Equity is Key

Just a short but important note for the kids.

If you rent an apartment, you give away about $800 each month. That's $9,600 every year. Over the course of ten years, that's $96,000.

If you put that money toward mortgage payments, you get to keep this money in the form of equity.

So, if you have $96,000 in equity, and you want to purchase a larger home, you have almost $100,000 to apply toward the new home. But, if you have rented for the last ten years, you are back to square one.

You have to live somewhere. Your Dad has rented (for various reasons) for 25 years. That means that I have lost almost a quarter of a million dollars in equity. When it comes time to retire, if I had the equity, I could sell the home and travel, pay for doctor's bills, etc. Or, just retire on a beach somewhere.

But I don't have any equity.

Some folks lost a lot of the equity in their homes when the housing market crashed in 2008-2009. But, none of them dropped back to square one. Owning is always better than renting.

My advise to you: Buy a house as soon as you can.

Sowing Seed

For the boyz and lil' girl. Some ponderings.

I've been reading a lot on financial principles and wanted to pass on a few thoughts. First, think about gravity. Gravity is invisible. We drop a ball and it falls to the ground, but nobody really knows how that happens. It's just the God created this world to operate on certain principles, and so it happens. Second, we don't have to know how or why gravity works in order to take advantage of it. We've all seen children playing on a see-saw; one going up and the other going down. They don't stop to think why they are going down, but they can enjoy it nonetheless.

Well, money is like that. It operates along certain invisible principles. One of those principles is that when you give money away, you get more money back. The Gentleman who created the universe said it this way,

"Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again." (Luke 6:38)


The Lord Jesus was telling us how the world operates. Think of the first time he explained farming to father Adam. That must have been some conversation!

'Now, Adam, if you want more corn or wheat for next year, you have to throw some of it in the backyard this year.'

'Huh? That sounds crazy. Why don't I just hold on to what I have?'

'Trust me. I designed things to work this way.'


But it's not enough to just throw the seed in the backyard because some of it might land on a rock or a patch of hard ground or it might be devoured by birds.

"A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold." (Luke 8:5-8)

This is why some folks give to the church for years but never prosper. Their church is hard ground. It's not fruitful for the Kingdom of God. It has a name that it lives, but it is dead. And, sometimes the preacher is just one more bird trying to devour their hard-earned cash.

And, many churches are extremely wealthy, but the Lord says, "he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want." (Prov. 22:16) Your tithes and offerings might be working against you!

Where then is the good ground on which to sow? The poor are a good ground into which to sow. And, they're everywhere!

"He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again." (Prov. 19:17)

The word used for poor in this verse literally means door in the sense of hanging on a hinge, or dangling like the leaf of a book. The poor, if you don't know who they are, are the ones whose lives hang by a thread. The poor are not welfare moms with big screen t.v.'s and 4G cell phones. The poor are the destitute. They are the homeless. They are the ones who are holding onto the slimmest bits of life trying to survive. In Matthew 25:40, the Lord calls them "the least of these." The least. The lowest. The untouchables.


I always think of Tony Robbins who grew up very poor. One year, some kind-hearted strangers brought his family a turkey for Thanksgiving. Tony was so moved that he saved up his money so that he could give away a turkey himself the following year. The year after that, he gave away two. Today, the Anthony Robbins Foundation gives away millions of dollars in food each year to the poor.

This man is now worth over $480 million. I don't think he's a Christian, but I do think that he accidentally stumbled across one of the Lord's principles for making money: give to the poor.


Another point that I would like to add for the boyz and lil' girl. When you give, do it in Jesus' name. If you give $5 to the local mission, put a note in it that says the money is from the Lord Jesus who loves the poor. By doing this, you are attaching God's glory to the seed.

We are stewards of the Lord's stuff. When we give in our own name that is like Bill Gates' assistant giving away Bill Gates' money but using the name John Smith. It robs Bill of the bragging rights, but it also robs the seed of Bill Gates' reputation. For example, if John Smith makes a million dollar donation to an obscure foundation, it will go unnoticed. But, if Bill Gates' makes the same donation the press will pick up on it. Other wealthy men will consider giving to this little known foundation as well; the million dollars might turn into two million, or ten million. That is the power of the name of Bill Gates.

So it is with our money. Attach the True Owner's name to your giving. In the spiritual world, this will make a difference.

Don't ask me how. It just will.

"The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up." (I Samuel 2:7)

Be Bold, Buddy

In the book of Joshua chapter 1, we find Moses dying and Joshua receiving the command to lead the people into the Promised Land. The Promised Land is a place of plenty. It is literally what the people have been dreaming about for years. It is their heart's desire.

What does a person need to achieve their greatest dream? Is it intelligence? Is it passion? Is it a sense of duty?

We are only six verses into the book when the Lord God speaks to Joshua,

"Be strong and of a good courage."

This word is so important that the Lord repeats it to Joshua in the very next verse:

"Only be thou strong and very courageous" (v. 7)

And then after a few words of instruction, the Lord repeats it again,

"Be strong and of a good courage"(v. 9)

And, just in case Joshua was missing the point, the Lord adds,

"be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed" (v. 9)

The Lord does not say, Keep your guard up, study hard, or take your vitamins. He doesn't say, Get up early, dress for success, make friends and influence people. The Lord tells Joshua that the key to success is courage. Are you being courageous, or are you holding back?

For years, I was told that the key to success was mediating on God's word, as found in verse 8. But it's not. Success is found when we apply God's word, and that takes courage.

Dani Johnson, millionaire for Jesus, says that God will bless any business that glorifies his name. She speaks of Jesus, gives in Jesus' name, and glorifies Him every chance she gets. She is bold.

Are you?

My boss owns a roofing and siding company. We do a million dollars in sales every year, and we're growing. He also speaks of Jesus, prays with customers, and gives in Jesus' name every chance he gets. He barely graduated from high school and he has a past that should hold him back. But he's bold for God, and he is prospering.

Are you?

When Jobs Don't Count

Job creation is not bad, if the jobs created are value-producing jobs which add to the REAL GDP of our country.

Let's look at a typical household -- mine. I have a job at an office where I provide value to the overall market through utilizing management and clerical skills. I earn a set amount of income which I bring home to my family as a paycheck.

My wife sees that paycheck and says, Wahoo!

We're kind of an old-fashioned household where I make the money, and she takes care of the bills and the household upkeep. She works hard, and uses a portion of my income to buy little extras like groceries, clothes for the kids, etc.

Now, let's say that she wants to use a portion of my income to buy new drapes, but I want to use that same portion of money to buy a lawn mower which I will use to mow neighborhood lawns and thus add to our overall household income. We argue a little, she gives me that look, and I cave in. We have nice drapes, but no lawn mower.

Has our overall GDP (i.e. household income) increased?

No. We have taken our limited funds, redistributed them, and our house looks nicer. She provided work, received money, used that money to purchase stuff, but our overall income stayed the same. Actually, we're poorer in the long run because money which could have been used for capital investment was used toward cosmetic, short-term comfort.

Now, the USA is a household and in that household the Government is the wife of Small Business. Small business works hard and actually increases the income (the real GDP). Small business (and large business) brings home the bacon. The government works hard, too, but doesn't actually increase the income; it actually drains the real income by using the household income to buy drapes, build roads, feed welfare recipients, etc. These are NOT bad things. But, they do drain our economy.

When the government-wife wants to use money for a new ironing board and the small-business-husband wants to use that same income for new tools, new workers, and new resources, then small business should win. This would increase the overall income of the household n the long run. However, government gives small business that look which says trouble is coming, and small business forks over the money, in the form of taxes, to the government.

Government declares that it will use this money for job creation, but these jobs will be ones which drain the REAL income of our country. The people will work hard, get paid, and be happy. But, in the long run, our economy will suffer loss of capital, production, and overall growth.

It's wonderful that the stay-at-home government-wife wants to work so hard around the house. But a flurry of activity at home merely serves to mask the fact that the small-business-husband has unfulfilled earning potential which can only be realized through the actual production of value-providing goods and services OUTSIDE the home.

That's where free trade and economic growth actually occur.

Sorry, Obama, er, I mean, honey.

Aidan at Seven

This is just so that I don't forget.

Aidan is on his 3rd money-making scheme: 1) 25cents for admission to his top bunk when he was six yrs old, 2) selling rocks to raise money for a band, 3) 25cents to use his bike pump on your tires.

He made 25 cents on the first one, nothing on the second, and he's up to 50cents on this latest one.

His teacher this year (2nd grade) says he's still behind. I think that she's afraid he's going to own her someday LOL

Anybody need a tire inflated?

Jesus is My Happy Meal

"No, Daddy, we want to go to McDonald's!"

"We want the TOY!"


I've just finished listening to Seth Godin's Purple Cow, and now I'm listening to his other audio book Free Prize Inside. Godin very clearly sets forth the need to be remarkable in today's market, and he likens the WOW! factor of extraordinary products and services to the 'free prize' inside a box of Cracker Jacks.

It's an understatement, but when I received the Lord Jesus Christ as my Saviour, I got more than I was expecting.

I just wanted to go to heaven when I died. I just asked for forgiveness of sins.

I wasn't expecting the free prize inside!

"He that hath the Son hath life" (I John 5:12). I got eternal life, but I also got ABUNDANT life! And righteousness. And healing. And hope. And peace. And wisdom. And so many other things that are all wrapped up in Christ. To have Jesus is to have these things; he is those things to those who believe!

A friend of mine said to me, after accepting Christ into his heart, "If you would have told me that He takes away the guilt, I would have gotten saved sooner." Another friend told me that she had never experienced hope before she met Christ. For her, hope was the prize inside; hope made salvation remarkable.

So, 'taste and see that the Lord is good,' and enjoy the gifts that are 'in Him.'


Because Jesus is both the Happy Meal and the Free Prize inside!

The Kingdom of God is Purple

I've recently finished listening to Seth Godin's Purple Cow. Godin postulates that in today's market, the standard 'p's of promotion, product, publicity, etc., require an additional 'p' which he aptly calls purple. A purple cow standing in the midst of a field of ordinary cows would be attention-getting, and not-at-all ordinary. Godin thus uses the word purple as synonymous with the word remarkable.

Purple products are advertised through word of mouth. They don't require mass media blitzes. They don't need TV ads or magazine spreads. Consumers are obsessed with products that are purple, and their purple-ness spreads from neighbor to neighbor over backyard fences and around family barbecues.

The Kingdom of God is purple.

Well, that's not entirely correct. The Kingdom of God in its purest form is purple, but unfortunately, it is all too often presented as a stale, boring, and dry version of itself. Clothed in the suit and tie of religion, Christianity is seen as a list of rules and requirements, and not as the very LIFE of God flowing joyfully from the hearts of the redeemed.

"[T]he kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and JOY in the Holy Ghost." (Romans 14:17)

As Tony Campolo once wrote, "The Kingdom of God is a Party!" It's a celebration! It's contagious! It's heart-warming, life-giving, and you want to tell everyone you know! It bubbles forth like a fountain of living water. It can't be stopped! It's unique and irresistible!

In its original form, the Kingdom of God 'went viral' immediately after the Resurrection of Christ, and it hasn't stopped since!

Even its critics can't stop talking about it!

True Christianity doesn't require its members to tell others about Jesus, and there are no demerits if you keep it to yourself. But why would you want to?

The Kingdom of God is remarkable ~ it's purple!





Have you discovered this wonderful, oh-so-purple life?

Heads or Tails?

Twice in Deuteronomy 28, we are told that we are the "head and not the tail."

This is a promise made by God to those of his people who have fulfilled the requirements of the Law. According to Matthew 5:17, the Lord Jesus fulfilled those requirements on our behalf. Ephesians 2 tells us that at one time, we Gentiles were "strangers from the covenants of promise" but now, in Christ, we are made "nigh." Because we are in Abraham's Seed, we are now partakers of the promises made to Abraham and to his children.

These promises of being the 'head" are for those of us who are in Christ.

Which begs the question, What does it mean to be the head? The head is the decision maker. The head is the leader. The head is above. The head is NOT the behind. It is not below. It is not a follower.

What?!?!

You heard me: The head leads, it doesn't follow. I believe that religion blinds our minds, binds our hands, and turns us into slaves, but true Christianity frees us. Religion turns us into followers. Christianity turns us into leaders.

We are kings after all.

I'm not saying that we should be rebellious. I'm not saying that we shouldn't follow orders. What I am saying is, STOP SITTING THERE LIKE A BUMP ON A LOG! You've been made free. You've been give the power to make choices, set courses, and lead men.

It's nice that you are a mild-mannered employee who never rocks the boat. It's wonderful that you follow every order to the 't.' But, you have been created to be MORE than that.

The choice is yours. Which will it be: Heads or tails?



What's your choice? Let me know!

Sliced Carrots

My boss let me go home early on Tuesday! It was a lovely, sunshine-y day and the phone wasn't ringing.

"Get outta here," he said, "You've been working really hard around here, and you should go spend some time with your family."

What a great guy!

"But," he added, "I expect you to work a couple of hours this Saturday. Got it?"

What a jerk!
I'm still reading The Carrot Principle. In the book, the authors talk about recognition as a means to increase employee satisfaction and retention, and profits.

However, there is a slight caveat that they mention. Most managers are 'Expecters' - that is, they give rewards with strings attached. They may give you a nice little reward, on Tuesday, but they also expect you to work late on Friday (or come in on Saturday morning). It's manipulation, not recognition.

And, it smacks of legalism and a wrong view of grace. It's giving with ulterior motives.

The other type of manager is the 'Altruistic' manager. They genuinely care about their employees, not just the bottom line. They get to know their employees, and want them to do well in their private lives and in their business lives. When these managers give rewards for attaining goals, they give without strings attached. The recognition is purposeful and given freely.

This kind of recognition is more like biblical grace. It is a gift freely given, and nothing else is required. It has a personal touch. It builds relationship and trust. It builds morale.

It should come as no surprise that when recognition of achievement is given altruistically, employee satisfaction goes through the roof (and profits go up, too), but when the same recognition comes piggy-backed on fear and manipulation, the employees see through it.

Take note! Grace changes the employee from the inside out, and produces a better company.


P.S. My brother mentioned a good example of this. The Altruistic manager says, "Thank you for doing such a wonderful job." The Expector says, "Thank you for doing such a wonderful job...keep it up!"

Whatcha think about that?

Rendering Honour & Employee Recognition

I've been listening to The Carrot Principle by Gostick and Elton. What a powerful book about employee recognition and its effect on business.

In their book, they mention studies that include over 200,000 people in dozens of countries, one-on-one interviews, and focus groups. And with all this research, they have discovered what the Bible says: Render honor to the person who deserves it! (Rom. 13:7)

Did you know that if a manager is good at the basic managerial techniques - goal setting, communication, accountability, trust building - he is still missing his most important tool if he doesn't know how to show appreciation to his workers?

Managers believe that employees want good pay and job security first and foremost, but the studies have shown time and again that employees really want to be appreciated and kept informed. Without purposeful recognition, employees leave their jobs in search of new ones where they will be appreciated; this employee turnover costs American business over $5 TRILLION every year!

Almost 70% of employees say that they were not shown any measurable appreciation last year!

However, in companies that emphasize recognition, both employee and customer satisfaction increases, productivity increases, and profit increases .

"Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour."

It's a simple thing but it goes a long way toward affecting your bottom line.

Wise Advice

When you open a new restaurant, don't invite the politicians, invite the cab drivers.

Principles of Small Business

For the past 4 years or so, I have worked for a couple of different small roofing businesses. Along the way, I have learned a few things that I think are worth passing along.

1. Never pay full price for advertising. Advertisers make a ton of profit off of every company that advertises with them; they can afford to cut the costs and 'show some love' in order to get your business. So, make nice, sweet talk, and never, ever pay full price.

2. You have not because you ask not. If you want the sale, ask for it. If you want the customer to give you a referral, ask for it. And, if you want those supplies at a lower cost, ask for it. My boss has been invited over for dinner and lunch by his customers simply because he is likable, and he asks!

Another good example: We had an magazine advertiser who was selling a particular spot for about $1500. The boss asked for a discount and got it down to $1300. We then asked for a further discount and got it down to about $1000. That's a good discount! Well, my boss said, just for fun, ask him to lower it another $300. We did it more or less for kicks, and just to see what he would say. (This was all taking place by email) We thought he'd get mad, but instead he emailed back that he had discussed it with his supervisor, and he would give us the ad at $700! The point: We asked.

3. Most people are generally lazy, so ask two or three times. Why? Because, they will try to take the lazy way out rather than checking, making the phone call, reading the directions, etc.

Here's an example: I called over to Lowe's, and asked to talk to someone about roofing shingles. I asked the guy on the other end a question,

"Do you carry such and such shingle?"
"Um, no. No, I don't think so."
"Are you positive that you don't have it?"
"Um, yeah." (I still didn't believe him.)
"Would you mind walking down the aisle and taking a look for me?"

Sure, there was a risk that I would tick him off, but when he came back, he had to admit that the item was in stock.

The same conversation works with bank tellers, delivery men, and employees!

4. Test and measure everything! At the small roofing and siding company that I work for, we keep track of everything: advertising costs, leads per promotion, jobs per promotion, conversion rates, trends, etc.

I know that last month my salesman was given X number of leads, and that he converted that number to Y number of jobs, and that this brought in Z amount of revenue.

I know that those leads came from two flyers, a postcard, Angie's List, and passing out a business card at a restaurant. I know exactly how much those ads cost the company to generate, and what the profit was per job. (I love bean counting!)

Why is this important? Well, for example, we almost dropped our radio advertising. We had spent about $8000 in advertising with a particular radio station, but we weren't getting very many leads for our money; the boss wanted to drop them. But, I figured out that we had brought in about $40,000 in revenue over the past year from the radio station leads. With our profit margin set at 20%, after paying for labor and materials, we had made $8000 for the year year . . . from a radio spot that cost us $8000 for the year. We weren't making a profit, but we weren't losing any either.

Where we had originally planned on dumping the radio spot altogether, but after seeing the numbers, we decided to keep the spot, and the branding exposure that came with it.

5. Hire a Mentor and do what they say! The first small business that I worked for hired a business mentor (for $50,000!), but didn't implement any of the action steps that were suggested. The mentor in question had built and sold something like four or five businesses himself!

The second small business, where I currently work, is at least trying to follow through with our coach's recommendations. We've written out vision statements, mission statements, 90-day plans, 3 month goals, etc.

The difference is that one business is doing well, and one was avoiding calls from collection agencies. The Scriptures say, "Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety" and "For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety." (Prov. 11:14, 24:6)

6. Get more training! It's the same reason that you hire a mentor: you don't know everything. So, when you think you know something, take another course on it. When you're an expert salesman, go to a seminar on 'closing the sale,' when you're an expert at roofing take a 'Top of the House' training class from Owens Corning. Never stop learning.

7. Frame it and hang it. Let others know about all this training that you've been getting.

I used to find it distasteful when I'd walk into someone's office and see a bunch of plaques on the wall. How egotistical, I thought. How self-promoting. Now, with my new boss, I've seen that he doesn't have to brag - the plaques do the talking for him. They are hanging in the foyer, and they say that he is a professional, he is well-trained, and he is knowledgeable.

The plaques are there to make sure nobody misunderstands his goofy side.

There are other lessons: Give the hourly employee opportunities to make more money (rewards and incentives), Give to charities and poor people, Spend more time on the hiring process so you don't have to fire them later on, Invest back into the business, and, Say, 'No' when you don't want the job, even if it will make you money.



What lessons have you learned from your job?

Labor Not to be Rich

Proverbs 23:4 gives some excellent advice for acquiring wealth. It says, "Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom."

We've seen that wealth is the fruit of a wise life, but we are to seek the root, not the fruit. Now, we see that laboring to get rich is the WRONG way to get rich. It seems like the right thing to do, but , as Solomon says, cease from thine own wisdom.

A study was done on a group of business owners. Some were in business because they loved what they were doing, some because they were very good at what they were doing, and some were in business for altruistic reasons - they enjoyed helping others through their business. Of these small business owners, 80% were still in business (and doing well) five years later.

Another group of business owners were in the business just to make a profit. They were laboring to be rich. They were more easily disenchanted. They made wrong business decisions, such as not investing in the 'ambiance' that customers enjoy because they viewed it as an unnecessary investment. The result? Only 20% were in business five years later.

What does this mean to us? God wants us to prosper. He also knows that life usually operates upside-down to how we think it operates, so he gives us instructions to help us out.

Listen to him. Enjoy your business. Be passionate, and others will be drawn to you.


What do you think?

The Universe is For Me

In Psalm 56:9, we find the declaration, "for God is for me." And Romans 8:31 ask, " If God be for us, who can be against us?"

God is on my side. The Creator is on my side. The One who yields all the power of the universe is on my side.

Think about that!


If the Creator is on my side, how could his creation be against me? If the Creator favors me, then certainly circumstances favor me! The universe blesses me because it is the tool of the Creator who blesses me.

"He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8:32) "For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us." (2 Cor. 1:20)

All created things work together for my good, because the Creator of all things is FOR me!

God Will Do Anything for His Glory

God answers the prayer that accomplishes his will, that pleases him. For this reason, it seems easier to believe God for things when I'm teaching a Sunday school class, or being otherwise preoccupied with my Father's business. It also seems easier to have faith that God will provide things like the financial support for a short term missionary trip.

But God is not selfish. God gave his own Son to die on the Cross for us. That is, he put our wishes above his own. And that led me to this thought:

God is even MORE APT to do that which blesses us than he is to do those things that please himself.

Romans 8:32, "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?"

Wow. How does that affect your view of an abundant life?

Your Grace is Enough

I just heard a song on the radio:

♪ Your grace is enough. Your grace is enough. Your grace is enough for me. ♫




As I listened, I found myself disagreeing. I don't think that grace is enough, if by 'enough' you mean 'all there is.' There is a sense in which I used to view grace as an end unto itself, a finish line - once you're saved, you're done. Period. How many Christians are chained to their chairs by the lackadaisical, energy-sucking belief that they have received grace, but that they are not free to follow their hearts' desires?

Grace is not supposed to be the end, it is supposed to be the beginning. Grace unshackles us so that we can run, reach and strive for an abundant life. It is the gunshot that signals the start of the race. It is the door flying open before the thoroughbred. It is freedom, and it is rocket fuel.

I first came across the concept of empowerment when I worked for Sears in the '80's. My manager told me that I was allowed to make decisions that affected customers, and that there were no wrong decisions; that is, I would not be reprimanded in any way as long as I did what I thought was best. To be sure, I didn't believe him at first. There was no way that he was giving that kind of freedom and power to the lowest man on the totem pole. But he was! And, it gave me confidence and strength to know that he was! It made me a better employee.

Empowerment. That's grace. The freedom from failure. The freedom to achieve. Grace is enough. But, it is not meant to be the end. It is not meant to lock you into a pew or a ministry. It is meant to free YOU, not make you a clone. So reach, strive, and reign in life.

Attempt. Succeed. Rejoice!




I welcome your thoughts and comments. :)

No Future, No Hope

I remember watching a show where some folks were hypnotized into believing that they either had no past or no future. Those with no past were able to function normally; they just didn't remember anything before the day of being hypnotized. However, those who had their future removed from them, immediately sank into depression. Their hope was gone, and so was their drive to accomplish anything.

In the Bible, Paul told us that 'evil communications corrupt good manners.' He was specifically referring to the heresy which states that there is no resurrection from the dead, and he logically explained how such a belief would lead to a corruption of right living.

Evil communications do corrupt good manners. In my opinion, the belief that the Lord Jesus could come back at any moment robs the believer of his future. I know, I've been there. I've sat in the pew and heard the sermons and songs tell me over and over that I have no certain future on this earth. I know young men who didn't go to college because, well, why bother? I myself have felt that way ~ Hopeless.

I personally don't hold to the very prevalent heresy which is known today as the imminent (i.e., could happen at any time) pre-tribulation rapture of the church. I used to, but then I spent over six months of intense research into both sides of this issue, and I came to the conclusion that it is not a biblical doctrine. Over the past five years, I have only become more convinced.

In order to be successful, you have to believe that you can set a goal, and that you have time to reach that goal.

What do you believe about your future?

Seen or Unseen

Is the real you your body? your soul? your spirit? When this body dies do you die? Or, do you go on living somewhere?

Are you visible or invisible? The real you is invisible. It is unseen. It is eternal. Does the invisible live primarily in the visible world, or the invisible world? Why would you assume that if you are invisible and eternal that your life is primarily lived in the seen world?

Your brain does not connect you with the unseen world; it connects you with the seen world. Your body is a vessel that transports the interface by which you (the invisible) connect with this world (the visible). Your brain is a lens through which the invisible you is able to see, feel, hear, smell and touch this world.

Your words ~ Are they visible or invisible? Invisible. Certainly the sound, the movement of air is visible, but your words are also powerful. They are unseen. They are creative. They begin in the invisible world and are completed in the visible world. They cross the bridge between thought and manifestation.

Is the Law of Attraction simply the invisible part of you operating in the invisible world to affect the visible world?

What do you think?

Seek the Root, Not the Fruit

If you want to have a bountiful harvest of apples, improve the health of your apple tree. Create the condition for a bountiful crop, and you'll get a bountiful crop. It's not about what you do to the branches, it's what you do to the root. It's not about polishing the apples, it's about feeding the foundation. One is superficial, the other is vital.

According to the book of Proverbs, wisdom is the principle thing. Wisdom and understanding are the root of a good life. Financial success is simply the fruit of wisdom and understanding. If you spend all your time pursuing the fruit, and ignore the root, then your crop will never increase.

Wisdom is seeing the REALITY of life. It is not found in what you think is going on, or what you hope is going on, it is reality from God's point of view; it is what is actually happening in your life. When you see things as they really are, you can take responsibility for them, and fix them. This is why the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

And, why it is so necessary to a bumper crop of fruit.



Are you working on the root or the fruit in your life? Let me know!

Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?

It's so simple that a child can do it.

If you'd like to know the root cause behind something, ask yourself why five times.

The car broke down.
Why?
The alternator died.
Why?
The belt broke.
Why?
It wore out.
Why?
I didn't replace it in time.
Why?
I didn't keep a log book.

Ta da! You now have an action step to prevent this from happening again! Note that your action step came after you took responsibility: "I didn't replace it in time" and "I didn't keep a log book."

Behind every problem is a root cause, and behind every root cause is something that you can do once you take responsibility.

So, ask yourself, 'Why?'