will give you some ideas and help get you jump started. You can develop your own (as a family); make it fun, let eveyone participate and contribute, and make sure you have consensus before finalizing. Post them on the refrigerator, on the family bulletin board, and on bathroom mirrors so they are consistently top-of-mind with everyone, and use them when making decisions, and to mentor, coach and discipline your kids. Good luck and remember to walk in love!
Family Values:
- We will love honor and obey God in all that we think, speak, and do
- We will, in humility, love, respect, and serve each other and those around us
- We first listen, then think, then speak
- We try our best in everything we do
- We look for the good in every situation and maintain an attitude of thankfulness
- We will forgive and make every effort to live at peace with everyone
- We take every opportunity to share God’s love and the hope we have in Jesus
- We make memories together
- We keep our family time as a high priority
- We nurture a generous heart by living simply and sharing with those in need
- We invest ourselves in building God’e kingdom
Tags: Abide, Abiding, Balanced Life, Be Happy, Communication, Conflict Resolution, Contentment, Faithfulness, Freedom, Happiness, Happy Family, Happy Home, Happy Life, Happy Marriage, Happy Relationship, Joy, Life Trials, Living a Happy Life, Obedience, Peace, Resolving Conflict, Success, successful career, Thankfulness, Victorious Life, Wisdom, Work Life Balance
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Thursday, October 29th, 2009
Truly understanding the power of gratitude and thankfulness can change your life and help you live a happy life at home and at work!
Tags: Be Happy, Contentment, Courage, Gratitude, Happiness, Joy, Life Trials, Living a Happy Life, Overcoming Discouragement, Peace, Victorious Life, Work Life Balance
Posted in Be Happy, Family | No Comments »
Wednesday, July 15th, 2009
“Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth . . . .” Ephesians 6:14a
The economic meltdown that began almost a year ago begs a central question: What is the truth about our situation? The new president and his advisers have worked for months to find the answer to that question. And they continue to think more money is the answer. How bad is the damage? What will it take to make things right? It seems new versions of “the truth” about our situation emerge daily.
Granted, the economics of an entire nation are murky at best. But what if you were tasked with the job of defining truth about every person, every situation, every fact, and every possibility? When we look at our world, it is obvious that there are many versions of “truth” at work—creating the resulting discord and chaos. Oprah promotes a new gospel using the same words like repentance and Christian as an example, but defines it radically different than Scripture. She is very dangerous. As Steve Camp sang in his song “Where have you gone to my America” he sang..”And the talk show host is the Holy Ghost.”
Jesus Christ, in a prayer to the Father, said what truth is in just a few words: “Your word is truth” (John 17:17). God’s words, found in God’s Word (living and written), are the standard of truth concerning whatever they touch. The Bible may not address everything in all of history, but whatever it says about whatever it addresses is true.
To navigate the uncertain parts of life, you need an unchanging source of truth: God and His Word. When questions arise, make sure you answer them with the answers God has provided.
“Though all truth is not in the Bible, everything in the Bible is true.” Unknown
God’s peace!
Tags: Abide, Abiding, Be Happy, Conflict Resolution, Contentment, Discouragement, Faithfulness, Finding Truth, Happiness, Happy Family, Happy Home, Happy Life, Joy, Life Crisis, Life Trials, Living a Happy Life, Peace, Pressure at Work, Resolving Conflict, Success, successful career, Truth, Victorious Life, What is Truth, Work Life Balance
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Monday, June 8th, 2009
Help make your dad or husband happy at home, on the road, and at the office this Father’s Day with the latest and greatest wireless reading device.
BUY IT NOW!!!
Tags: Balanced Life, Be Happy, Contentment, Happy Family, Happy Home, Happy Life, Happy Marriage, Happy Relationship, Joy, Pressure at Work, Success, successful career, Work Life Balance
Posted in Special Products, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Wednesday, May 20th, 2009
Oftentimes we experience unhappiness because our faith is not as strong as it needs to be and therefore we do not put it into action. Have you ever been unhappy in your circumstances, I know I have. What do we normally do? Pout, complain, and blame right? Well, what would happen if we had worked at and developed a strong, confident, unswerving faith that enabled and equipped us to respond much differently during the tough times. I believe it would make us happier in life and at work!
Here’s a lesson and story to help illustrate my theory…
“For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith.” – Hebrews 4:2
The people of Israel were called out of the bondage of Egyptian slavery. God said they would be brought out of 400 years of slavery so that they might worship Him. God desired to bring them into a place of milk and honey – the Promised Land. Yet that generation never entered into the Promised Land. Why? They never took what they knew in their head and transferred it to their heart. Finally, it never resulted in actions that were based on what they believed.
When I was a new Christian I heard an illustration of what belief and faith looked like when combined. If you were a trapeze artist and were skilled at walking across tightropes over high places, you might even be willing to walk across Niagara Falls. In fact, I would have confidence that you could because I had seen your abilities as a trapeze artist. However, if you asked me if you could push me in a wheelbarrow across Niagara Falls, you would be challenging me to put my beliefs into action. This requires faith, participation, and risk, which, until now, was based only on mental assent.
The writer of Hebrews is telling us that if we believe God but do not enter in to those promises, we are like the man who chooses not to get into the wheelbarrow. If we don’t act on our beliefs, then we remain in the desert like the people of Israel who never received God’s promises. They did not combine what they knew in their head with a faith that was put into action.
Has God spoken to you about an area in your life that requires a step of faith? Let God provide the courage, as He does the knowledge, to act in faith on what you believe. If you do, I know you will be happier in life and at work!
In case you are interested, here are two resources that you might find enjoyable and helpful.
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Proverbs for Business
By Steve Marr / Baker
* Seeking to honor God in the workplace? Marr offers practical help for everybody from the company CEO to the newest employee! Draw close to God and increase your effectiveness and contentment as you digest daily Scripture verses, ponder challenging questions, and meditate on subjects such as success, human resources, decision-making, hiring, firing, work relationships, and more.
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Roadmap to Success
By Steve Marr / Bridge-logos Publishing
From 36 years of business experience, which includes being a former CEO of the fourth largest import-export firm in the United States, Steve Marr has learned that God’s way works. So if you’ve started a business or are trying to grow the one you already own, to be truly successful you need to know how to do everything God’s way.
Do you have a business dream? If you do, have you been disappointed in trying to make it a success? Roadmap to Success will help you balance your life and work as you learn to apply God’s word directly to your business situations.
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Tags: Be Happy, Contentment, Courage, Faithfulness, Get out of the pit, Happiness, Happy Life, Life Trials, Living a Happy Life, Success, successful career, Victorious Life, Work Life Balance
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Wednesday, May 6th, 2009
“Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain.” – Psalm 127:1a
What does it mean for the Lord to build the house? It almost seems a contradiction when we consider that we might be the builders in this passage. God wants us to allow Him to build the house. He explains further:
“Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat – for He grants sleep to those He loves” (Psalm 127:1-2).
God is telling us there is a way of living and working without striving. There is a way to go about our lives and to conduct business without sweating and toiling for outcome. His warning to each of us is to avoid thinking that outcome is based on our sweat and toil. Outcome is based on faithfulness and obedience. That outcome is sometimes more than we deserve. Sometimes it is less than we hoped for. His desire for each of us is to see Him working in our daily personal and work life. He wants us to avoid looking to our own effort to gain an outcome.
One day Jesus called out to Peter from the shore of the lake and suggested he throw his net on the other side of the boat. It was this simple act of obedience that yielded a tremendous catch that he would not have received unless he obeyed.
We are called to live life and work; He is called to bring forth the fruit. He is the vine. We are the branches. Fruit comes forth naturally from a healthy tree.
Today, ask God to show you when you enter into striving, in your personal or work life. Ask Him to show you the difference between loving trust and obedience and striving for outcome. It can be challenging for us to balance this in our daily life and work experiences. He wants to help us walk in this freedom and rest. when we do this, we will be happier and have immeasurably more peace and joy in our lives both at home and at work.
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The 9 to 5 Window: How Faith Can Transform the Workplace
By Os Hillman / Gospel Light
What happens when we take the Word of God literally and begin to apply it where most us spend 60 to 70 percent of our waking hours? What happens when we move in a spiritual dimension in our work lives as few have endeavored to do before now? Lives, workplaces, cities and nations become transformed by the power of Jesus Christ!
Called the “next great movement of God,” ministry in the workplace is like a sleeping giant that is starting to take the nation by storm. In The 9 to 5 Window, Os Hillman, one of the leading authorities on “faith at work” today, introduces you to the new breed of worker who has gone beyond the status quo to become a transformer. Learn the facts on the current movement, how to bring God’s presence into your life and your workplace, how to transform your life, your workplace, and city. This offer includes a terrific study guide suitable for either individual or small group use.
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Tags: Abide, Abiding, Balanced Life, Be Happy, Contentment, Faithfulness, Freedom, Happiness, Happy Family, Happy Home, Happy Life, Joy, Living a Happy Life, Obedience, Peace, Pressure at Work, Rest, Success, successful career, Work Life Balance
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