The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower is servant to the lender. (Proverbs 22:7)

What would you do if God suddenly blessed you $1 million in a single day? How much would you give away and to whom or what? How much would you save? How much would you invest? And how much would you spend? Have you ever tried writing all that down?

Maybe if God knew you were committed to sowing much of the money He blessed you with back into His Kingdom, He would open a really huge door of financial opportunity for you. Sound crazy? Maybe. Maybe not. God’s ways are not our ways. He is counter-cultural.

Julia (my wife) and I are currently participating in an outstanding 6-week Financial LIFE Group workshop called “I was broke. Now I’m not!” This course is being led by my pastor, Matt Gregory, who has been my top financial coach and mentor over the past 8 years. Each Saturday morning, our private LIFE group meets online for a 90 webinar.

One of the questions that Matt asked each participant to answer is “What would you do with $1 million if God gave that to you in a single day?” He wanted us to write out our answer over the following week and to be very specific. Husband and wife were asked to do this separately and then compare notes.

Today at 11 am EST, I’m hosting a webinar along with Jerry to share some of the valuable principles and tips I have recently learned from Matt with you. I realize you don’t have much notice. That’s the way it is frequently when God reaches out to bless YOU. The question is, “Are you available?” It’s not me asking – it’s the Holy Spirit.

Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar Seat Now at:
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/266853829

By the way, when Matt took the 5-week “UNCOMMON Journaling For Destiny” course that Jerry Graham and I led back in June 2008, Matt discovered that he has always liked numbers and God wired him that way. In January 2009, Matt began his own blog called “The Counting Pastor” after he came over as an apprentice for his first JIREH Marketing (Web 2.0) training. Shortly after he began leading two weekly financial workshops. So my wife and I are already reaping the fruit from sowing into his life.

Oh, and another thing. When I conducted a survey of my followers in mid 2008 asking for their 3 greatest life challenges out of a possible list of 20, Finances was by far the #1 challenge. Do you want some guidance with your finances? Then sign up NOW. This webinar begins in just an hour.

Prayer Power
Heavenly Father, we praise You as our Jehovah JIREH, our Provider. Like faith, you have given each of us a different measure of financial resources. With both faith and finances, you expect us to be good stewards. May you bless today’s webinar to empower participants to be good stewards with their money. Thank you Jesus. Amen and hallelujah!

Blessings of the Day
1) “JIREH Marketing: I Was Broke! Now I’m Not” free webinar at 11 am EST today
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/266853829

2) “Experiencing God Through Journaling: Garden of the Heart Ministries” free webinar with Debra Bosacki at 8 pm EST today
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/503217575

Blessings to learn to be a godly steward with your finances!

Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.” (1 Kings 17:9 )

Is your life so messed up, it seems there’s no possible way out?
Are you feeling hopeless about the future?
If so, then participate in one of today’s two webinars.

On June 27, 2008, I wrote a devotional titled “Attention Grabbers” [http://yourdailyblessing.com/attention-grabbers/] talking about times in our lives when God reaches out in an extraordinary way to grab our attention.

Well I had one of those “Attention Grabbing” days on Sunday January 25. I believe that when this happens to me, God wants me to share His message with the world. So here you are. This is a wake up call for many of you too.

In the early morning on Jan 25, I had one of the richest 2-way prayer times of my life. Some of it is too personal to share with all of you, so I’ll just share a few snippets.

My prayer began like this, “Lord Jesus, thank You for the financial wake up call yesterday at the SPC Financial Workshop that Matt led.” When I wrote out … I realized my behavior must change dramatically.”

After several more paragraphs of pouring out my heart to Jesus, He responded, “Randy, you’ve been like Elijah at the Brook Cherith watching the stream dry up. Now the stream is dry and it’s time to move on. I bless you with joy and peace and love that won’t let go. I bless you with deeper knowledge of the Father’s love. I bless you with a steadfast faith. I bless you with the dreams and visions your heart goes after.” That prompted me to find the scripture (1Ki 17:1-9) about Elijah being at the Brook Cherith and being commanded to a poor widow to be provided for.

1Ki 17:1-9 And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.”Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” So he went and did according to the word of the LORD, for he went and stayed by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook. And it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land. Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.”

After pasting that scripture into my two-way prayer entry, I continued my fruitful dialog with Jesus. Then I go to Soul Purpose Church (SPC) for the 10:30 am worship service and Matt preaches a fantastic sermon titled “Giving ALL The Props Away.” In that, he talks about giving everything we have to God and then shares these “4 P’s of Giving” from Andy Stanley’s book “Fields of Gold:”

1) Priority giving – Giving to God before anything else
2) Percentage giving – 10% is a good start
3) Progressive giving – Keep growing as a giver
4) Prompted giving – Additional spontaneous giving as God leads

Who shows up at SPC for the first time in a long time? Beth Spangler, Ryan (her boyfriend), and Beth’s two kids. Now Beth happened to be one of my first 3 JIREH Marketing (Web 2.0) apprentices who began a 3 month commitment on Sat Jan 11 along with Matt. God is making Beth a trophy of his redemptive and restorative power. She has a phenomenal testimony of deliverance after 10 years of addiction.

During his sermon, Matt told a story of a guy walking in a desert by himself. Everywhere the man looks is sand. It’s impossible to tell distances. He has completely used up his water supply and is quickly becoming dehydrated. All of a sudden he sees what looks like an oasis in the distance. But he’s not sure if it’s real of a mirage. As he gets closer, it becomes apparent the oasis is real. When he enters the oasis with Palm trees, he finds a well with one bottle of water and a note that reads, “Read this and follow the instructions before doing anything else.” The note instructs him to pour the entire bottle of water down the well, which will prime the pump, make the well work, and supply all his water needs and the needs of the next traveler to come this way.

What would you do? You’re dying of thirst. You have a bottle of water which you desperately want. And you have this note from someone you don’t know asking you to trust him. Well, the man pours all the water down the well and sure enough, the pump gets primed, and all his water needs are met.

Around 2 pm I got home from SPC, ate lunch, and then decided to watch TV for 30 minutes. That’s very unusual for me on a Sunday. When I turned on the TV, I was prompted to switch to TBN (Trinity Broadcast Network). I ended up listening to a 30 minute message titled “When The Impossible Meets God” by a pastor I’ve never seen before in my life. That pastor shared the same story about the man and well that Matt had just shared a few hours earlier. The scripture he used was 2 Kings 4:1-7 about Elisha (Elijah’s disciple) and a widow.

2 Kings 4:1 A certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD. And the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves.” So Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.” Then he said, “Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors-empty vessels; do not gather just a few. “And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones.” So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured it out. Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not another vessel.” So the oil ceased. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest.”

Prayer Power
Heavenly Father, over the past 8 years since committing my life to Jesus, I’ve given everything I have to You. I’ve watched my retirement account dwindle down from $1.6 million to practically nothing while loving You with all my heart, my mind, my soul, and my strength. I’ve followed and obeyed You to the best of my ability, trusting in You completely. I’ve sought Your Kingdom and righteousness first nearly every day for the past 8 years and I’ve shared the love of Jesus in a transparent everywhere I’ve gone. Julia and I have manifested strong faith for tough times. Now we’re desperate for a financial miracle and depend on You to lead us to a widow to provide for us. Jesus, thank You for bringing me to your city of refuge. I love You so much. Amen and hallelujah!

Blessings to surrender all you have to God!

God’s Blessings of the Day

1) When The Impossible Meets God -outstanding video sermon by Pastor Jeff Schreve

2) “SEO Is Simple” FREE webinar at 11 am EST today (Tuesday January 27, 2009)

3) “Experiencing God Through Journaling: Write The Vision Down” FREE webinar at 6 pm EST today (Tuesday January 27, 2009)

“And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet.” (Matthew 10:14)

On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your use of Web 2.0?
What are you going to do to improve that?

I feel like a kid in Toy Land. During the past 6 weeks, I’ve plunged big time into Social Marketing and have discovered how much fun Web 2.0 is and how effective it is at building relationships and growing my network. Leadership is about influence.

What’s the difference between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0. Well, my wife gave the best summary I’ve ever heard while we were walking earlier this week – Web 1.0 is 1-way communication and Web 2.0 is 2-way.

Last week I was saying Web 2.0 is at least 10-100 times more powerful than Web 1.0, but now I realize that’s a gross underestimate. Web 2.0 is at least 100-1,000 times more powerful than Web 1.0.

Let me give just a few simple examples to make my point. I’ve been sending these daily devotionals for 27+ months now. Typically, my net growth rate (new subscribers minus unsubscribers minus invalid email addresses) is about 7-10 people per month.

Well, since beginning the five week series of webinars titled “UNCOMMON Social Marketing (Web 2.0)” on Oct 2, my net growth with my Constant Contact list alone has been 158. That doesn’t include Twitter.

On October 9, I hosted Denise Wakeman and Patsi Krakoff, a.k.a. The Blog Squad, as my guest experts. They were awesome. What they shared would benefit every business, every ministry, and every church. I was so impressed, I had the entire webinar professionally transcribed for my very first time and then used that to make a Camtasia video. I published that video online and it’s FREE for 3 more days. See today’s Link of the Day before this opportunity passed you by forever.

Denise recommended everyone on the webinar open up their own Twitter account. She said all the shakers and the movers on the Internet are now using Twitter. She said she was a skeptic until she started using it. I was a skeptic too until I started using Twitter. Now I’m a believer. Let me share why.

Since opening my own Twitter account two weeks ago, I now am following 179 people and have 96 people following me. I’ve had 36 new people follow me in just the past 2 days without doing anything to try to attract them. What’s so significant about that? Every Tweet I post (and each only takes me 2-3 minutes) shows up instantly at the top of every personal Twitter web page for everyone who is following me. But not only am I building relationships and influencing those people, but everyone who is following them as well. That’s an opportunity to influence tens of thousands of new people in just two weeks.

In the past week using Twitter, I got connected to “The Internet Marketing Inner Circle.” I’ve learned more about Internet marketing and a variety of other interesting topics than I did in the past year. This is incredible. I feel like I’ve had my head buried in the sand by not learning about and using Web 2.0 until the past 2 months.

My favorite Bible is the “The Maxwell Leadership Bible.” According to Dr. John Maxwell, “the American church is dying due to lack of strong leadership. Nothing is more important than leadership. Everything rises and falls on leadership. Leadership is influence – nothing more, nothing less.” To be a leader, you must have others follow you and your example.

Jesus said the whole Bible could be summarized in the Greatest Commandment – to love God and love people. In other words, “Life is about relationships.” Other names for Social Marketing are “Relationship Marketing” and “Attraction Marketing.”

Doesn’t it make sense that when you add value to other people first without expecting anything back from them, they will automatically be attracted to you. Jesus said, “It’s in giving we receive.” I want to be an UNCOMMON Giver. What about you? Will you let me coach you to unleash the power of the web in your business or ministry?

You’ve invited to participate in tonight’s Week 3 webinar of the UNCOMMON Social Marketing (Web 2.0)” series. The topic today is “Content Sharing, Bookmarking, and Renegade University.” This is about improving your search engine viability very quickly. Seize this opportunity while it’s still FREE. After October, the 5 week course will cost $150/person. See today’s Link of the Day to register.

Prayer Power
Heavenly Father, we praise You as the God of the Internet, Your supernatural highway of communication. Thank You for opening my eyes of understanding to the power of Social Marketing. Thank You for the UNCOMMON favor you are showing me as many, many new people are attracted to the messages I am sharing on Your behalf. Open the eyes of my readers to the power of Social Marketing to grow their own ministries and businesses to advance Your Kingdom here on earth. In Jesus’ name we pray and give You glory! Amen and hallelujah!

Link of the Day
Register for the FREE Week 3 Webinar for “UNCOMMON Social Marketing (Web 2.0)” – Includes link to Recorded Webinar video “How to Create Massive Visibility so More Clients Call YOU!” with The Blog Squad

Blessings to be a good steward with Social Marketing!

One thing I have desired of the LORD, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD, And to inquire in His temple. (Psalm 27:4)

Where do you find peace in the midst of the financial storm?

Our nation in under the judgment of God. We are seeing the consequences of years of greed, selfishness, immorality, etc. The potential ramifications of the current financial storm are much worse than the terrorist attacks of 9-11 or Hurricane Katrina.

Two weeks ago, we witnessed our federal government scramble to come up with a $700 billion bailout plan for some of our major banks despite three fourths of Americans being opposed to that.

According to an article at Forbes.com yesterday evening, “The stock market finished mixed on Friday (Oct 10), capping off a gruesome week that wiped out $2.4 trillion from the stock market as investors grew fearful about stubbornly tight credit and the prospect of a severe recession. The Dow Jones industrial average, after eight consecutive daily losses, finished at its lowest level since April 2003, and suffered its worst weekly percentage loss ever.”

For the week, the Dow, S&P, and Nasdaq are down 18%, 15%, and 15% respectively. For the year, the Dow, S&P, and Nasdaq are down 36%, 39%, and 39% respectively.

If we add this up, that’s a loss of more than $3 trillion for Americans in two weeks. If we divide this large amount by 100+ million households in America, that’s $30,000 per household. But the loss around the world is much greater than that because the U.S. crisis has shaken the stock markets in Europe and Asia as well. The Forex (Foreign Exchange) is the largest market in the world and trades daily about five times what the U.S. stock and bond markets do combined.

If you research the underlying factors in the current U.S. financial crisis, you will discover that our foundations are much worse than they were before the Great Depression in 1929. Now superimpose all the greed, selfishness, immorality, etc so prevalent in our nation and we have a recipe for disaster. In just one day, each of us can lose everything financially that we have saved for so long.

Our government doesn’t have a clue to what it’s purpose is anymore. It’s grown to the point where it’s trying to be all things to all people. We have hundreds of thousands of laws that erode away at personal freedoms instead of building our foundation on the Ten Commandments which God gave us. One of those Commandments is “Thou shalt not covet!” Covetousness is a big reason why we are experience such a financial crisis.

OK, so where do you find PEACE in the midst of this financial storm? It’s in the house of the LORD as Psalm 27:4 describes above. It’s in prayer – communion with God. And praise is the prayer that changes everything. God inhabits His praises.

Yesterday evening after riding my bicycle 18 miles, I spent about 2 hours watching various “Jesus” and “praise” videos on GodTube first and then YouTube. Finally, I found one that I knew was the right one for this message. Watch it at today’s Link of the Day.

Prayer Power
LORD Jesus, we praise You as the God who offers peace in the midst of any storm. Barack Obama doesn’t have the answers. John McCain doesn’t have the answers. Our government doesn’t have the answers. Only You do. May each of us keep our eyes focused on You, Jesus. May we be bold and step out of the boat to walk on water and do what You have called us to do. May we live our lives on purpose – for You and not ourselves. May we prepare the way for Your soon coming. Thank You Jesus. Amen.

Link of the Day
Chris Tomlin – How great is our God – YouTube video with more than 2.3 million views

Blessings to find peace with Jesus in the midst of this storm!

“Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.” Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” (John 6:27-28)

What good seeds are you planting?
What environment are you planting them in?

We continue with our series “Working Smarter, Not Harder.”

Wow! God did some incredible things following yesterday’s message titled “UNCOMMON Social Marketing – Web 2.0.” The web truly is the greatest business tool of the 21st century.

Yesterday morning’s message mentioned that Dr. Jerry Graham and I were officially launching our Empower 2000 Bronze membership later that evening. I also mentioned that God is opening a BIG door to teach “UNCOMMON Social Marketing” to junior college and college students.

Well as God would have it, Georgia Willis Fauber was the very first person to become an Empower 2000 Bronze Member. Then through a series of very peculiar circumstances, Georgia ended up being a panelist on our very first Social Marketing webinar.

I barely knew Georgia and actually first met her about 1-2 months ago on a Marching Through Culpeper prayer call. I was humbled to learn about Georgia’s heart for college students and education overall. I was humbled to learn that Georgia was the first woman to serve on the UVA Board of Visitors in 50 years. Here are just some of Georgia’s outstanding qualifications:

UVA Board of Visitors Emerita
UVA National Committee on University Resources
UVA School of Engineering & Applied Science Board
UVA School of Nursing Board
UVA Women in Leadership & Philanthropy Committee
UVA Co-Chair, Historic Preservation
Virginia 4-H Foundation Board
President, FRIENDS Of Cliff Asbury, Ltd.

As I was attempting to prepare this devotional early this morning, the Holy Spirit led me to Michael Pink’s website http://SellingAmongWolves.com. From there I was led to Michael’s blog. While there I came across some of Michael’s teachings about the “Wealth Secrets of the Rainforest.” Here is an excerpt. See today’s Link of the Day for more.

“Before wealth manifests itself in tangible form, it exists first and foremost in an intangible form. What we see with our natural eyes is a manifestation of something that first existed in an unseen state. The rainforest we see was once a seed we didn’t see. In our lives, everything is “twice created” — first in your mind, then in physical form. If you go through life only seeing the effect or the outcome but never discern the cause of things, you will live at the mercy or lack thereof of those who see into both worlds and move freely between them.

Wealth is first of all an internal possession. If you don’t have it on the inside, you will never have it on the outside. You can only manifest in life what you possess on the inside. Nothing more. The life you lead on the outside is a reflection of the things you believe and the truths you understand on the inside.”

Prayer Power
Heavenly Father, it is so beautiful to watch You conduct Your beautiful symphony. Thank You for the role You allow each of us to play in Your orchestra. May we be in tune and in synch. Thank You Jesus. Amen.

Link of the Day
Wealth Secrets of the Rainforest – Blog entries by Michael Pink

Blessings to apply the wealth secrets of the rainforest!

And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” (Luke 12:15)

How do I get the will power to deny myself, resist the cravings of covetousness, and be content with what I have?
How does the resurrection of Jesus help people over the obstacle of finances?

Rev. Matt Gregory, Pastor of Soul Purpose Church, conducted a survey in Bealeton of the “Biggest Bully” that people currently face. By far, the two most popular answers were Finances and Marriage/Family. In third place was “Lack of purpose.” It seems that everywhere I go, I meet people suffering from at least one, if not all three of these. Which one can you best identify with?

At the Sunday worship service yesterday, Matt addressed the issue of Finances. He shared these 7 steps to overcoming debt:

1) Commit to becoming debt free now! (Psalm 37:21)
2) Start paying God and self (savings) first – Follow the 10-10-80 principle (Deut 14:23, Prov 27:12)
3) List all I owe and all I own. Keep track of what’s coming in and what’s going out. (Prov 24:3)
4) Set up a repayment plan. (Prov 21:5)
5) Add no new debt. (Heb 13:5, Prov 21:17)
6) Share my plan with my creditors. (Prov 6:7)
7) Stick to it. (Gal 6:9)

Financial disharmony can blow a marriage apart. But financial harmony can bind it together. No matter what your financial situation looks like right now, you and your spouse can take steps toward being debt-free and strengthen your marriage in the process. In her highly practical book, Debt-Proof Your Marriage, Mary Hunt helps couples learn the principles of acceptance, freedom, safety, and honesty in money matters. Debt-Proof Your Marriage covers everything couples need for managing their money harmoniously, including how to reconcile different money behaviors and beliefs, to let go of financial fears, to understand the basics of practical money management, to share financial work between two people, to manage roller coaster income, and to successfully live debt-free.

Mary states, “In one study, 86 percent of unhappily married people who stuck it out found that five years later their marriages were happier…surprisingly the very worst marriages showed the most dramatic turnarounds.”

Prayer Power
Heavenly Father, I praise You as the God of abundance and sound financial principles. Forgive me for areas in my life where I have struggled with covetousness. Guide my steps and those within my sphere of influence to follow a sound financial plan to be completely debt free. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.

Link of the Day
Debt-Proof Your Marriage: How to Achieve Financial Harmony by Mary Hunt

Blessings to overcome the obstacle of debt through the principles of Jesus!

———————————–

A search of the Power Bible on CD (NKJV) using “covetousness” yielded the following:

• Ex 18:21 “Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
• Ps 119:36 Incline my heart to Your testimonies, And not to covetousness.
• Pr 28:16 A ruler who lacks understanding is a great oppressor, But he who hates covetousness will prolong his days.
• Isa 57:17 For the iniquity of his covetousness I was angry and struck him; I hid and was angry, And he went on backsliding in the way of his heart.
• Jer 6:13 “Because from the least of them even to the greatest of them, Everyone is given to covetousness; And from the prophet even to the priest, Everyone deals falsely.
• Jer 8:10 Therefore I will give their wives to others, And their fields to those who will inherit them; Because from the least even to the greatest Everyone is given to covetousness; From the prophet even to the priest Everyone deals falsely.
• Jer 22:17 “Yet your eyes and your heart are for nothing but your covetousness, For shedding innocent blood, And practicing oppression and violence.”
• Jer 51:13 O you who dwell by many waters, Abundant in treasures, Your end has come, The measure of your covetousness.
• Mr 7:22 “thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.
• Lu 12:15 And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”
• Ro 1:29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers,
• Ro 7:7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.”
• Eph 5:3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints;
• Col 3:5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
• 1Th 2:5 For neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor a cloak for covetousness–God is witness.
• Heb 13:5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
• 2Pe 2:3 By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.

“be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” (Matthew 10:16)

What are 2-3 lead dominos to exponentially grow your small business or church?
What impact will a marketing bootcamp have on your small business or church?

Today’s focus is work and financial stewardship. Those are two of the three areas I chose to make “A” priorities for my life when I attended the Life Focus workshop in Virginia Beach in November 2007. Prosperity is having enough of God’s provision to accomplish His assignment for your life. The bigger your assignment, the more you will need.

In his March 31 edition of The Weekly Trio [http://coreimpact.com/blog], Michael Stay announced two free marketing bootcamps for Virginia small business owners. Within 3 days, my wife and I both signed up to attend the one in Fredericksburg on Feb 5. I now share this tremendous opportunity in case you or someone you know lives nearby and would like to attend.

Karl Bryan [www.karlbryan.com] started the most successful small business coaching company in Australia while living there. After moving to Canada, he started the most successful small business coaching company there. Recently he asked Michael Stay to be the point person for the entire U.S. And Michael is one of the best strategic planners in the world.

Here is what Michael wrote on March 31:

FREE MARKETING BOOTCAMP FOR VIRGINIA SMALL BUSINESSES — **FREDERICKSBURG, VA – FEB. 5TH** & **PRINCE WILLIAM, VA ON FEB. 6TH**
.
If you live in the Washington D.C. metro area or the Piedmont/Central Virginia areas, I invite you to attend a Strategic Sales & Marketing Optimization Bootcamp for small business owners looking to improve results and profitability in 2008.  The Bootcamp features Karl Bryan and is on Tuesday, Feb. 5th from 9am-11am in Fredericksburg; and on Wednesday, Feb. 6th from 9am-11am in Prince William County. 

I met Karl Bryan from Canada at a Jay Abraham [http://www.abraham.com] seminar in Los Angeles. I was impressed by the commitment he had to small business and especially his ability to provide inexpensive marketing solutions for small business.  Karl and his team educate small business owners on how to transform their business and achieve profound results via powerful inexpensive marketing strategies.  Core Impact is endorsing this Bootcamp at no charge as an opportunity for our valued clients and those of you receiving The Weekly Trio.

Seating is limited and events fill up quickly when Karl presents.  I urge you to register online and secure your seat to avoid disappointment – www.FREEMarketingBootcamps.com

Prayer Power
Holy Spirit, thank You for uncommon guidance and uncommon opportunities. Thank You for bringing the free marketing boot camps to Virginia. Bless those who attend to be much better stewards of their work and finances for Your Kingdom sake. LORD Jesus, it’s in Your wonderful and holy name we pray. Amen.

Links of the Day
Register for Free Marketing Boot Camp on Feb 5 or 6, 2008

Blessings for uncommon work and financial stewardship!

What are your most cherished family traditions each year?
What new tradition can you establish this year to bless those less fortunate?

Tradition! When I hear that word, I immediately think of the movie “Fiddler on the Roof.” On Saturday December 21, my wife and I went to the home of Bobby and Linda Broyles for their annual Christmas party, which has become a tradition. Each year, their home is one of the most beautifully decorated ones for Christmas in our area. To see photos from that, visit today’s Link of the Day.

Bobby and Linda have been good friends of ours for most of the 20 years my wife and I have lived in Culpeper. Our oldest daughters grew up together and were best of friends.

I admire Bobby and Linda and am glad to see them do well. While both of them just had high school educations, they have prospered because they applied the principles of the Word of God. They both worked hard, had good attitudes, and stayed with their respective employers for their entire careers. Despite ordinary incomes, they managed to save because they planned and lived within their means.

They have been good stewards with everything God has entrusted to them – their marriage, their children, their friends, their home, their cars – EVERYTHING. They are active in their church. They are extremely loyal and generous. When I think of Bobby and Linda, I think of the word “simplify.” Through their simple lifestyles, they have a ministry of paths – being Jesus to whoever God puts in their path.

Prayer Power
Heavenly Father, thank You for Bobby and Linda Broyles and the great example they set. Thank You for blessing me to have such friends who manifest unity in their marriage and the love and peace of God. Bless their family and magnify their impact. Guide my family to be good stewards with everything You have entrusted to us. Bless my readers likewise. Thank You Jesus. Amen.

Link of the Day
Photos from the Broyle’s Christmas party 

Blessings to establish meaningful traditions that lead to everlasting fruit!

Know well the condition of your flocks, and pay attention to your herds; (Proverbs 27:23)

How do you flesh out a goal?
How do you count the total cost to see if that goal is reasonable to pursue?
How important is keeping a written budget?

Long ago, before I went to college, my father taught me to keep a detailed, written budget for my finances. Doing that had a huge positive impact on the decisions I made and my future options. It allowed me to give generously, save, take several nice family vacations each year, and buy reliable cars without assuming any debt. More importantly, the budget allowed me to say “No” to things I couldn’t afford. That took away a lot of stress.

Once I began working as a physician, my budget helped me plan and make monthly investments into my retirement account. It helped me invest my money wisely. One year, my retirement account actually grew by more than twice my annual gross income as a physician.

Many people outright reject the discipline of budgeting and give a myriad of excuses for why that’s not for them. Others use a budget simply as a means to track expenses. But I can tell you first hand that budgeting is much more than that. Financial budgeting is telling your money where to go instead of wondering where it went.

But what about time and energy? How important is it to budget those? Is it practical and helpful to develop written budgets for our time and energy? If so, how do we go about doing that?

Recently during the Life Focus workshop in Virginia Beach, I learned about personal core values and value statements. I became aware of how understanding and clarifying my core values helps me decide what to do and not to do. I learned about A, B, and C priorities.

Of the 10 areas on the wheel of life (e.g. spiritual life, financial stewardship, work, marriage, family, etc), we were told to put only 2-3 in the “A” category, 5 in the “C” category, and the rest in the “B” category. “A” priorities are areas of my life that I want to focus my time, energy, and finances to grow. I learned it is impractical to try to grow in more than just a few areas at any one time. That was a real eye-opener for me.

For each “A” priority, we were asked to set a goal and then flesh out that goal. Using the help of other life coaches and a variety of exercises, we broke our goals into manageable parts – stages, projects, tasks, etc. Then we had to count the costs – time, money, energy. After doing this for my goal, I realized it was not a good idea to pursue my goal before the end of the year and that even in 2008 it would need to be broken down into manageable stages.

I love to dream big and set lofty goals. However, failing to flesh out my goals and not counting the total cost in the past has cost me dearly. What about you? How can you be a better steward with your dreams, goals, time, energy, and finances?
 
Prayer Power
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your patience with me as I journey through life. Teach me to be a good steward with all You have entrusted to me. Thank You that Your Word is a lamp unto my feet. Bless the choices and decisions I make each day to benefit Your Kingdom. Bless those who read this message likewise. In Yeshua’s name I pray and give You glory. Amen.
 
Link of the Day
Achieve Your Dreams and Goals

Blessings to count the costs before pursuing your goals!

Do not overwork to be rich; Because of your own understanding, cease! (Proverbs 23:4)

What can I do this week to gain a fresh perspective?
Before I die, where would I like to go on vacation?

Julia and I got back late yesterday evening from our 8 day vacation at Lake Tahoe. The scenery was spectacular. The condo where we stayed was one of the nicest we have ever rented. The people were so friendly. Our time spent together was priceless. We got plenty of rest and exercise. We’ll have photos online by Oct 6.

Going away to a new place on a relaxing vacation allows one the opportunity to gain a whole new perspective – to reflect on what’s important and what’s not – to reflect on what’s working and what’s not. It’s a chance to spend lots of quality time with the most important person or people in your life – away from the everyday distractions of managing a home and running a business.

When I worked as a full-time anesthesiologist at Culpeper Hospital from 1987-1999, my benefits included 8 weeks of vacation per year. While that may seem like a lot to most of you, most anesthesia groups recognize the importance of stepping away from work on a regular basis in a high stress job where you deal with people’s lives on a daily basis. One surgeon I knew didn’t take a vacation in more than 12 years and subsequently underwent a very bitter divorce.

In the United States, the typical worker has only 2 weeks of vacation per year. Compare this with 4 weeks in Europe. In the U.S., about 70% of families are two income families. Many families are separated geographically. What are the end results? Unhealthy people and unhealthy families. Busy, unexamined lives. Poor relationships. Idol worship (money, possessions).

In July 1999, I left Culpeper Hospital because I was determined to have a change in my life – to get out of the rat race. A year and a half later, I committed my life to Christ, the most important decision of my life. For God to really work in my life, I needed to create margin. That applies to you too, each and every day. If you want to see God do really big things in your life – you need margin.

What can I do to create more time and financial margin in my life?

Prayer Power
Heavenly Father, I don’t profess to have my act altogether, but I am very grateful for how You have worked in my life to draw me near to You. Thank You for working in my life to allow lots of time to spend with You nearly every day. Thank You for the time I have to reflect. Help me to make good choices to create adequate time and financial margin in my life so You can be first in all areas of my life. Bless my readers to do likewise. Thank You Jesus. Amen.

Link of the Day
Welcome to A Fresh Perspective [www.getafreshperspective.com]

Blessings to plan and take the time to gain a fresh perspective!