Life Articles

Simple rules to becoming your own sales superstar.

2011-11-14T00:45:00.000-08:00

As a business owner, you're in sales whether you think so or not. Every day you have to sell yourself and your product or service to grow your business. If you're not sure you have the personality to succeed in selling, consider these 13 simple rules to create a superstar sales mindset.

1. Stay hungry. Every good salesperson I've ever encountered is driven. They have a strong work ethic and a high energy level. They work harder and longer than their peers. When the economy is poor, they are still out there pounding the pavement, making calls.

2. Never compromise your integrity. I've always believed that telling the truth is the best policy. In business, especially today, it's a must. A few years back, the Forum Corporation in Boston studied 341 salespeople from 11 different companies in five different industries. Their purpose was to determine what separated the top producers from the average producers. When the study was finished, the results were startling. It was not skill, knowledge or charisma that divided the pack. The difference came down to one trait: honesty. When customers trust salespeople, they buy from them.

3. Stay positive. Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude. Success is 90 percent mental. You can alter your life by altering your mind. In tough economies, it may not be your fault for being down, but it is certainly your fault for not getting up. You have to be a believer to be an achiever.

4. Be authoritative. Sales superstars know their products backward and forward. They also know their competitors' products and are prepared to point out the differences.

5. Get prepared. I still remember the old Boy Scout motto, "Be prepared." Well, it's true. It takes a lot of unspectacular preparation to produce spectacular results.

6. Mind your reputation. You can't buy a good reputation -- you must earn it. If you don't have a positive reputation, it will be difficult to be successful in whatever you do.

7. Be genuine. I have never known anyone to buy from someone they don't like. Likability matters. Are you genuine? Pleasant? Easy to talk with?

8. Put your best foot forward. You never get a second chance to make a good first impression. Are you neat and well groomed? Underdressed or overdressed?

9. Set goals. Winners set goals; losers make excuses. Goals give you more than a reason to get up in the morning; they are an incentive to keep you going all day. They must be measurable, identifiable, obtainable, specific -- and put them in writing.

10. Become a customer-service fanatic. I've often said the sale begins when the customer says yes. Good salespeople make sure the job gets done on time— and done right. There's one thing no business has enough of: customers. Take care of the customers you've got, and they'll take care of you. You must have a fanatical attention to detail.

11. Remember to listen. You can't learn anything with your mouth open. For too many people, good listening means, "I talk, you listen." Listening is a two- way process. Yes, you need to be heard, but you also need to hear others' ideas, questions and objections. If you talk at people instead of with them, they're not buying in -- they're caving in.

12. Keep it all in perspective. It is impossible to underrate the importance of a sense of humor. When there are inevitable setbacks along the way, learn to laugh about them.

13. Develop a thirst for self-improvement. You don't go to school once for a lifetime. You are in school all your life. Sales superstars are constantly working to become better. They take courses, read books, listen to audiotapes and inhale everything they can to improve.

Bottom Line: A salesperson tells, a good salesperson explains… and a sales superstar demonstrates.

Adapted excerpt from The Mackay MBA of Selling in the Real World by Harvey Mackay (Portfolio Penguin, Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 2011).

Dealing With Stress

2010-08-31T07:04:00.000-07:00

Feeling anxious, weighted down? Feel like you just can't deal with the stress around you? Wishing the things that cause you to feel this way would just go away? Well, there's good news and bad news.

First the bad news - some of the things causing your stress are here for the long term. Others will go away, but be replaced by new distressing things.

Now the good news - even though you can't escape the fact that there will always be some stressor in your life, there are some basic things you can do to put yourself in a good position to handle stress that comes your way. And you can do your best to not be the source of your own stress!

1 - Get enough sleep

Something as simple as getting to bed at a decent hour is a great start. Recognize how much sleep you need to function well. Stress can cause a lack of sleep. Relax for a while before going to bed (and don't go to be right after watching the news). Caffeine and alcohol before bed are among the most common causes of insomnia. If you have health complications or are on medication, your doctor may be able to prescribe a different medication that won't interfere with sleep.

2 - Eat a healthy diet

Nutrition and stress are related. The greater the stress you're facing, the more good nutrition you need. Protein, B vitamins, C and A vitamins, magnesium are depleted when the body is in the fight or flight mode brought on by stress. Skipping meals, eating junk foods, having excessive caffeine can actually contribute to stress by making you feel worse. Poor eating habits lead to blood sugar issues, lowered immune system, and that "drained" feeling. Eat healthy snacks of fresh fruits and veggies along with healthy meals and a balanced nutritional supplement. You'll feel more energized and you will help yourself have the stamina to fight back at all the stress you encounter during your day.

3 - Underbook yourself

You need time to recover from daily stresses. Plan less things for yourself to do in a day. If you regularly plan 10 things and you're feeling overstressed, then start to plan 5 things a day for yourself instead. Learn to say "no". Watch your stress level decrease!

4 - Take a break

Do something fun. Laugh. It reduces the flow of stress hormones. It's amazing how a brisk 10-minute walk clears your head and gives you a fresh outlook. A 10-minute nap has been associated with increased energy, motivation, alertness, and concentration. Taking a break is not being lazy! You're refreshing your mind. You're relieving stress. Enjoy a good break every couple hours.

5 - Exercise

Exercise is one of the best ways to relieve stress. The more stressed you are, the greater the amount of exercise you need. When you exercise, mood-elevating endorphins are released into the blood stream. Break a sweat. You'll feel great. As the blood flow to the brain increases, it will "wash out the cobwebs". In addition, exercise promotes restful sleep.

6 - Declutter your space

Clutter reminds us of all we need to do. It gets worse as we waste precious minutes plowing through it to find our keys and important papers. Try setting a kitchen timer for 15 minutes, pick a spot and clean it up the best you can in that time. Stop when the timer goes off and plan to do the same tomorrow. Having a tidy environment is a great stress reliever.

7 - Pay your bills on time

Avoid the stress of late notices, extra charges, and your credit record being jeopardized. It takes a little organizing, so have a specific place to put all bills and pay bills every 2 weeks. Be sure to record in your checkbook and keep your checkbook up to date.

8 - Stop procrastinating

That means stop putting off till later what you need to be doing now. You know the end result of procrastination - feelings of guilt, inadequacy = increased stress levels.

Determine why you're procrastinating. Feeling overwhelmed by a project? Try doing little bits at a time. Are you avoiding something because it's unpleasant? Just do it! Waiting for just the right time? It usually doesn't come.

Fear of failure (or even success)? Visualize a good out come. Feel the need to be perfect? Set a deadline, do your best, and realize that your 80% could be someone elses' 100%! You'll always feel better when you do it and have one less thing on your mind.
9 - Think the best

When you expect bad things to happen, you are programming yourself to feel anxious, actually attracting and bringing on bad experiences. This can bring out the worst in you and in others. Choose the opposite. Believe good things are going to happen. You will attract good things. Of course, bad things happen to everyone, but keep looking for the good. You usually find what you look for.

Set your mind on things that are beautiful, noble, happy. Have a grateful attitude. In the worst of affairs, there's always something to be grateful for. Look for that. Say to yourself "Something good is going to happen to me!" Expect that to be true!

10 - Get help for life issues that are out of control

When life stresses are getting to an unhealthy level, seek help, buy a book on the subject, look it up on the internet, talk to a counselor, pastor, ask a friend for help, get professional help.

A certain amount of stress is normal. An unhealthy stress level over a period of time takes its toll on your body. How you prepare for facing stress and how you deal with it is the key. You might be surprised at how just a couple of life style changes can make all the difference in your stress level.

Responding To The Current And Future Financial Crisis.

2010-07-21T06:39:00.000-07:00

Whether we believe it or not the world is already in financial downturn and its going to get worse. But as children of God, we are not expected to react the way the world does to happenings around us. We are supposed to have a different attitude from the world. We should not forget that though we are in the world, we are not of the world. The world reacts in fear but we are expected as children of God to face every challenge in faith knowing fully well that God, who has promised never to leave us nor forsake us, is able to keep us, protect us and bring us out of any situation that we find ourselves. The bible says the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptatations... 2Pet 2:9. This is the time to get closer to God, get in His word, seek His face to discover what his mind is for you this season. The bible says without vision, the people perish. When there is no revelation, where there is no light from heaven, people will not know what to do. But when we hear from heaven, now we can act appropriately. We can live in assurance and not in fear knowing fully well that God is able to do what he has said and we will not be afraid of a thing. Now is time to be intimate with the Lord. Listen to what he has to say. Otherwise we will be no different from the world the way we approach issues and that will be far from God's expectation for us as his children.

I have listed below some steps you can take to handle the current and the future financial crisis that's coming upon the world. Please go through them and wait on God to receive more revelations and insights that will help you position yourself appropriately.

i) Do not fear, but prepare. Wait on God and he will speak to you personally.

ii) Get closer to God;

iii) Maintain Your relationship with the Lord, pray, read your bible, observe your quiet time, dont jump out of church, attend church meetings and fellowship regularly and diligently, keep getting your spirit edified on daily basis;

iv) Dont stop paying your tithes and giving your offerings; its a big trap of the devil.

iv) Dont stop giving to the poor; dont get stingy

iv) Dont stop supporting the work of God;

v) Work hard and work smart. Be creative.

vi) Cut down unnecessary expenses;

vii) Wisely invest the little you have: Carefully examine where you can invest your money into; do a market research, be patient, search for information; ask questions, pray, look well before you leap. Keep your money until you can find a meaningful venture to get involved in.

viii) Look for more ways you can create wealth; this page will help you;

ix) Pay up all your debts, credit cards and stop borrowing. Expect God to supply all your needs according to his riches in glory;

x) Dont live or stop living above your means, which ever is the case;

xi) Stop spending on liabilities and frivolities - things that do not add real value to your life. New car, new house, new clothes, new shoes etc. Stop spending on things that you really do not need;

xii) Avoid wastes by all means;

xiii) Improve yourself; increase your marketability; increase your usefulness; train more , study more, keep making yourself more relevant on daily basis;

xiv) Be at the right place at the right time; doing the right thing;

xv) Showcase your skills, talents, gifts and abilities;

xvi) Advertise your products and make it more readily available, God will grant you favour with buyers and they will be favourably disposed to buying from you in Jesus name.

xvii) Hook up with the right people, organisations and establishments;

xviii) Spend your time wisely. Look for and make good use of every opportunity that comes your way.

xix) Track your progress and monitor your performance on daily basis to see how you are fairing, check to see if you are achieving the goals you have set for yourself. Be ready to discipline yourself and realign yourself to your goals.

xx) Keep your christian testimony and integrity. Be an example of a believer in all your conversations and dealings with fellow men. Keep developing spiritual fruits. Let the world glorify God because of you.

xxi) Above all, trust in God with all your heart. Don't lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and He shall direct your path. Prov 3 : 5-6. Put Him first in all that you do. But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers as it is this day. Deut 8:18
Expect him to guide you, to lead you to the right people, the right places, the right activities.

Possessions, Progress and Godly Success

2010-07-20T02:26:00.000-07:00

Can a healthy relationship exist between material goods and God's kingdom? What does plastic, metal and glass have to do with accomplishing God's goals? Is it possible to possess things and yet not be drunk with love for them?

Many will go so far as to admit that God does not need man-made devises, no matter how much they facilitate our daily functionality. But how is this knowledge useful for daily living?

The most useful answer for us churchgoing Americans is: Our stuff is nothing more than a means to God's ends. The most useless answer is to compare ourselves with other people throughout the world until we feel so bad about ourselves that we do nothing. Some might even be misguided enough to try and manufacture humility in themselves by arbitrarily selling or giving their stuff away. So it goes that money issues seem straightforward enough and yet questions involving material goods confound and dismay most churchgoing Americans.

As long as we maintain a hopeful, eternal perspective in Christ, we can confidently put material possessions in their appropriate, negligible places. They are disposable means at best. Physical things, including our own bodies, will only turn back into the dust from which they came. Even this dust will be consumed by a heavenly fire someday.

In Christ, there is an eternally wise and spiritually effective way to deal with material things.

Average Americans are hopelessly dependent on the idea of owning certain things. Both churched and un-churched folk have been known to take out a second job just to pay for the car that they need to drive to their second job.

Even apart from unreasonable excess, many single people as well as responsible parents seem to be caught in a monetary catch-22. They are told that they are rich, but that statement is neither reassuring nor helpful for making legitimate ends meet.

Therefore, a reassurance that Americans and many westerners need is that, riches or no riches, neither one guarantees virtue in God's eyes. There are virtuous rich people, and there are blasphemous poor people.

Trying really hard to be a good Christian is good, but freedom to obey Christ in every circumstance is better.

God, who created all things, is free from any material dependency. So also, because we are an extension of Christ, we can enjoy a similar freedom no matter how little-faiths may multiply and swarm all around.

If we seek Christ, then our goal has nothing to do with man-made inventions or goals. But rather, our goal is to conform ourselves to Christ's example, who lives and breathes confidence in God. We should live after the manner of Christ, who always trusts the Father, in comfort and in discomfort, in life and in death.

If Christ looks to God the Father to procure His heavenly success, then how much more should we mortals depend on God! Just as God has endorsed Christ's ministry on earth from the beginning 'til now, so also we, as Christ's followers, should depend on heavenly endorsement for our earthly lives.

Jesus only spoke as the Father told Him to speak, therefore Christ's words are still more powerful than anyone else's ever. And Jesus only acted as the Father commanded, the fruit of which is the most ground-breaking, world-redeeming life that has ever been lived. Therefore, if we surrender ourselves to Him then He might make our humble lives spiritually ground-breaking both in this world and in the world to come. And this is all to God's credit.

As we fellowship with God, His Spirit will teach us to adopt the worldview of Christ, who saw divine opportunities in raging, natural storms as well as in the whining, little tempests of men. He fed the hungry masses with physical food in order to point them back toward Himself, our Spiritual Food. He even trusted the Father to redeem the most gruesome tool of death that men could concoct and make it into a symbol of heavenly hope for His people forever.

God's Millionnairs!

2010-07-20T02:13:00.000-07:00

And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold." Gen. 13:2

"He listened to, and obeyed God." Gen. 12:1-4

"He honored God, who prospered him." Gen. 12:7

"He was generous, and avoided strife." Gen. 13:5-9

"He was compassionate toward others." Gen. 18:24-33
Solomon understood the principals of prosperity. He was one of the richest men who ever lived. His proverbs reveal many truths regarding finances.

"Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the first fruits of all thine increase: so thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst forth with new wine." Proverbs 3:9-10

"He who gives to the poor will not want, but he who hides his eyes [from their want] will have many a curse." Proverbs 28:27 AMP

But in order to have true riches, the motive of your heart must be pure, to bless others and establish God's covenant.

"And beware lest you say in your [mind and] heart, my power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth. But you shall earnestly remember the Lord your God, for it is He Who gives you power to get wealth that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day." Deuteronomy 8:17-18 AMP

God does indeed want to be involved in our finances. Most Christians who are defeated in their finances are defeated because they believe and confess the words of the enemy, and those words hold them in bondage. What we believe and speak affects the natural world, including our finances. God has given us His Word so that we can understand these spiritual laws. When you work with these laws, they work for you. When you work against God's spiritual laws, they work against you.

When you speak negatively about your financial situation, you have what you say and believe. Here is a very important spiritual law: You can have what you say. With your words you can choose life or death, poverty or riches, sickness or health. You may tithe 10%, work hard, and pray for prosperity every day, but if your words are negative and contrary to God's Word, you could stay in debt, struggling to make ends meet.

Words are powerful, but God's Word is full of creative power. When you agree with what God has said about you, speaking His Word, your circumstances will begin to change and line up with His Will for your life.

As I give, it is given unto me, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over. Luke 6:38.

My God makes all grace abound toward me in every favor and earthly blessing, so that I have all sufficiency for all things and I abound to every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8.

I am blessed in the city, blessed in the field, blessed coming in, and blessed going out, my laying down, my rising up. I am blessed in the basket and blessed in my bank accounts, investments, health, and relationships; they flourish. The blessings of the Lord overtake me in all areas of my life and I receive them. Deut 28:1-14.

I am like a tree planted by rivers of water. I bring forth fruit in my season, my leaf shall not wither, and whatever I do will prosper. Psalms 1:3.

The blessings of the Lord makes truly rich, and He adds no sorrow with it. Proverbs 10:22

The Lord has opened unto me His good treasure and blessed the work of my hands. He has commanded the blessing upon me in my storehouse and all that I undertake. Deuteronomy 28:8 and 12.

God delights in my prosperity. He gives me power to get wealth that He may establish His covenant upon the earth. Deuteronomy 8:18, 11:12

God has given me all things that pertain to life and godliness, and I am well able to possess all that God has provided for me. Numbers 13:30, 2 Peter 1:3-4.

I delight myself in the Lord, and He gives me the desires of my heart. Psalms 37:4.

The Lord rebukes the devourer for my sake, and no weapon that is formed against me will prosper. All obstacles and hindrances to my prosperity are now dissolved. Malachi 3:10-11; Isaiah 54:17.

The Lord is my shepherd, and I do not want. Jesus came that I might have life and have it more abundantly. Psalms 23:1; John 10:10.

SPIRITUAL WAREFAR....

2010-07-19T09:23:00.000-07:00

Ephesians 6:10-17

Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world's rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having the utility belt of truth buckled around your waist, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having fitted your feet with the preparation of the Good News of peace; above all, taking up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

No battle was ever won without courage, perseverance, and strength. This is the challenge before us. In Ephesians six, Paul calls us to be strong in the Lord. He calls us to understand the nature of our enemy, those wicked spirits in high places who lie behind the insoluble problem of human evil. He calls us to put on our armor and “stand firm against the schemes of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11); only those who put on the full armor of God can resist the advances of the demonic forces of Satan in the “evil day.” While the entire world is oppressed by the powers of evil, only Christians struggle against those powers. This is the consistent teaching throughout the Bible. The Bible indicates that all human beings are victims of these invisible forces, but only believers can resist them.

The Bible tells us that the world has fallen under the control of Satan. What does the Bible mean by the world? It is not the world created by God. The world the Bible speaks of is the world of organized human society, which has fallen under the control of Satan. As dwellers of this world, humanity is trapped within the domain of the evil one, and there is no possibility of escape apart from an intervention from without. There can be no threat from within to Satan's control. The reason for the continual failure to escape the domain of the evil one is the methods men and women employ to correct evils and wrongs. Human methods of reform fail because they do not come to grips with the essential problem. In all our efforts to correct the evil in the world, we fail to solve the problems when the power of Satan is ignored.

We fail to solve the problems in the world and correct the evil because of the methods we use to solve the problems that are a source of the evil in the world. We fail to solve the problems of the world because our number one method to solve the problems is reforms. The sources behind the human reforms that have failed to solve the problems in the world are the legislation, educational systems, and environmental reforms. The legislation has failed to solve the problems because they use the law in an attempt to control the behavior of the sinful men and women. The law deals with the outward behavior of sinful men and women, however, the law alone can do nothing to alter the inward man. It does not change the basic nature of man but merely restricts him under certain conditions.
The educational systems of the world have failed to solve the problems of the world. The Bible tells us we are all born into this world with a sinful nature. The educational systems do not address the sinful nature. Education does not change the nature of a man or woman it only makes him or her more clever, and potentially more destructive. An improved environment does not change a person either. When you take a man out of the slums, for example, and put him into a nicer environment, you do absolutely nothing to the man himself. In a little while, he will make that new environment the slum as well. So taking a man out of the slums does not necessarily take the slums out of the man. This is not to say that these reforms have no value. We should have laws for the sake of an orderly society. We should have education for the sake of a literate and effective society. In addition, we should improve the living conditions of all men and women, for the sake of a just, compassionate, and decent society. However, let us not make the mistake of thinking that these reforms will lead us to a society of love and unity. None of these reforms has the power to transform human nature. None of them can counteract the invisible spiritual forces that are at war against us.

That is why the proclaiming of the Gospel message is the good news men and women under attack by the demonic forces of Satan need to hear. That is why Christians are perfectly justified by the Word of God when they say there is no other answer to the problems in this world and the existing evil. Many people say that there are many roads to God, that it does not matter what you believe or who you believe in, as long as you are sincere. However, only one who has come into the world capable of breaking the power of this darkness set us free from the evil one's dominion and domination, His name is Jesus. No one can come to God the Father and to freedom from the dominion of the evil one, except through Jesus alone (John 14:6). There is no other. Only He has the power to invade the devil's domain and liberate people so that they can become the cherished, prized possessions of God.

The writers of Scripture make this clear. Paul tells us, “The god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers” (2 Corinthians 4:4 NASB). Paul's letter to the Romans, opens with the same basic thought that human beings in their darkened state, under the dominion of the evil one, have engaged in all manner of evil practices, leaving God no choice but to give them what they demand (Romans 1:28). Paul suggests that the great hatred we see exhibited against God and His gospel does not come from the uneducated but from the educated: "Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools" (Romans 1:22), and so they "exchanged the truth of God for a lie" (Romans 1:25 NASB).

Paul himself was chosen as an apostle to the Gentiles, and in a dramatic conversion experience on the road to Damascus, he said to the Lord whom he saw in His glory, “Who are you, Lord?” Jesus replied, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles to whom I am sending you to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the dominion of Satan to God” (Acts 26:15-18 MASB).

This is the principal purpose of the gospel. If we try to apply it first to social concerns, we only reveal how far we have mistaken its purpose. The gospel will ultimately find its way into the social condition of humanity, because the gospel of Jesus Christ is pervasive. However, the gospel must first make its impact on this basic problem of human life. Humanity is in the grip of an evil power, and we are helpless to free ourselves from bondage to that power by our own strength. The only one who can deliver us from it is Jesus Christ. He has already done this in His death on the cross and through the power and glory of His resurrection.

When a person trusts in Christ and commits himself to Christ, he discovers that the gospel becomes real and practical in his own experience. This is what we call conversion. However, conversion is only the beginning of the battle. Very soon, a new Christian becomes aware of the evil forces at work to destroy him. If he goes no farther in his new life than to believe his sins are forgiven, he will remain in bondage to those sins, living a life of conflict and frustration. However, the battle is fought on the ground that we have been delivered from the dominion of darkness that we have been brought out of the power of Satan and into the kingdom of God. It is not possible to take a neutral stance. Jesus says there is no neutrality. “He who is not with me is against me.” A person who does not receive total deliverance is still under the bondage and control of the dark powers of Satan. There are no exceptions. That is why Christ is the crisis of history. He spoke of Himself that way as the divider of humanity. As He looks at human beings, there are only two groups. There are those who are wholly with Him because they are of Him they have received Him, they know Him, they love Him, and they partake in His life. In addition, there are those who are against Him. “He who is not with me is against me.”

There is one thing that reveals whether you are with Jesus or against Him; the influence of your life. Jesus Christ has come into the world to gather the adopted children of God. His is a gathering influence, breaking down divisions, binding hearts together, reuniting families, making people live together in harmony, breaking down the barriers of race, healing wounds, bringing nations together, drawing men, women, and children to Himself.

The great question of your life and mine is, “What is the essential character of life? Is it self-centeredness or self-giving? Are you with Christ or against him? Are you gathering with him in a healing, wholesome ministry or are you a divisive force in your family, your church, or your neighborhood? Do you split people up or bring people together? Is your family drawing closer to faith in Christ because of your example? On the other hand, are they turned away by the example you set? Do your children and spouse see Christ living in you or see only you, your demands, your ill-temper, your pettiness, and your selfishness? These are crucial questions that each of us must answer.

The question you and I must ask is, “Am I a victor, or a victim?” In our own strength, we are helpless to escape the dominion of the evil one. We are not free. We are not able to carry out our own decisions, except in a limited area, and this illusion of freedom makes us imagine that we are free, unrestrained individuals. The Bible tells us that apart from Christ we are under the unbroken influence of an evil force that influences our thoughts and reactions. The only way of escape is through the One who has come to destroy the works of the devil.

Consider Your Ways

2010-07-19T09:17:00.000-07:00

The Lord commands the people through Haggai to quit worrying about their own houses and get the temple – His house – rebuilt. “By means of a specific instance (the rebuilding of the temple), the book of Haggai is a relevant and timeless book on the need to put God's work first in one's life. For the prophet's society, rebuilding the temple would be the visible sign of the people's determination to put God first.” [ESV Study Bible, p. 1743]

The Old Testament temple was a building, a physical place. There was Solomon’s magnificent temple and Herod’s temple that Jesus knew, destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. We can also include the portable Tabernacle with Moses in the wilderness. For Christian believers, however, there is no special building or particular location for the temple. For us the temple is a spiritual construction.

About Himself, Jesus says: “I tell you, something greater than the temple is here” [Matt. 12:6] (All Scripture quotations from ESV)

Paul tells the Athenians: “The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man.” [Ac. 17:24]

Paul tells the Corinthian church: “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? . . . God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.” [1 Cor. 3:16,17]

Paul further asks the Corinthians: “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?” [1 Cor. 6:19a]

Paul tells the Ephesians—“In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.” [Eph. 2:22]

What shall we say then? The universal church of Jesus Christ and each of us as individual believers is the temple, God’s house. God resides in us everywhere and always. But what have we done with Him?

In Haggai the Lord asks: “Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it not as nothing in your eyes?” [Hag. 2:3]

Anyone 65 or 70 years old might remember when America was still nominally a Christian nation, with our “house” in reasonable repair. We recited the Lord’s Prayer, sang some hymns, and observed the real Christmas and Easter, not the winter solstice and the vernal equinox. Today, of course, a teacher would be fired and a student suspended or expelled for practicing what was once customary. The church no longer signifies. Jesus Himself no longer signifies. The worst is celebrated. The best is suffocated. Kids cannot share Jesus in public schools, but they can learn to put condoms on cucumbers and get pregnancy (abortion?) “counseling” if they forget how. Employees cannot share Jesus in the workplace, but they can lie, cheat and steal for the bottom line or for some political cutthroat.

In the August 1999 issue of American Family Association Journal, AFA President Don Wildmon wrote a quiet, but scathing indictment titled “That’s What Christians Do Now.” In it he outlines some of the major cultural outrages against Christian morality including abortion, pornography, no-fault divorce, homosexuality, illegitimacy, gambling and the dumbing down of the schools and TV. The article is spiced throughout with the refrain: “Me? I go to church, the minister preaches, I go home. That’s what Christians do now.” And he concludes, “[D]on’t blame me, I didn’t do anything.” You can find the complete article at the Journal. The pews are full; the people are empty. Most of us didn’t do anything and have not done anything to advance God’s house if it meant any personal risk. What did Jesus do? What did Paul do? What did the martyrs do? What part of “Go, teach and make disciples” don’t we understand? Scripture says we will be persecuted and hated anyway.

Here is a headline pulled from today’s newspaper, albeit written 2,600 years ago: “You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.” [Hag. 1:6]

Sound anything like our economy today? Could it be because we have forgotten God, put Jesus on the sidelines, and turned everything over to the atheist, secular humanists? Suppose we had kept the temple in good repair and followed the Christian virtues of honesty and thrift all along? Things might look a bit different. And talk about a bag with holes, I give you Washington, DC and Sacramento, CA. There’s more hole than bag. Is anybody on a fixed income? How do you like us so far? It helps to understand a distinction: charity is when you give voluntarily; altruism is when others take it out of your pocket and give it to whom they please, usually to get votes or pamper special interests.

Furthermore, says the Lord: “You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the Lord of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house.” [Hag. 1:9] Looks like the Israelites suffered an economic downturn also, but it was clearly the judgment of God. We know because He says so Himself. Some, if not many, will argue that our current disastrous condition is the judgment of God. There is really no way for us mere mortals to know for sure, but consider – God is omnipotent. He can make things happen or He can just allow things to happen, particularly when we are doing it to ourselves. Draw your own conclusions.

God created everything by speaking it into existence. Certainly he could have spoken a new temple into existence for Haggai’s people and He could do it for us. But, no. He wanted them, and He wants us to work for it, in spite of our prayers for some miraculous intervention. Why do we pray for things we should be doing for ourselves? “Work, for I am with you, declares the Lord of hosts” [Hag. 2:4b] Hark back to Ezra and Nehemiah and see how difficult it was in that day. It will be difficult for us, too. Nobody wants to be hated. It is easier to go along and get along, to show our toleration. However, the ABCs of “tolerance” in America these days amount to Anything But Christian.

“’Thus says the Lord of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.’”[Hag. 1:2] That was then, this is now. Guess what? Same, same. It really is time for us to get busy rebuilding our temple. Unfortunately, the kinder gentler, GAGA, personal piety brand of Christianity won’t get it done. We need up close and personal, in-your-face Christianity, using all the resources allowed us by Scripture and the First Amendment to the Constitution.

Like those in Nehemiah’s day working on the wall, we need to keep the trowel in one hand and the sword in the other.

The true expression of love proves, it is better to give than to receive.

2010-07-19T09:12:00.000-07:00

We can give with out loving, but we can't love without giving.The true expression of love proves, it is better to give than to receive. Heavenly Father is a great Giver, He loved us so much, He gave His only beloved Son to save the prodigal sons from perishing loveless. Lord Jesus is a Great Giver, He loved us so much, He gave Himself for us through His sacrifice to redeem us from becoming lifeless.

Christ has bought us with a price by first demonstrating His everlasting Love for us. The true expression of our worship is a demonstration of our love for the One who first loved us. True worshippers who love Christ so much become great givers through imitating God the Father who blessed us.

As the deer pants for the streams of water, the heart of the Bride craves for Christ Her soul Lover. She constantly deny herself and thankfully give herself to Christ, her faith's Author and Finisher. Her living sacrifice through self denial and mind renewal she kisses the Son and pleases the Abba Father.

With her eyes till she see the King of Glory she cry Holy Holy Holy!!!
Draw me to you Holy, wash me with your word and make me worthy.
Take me with You and kiss me with the kisses of Your mouth and make me holy.
May my whole spirit, soul and body unite with you and remain spotless eternally.

Amen, let's hurry!!!

Are you interested? Then, "Listen, O daughter, give attention and incline your ear. Forget your people and your Father's house. Then the King will desire your beauty. Because He is your Lord, bow down to Him". Don't please yourselves any more, honour God and please God for evermore!!! Hallelujah!!!

When To Expect God's Goodness And Blessings In Your Life.

2010-07-19T08:57:00.001-07:00

The Bible is filled with God's promises for you. The question is, when will you see His promises manifest themselves in your own personal life? When can you expect God's promises and blessings to show up at your doorstep?

I am going to give you the answer right now: You can expect all of God's promises every day and every moment of your life. You might receive His gifts and blessings right at this very moment as you read this article.

James 1:17 (New King James)
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

First, God's gifts to you are always good and perfect. God never gives you second class gifts. His gifts will always be good and perfect for you. They will be a blessing to you. They will make you happy. They will increase and prosper you and they will satisfy you in your innermost being.

Secondly, God is eager to poor His blessings and gifts out over you. We read in James that every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
Other translations say: 'who does not change like shifting shadows'.

Now get this! Here is the picture: There is a sundial in the sand. It's a stick in the sand. And as the sun moves from rising to going down, the shadow of the stick turns. There is always a shifting shadow. Except for one time in the day there is NO shadow at all. What time of day is that? It is at high noon. When the sun is at its highest point there is no turning shadow, there is no shadow at all.

God is telling you, that He is always on His peak, the zenith! Rejoice, my friends, because God is ALLWAYS on the highest point. He is always ready to pour His good and perfect gifts and blessing into your life. He is always there! No sunrise and no sundown! He is never too tired to attend to you needs. He is never bothered by your requests! He is never occupied with other important tasks! He is always ready to pour His goodness into your life. Always, every moment of the day.

If I would be preaching this right now, I would make my audience shout a loud Hallelujah!

I want you to expect the goodness of the Lord at any time in your life. No matter what your circumstances are, expect the good and perfect gift from God in your life. Look for them! I am not talking just about the great and extraordinary things. I am talking about every little good thing that happens in your life. It is God pouring out His good gift over you. Be thankful and you will experience more and more of His goodness.

In closing I want you to ponder on the following scriptures that talk about His promises.

2 Corinthians 1:20:
"For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God."
The YES is God's guaranty and your AMEN is you accepting that promise for your life

Romans 11:29:
"For God's gifts (His promises to you) and his call are irrevocable"
They are good forever! There is no expiry date or 'best before' stamp on God's promises.

Psalm 31:19:
"How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you. You lavish it on those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world."
God loves to lavish His goodness on you to show everybody around you that you are His child.

When can you expect God's promises, His gifts and goodness in your life? I pray that by now you are absolutely convinced that you can expect them every moment.
Why don't you make the scripture verses that I shared with you in this article the confession of your faith? Embrace the promises of God on a daily basis.

The prophet Isaiah in chapter 61:1-3 revealed the ministry of our Lord Jesus.

The Year of the LORD's Favour
1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
2 to proclaim the year of the LORD's favour
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendour

Everything that Isaiah wrote about, God is doing for you. When? He will do it at any time because God is always on His highest point, like the sun at high noon. No turning of shadow! No 'buts' and no 'ifs'. God is ready to pour his gifts, blessings and goodness out over you like a gigantic flood.
Are you ready for it? I pray for you that you are.

God's definition of Love..

2010-07-19T08:51:00.000-07:00

The following is an expanded interpretive translation of First Corinthians 13:4-8 from Sparkling Gems From the Greek by Rick Renner.

“Love patiently and passionately bears with others for as long as patience is needed;

Love doesn’t demand others to be like itself; rather, it is so focused on the needs of others that it bends over backwards to become what others need it to be;

Love is not ambitious, self-centered, or so consumed with itself that it never thinks of the needs or desires that others possess;

Love doesn’t go around talking about itself all the time, constantly exaggerating and embellishing the facts to make it look more important in the sight of others;

Love does not behave in a prideful, arrogant, haughty, superior, snooty, snobbish, or clannish manner;

Love is not rude and discourteous – it is not careless or thoughtless, nor does it carry on in a fashion that would be considered insensitive to others;

Love does not manipulate situations or scheme and devise methods that will twist situations to its own advantage;

Love does not deliberately engage in actions or speak words that are so sharp; they cause an ugly or violent response;

Love does not deliberately keep records of wrongs or past mistakes;

Love does not feel overjoyed when it sees an injustice done to someone else but is elated, thrilled, ecstatic, and overjoyed with the truth;

Love protects, shields, guards, covers, conceals, and safeguards people from exposure;

Love strains forward with all its might to believe the very best in every situation;

Love always expects and anticipates the best in others and the best for others;

Love never quits, never surrenders, and never gives up;

Love never disappoints, never fails, and never lets anyone down.”

Wow, what a tall order to fill. However, it is in the Word of God and He says that we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. I believe that the first place we should practice this kind of love, God’s kind of love, is in our homes, with our spouse and children. I have also found that it’s the hardest place. It’s those we are most intimately related to that can offend and hurt us the most. Sometimes it’s much easier to let an offense go when it’s someone we aren’t in that close of a relationship with. But when it comes to those in our very own home, it seems like the most difficult thing in the world to do at times.

James 1:19 (Amplified) says “Understand this, my beloved brethren. Let every man be quick to hear [a ready listener], slow to speak, slow to take offense and get angry”. When someone has offended us, it seems the first thing we want to do is open our mouths. When our spouse or children do something that has offended us, has caused us to feel hurt and become angry, if you’re anything like me, the last thing your flesh wants to do is walk in the God kind of love. If I may be quite honest, more often than not, my first thought isn’t to be patient and kind. I’m so thankful for 2 Corinthians 3:18 (Amplified) which says, “And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [who is] the Spirit. What hope and encouragement there is in that scripture for me. As I continue to behold Him through the Word of God concerning His definition of love in this portion of Scripture in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, I am constantly being transfigured into His image and able to walk in this God kind of love.

When we have been offended by someones actions it is an occasion for us to stumble into sin. One of the definitions of offense in the Strong’s Lexicon #4625, is “occasion to fall”. It is also defined as a “stumbling block”. When we become offended and feel hurt and angry, it is an occasion to fall into the sin of unforgiveness. Then, if we are unwilling to forgive, that unforgiveness turns into bitterness and resentment. Needless to say, these things destroy relationship as well as poison your own soul. They cause divorces, break up of relationships between friends and family. The only way to keep that offense from taking root is to forgive the offense. We are commanded to forgive others as we have been forgiven.

There are times when we are to confront the one who has offended us. Luke 17:3 says, “…If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. There are many times I wish I would have prayed and asked the Lord if I am to speak to someone about an offense that I feel someone has committed against me. If I would have prayed first the Holy Spirit could have given me the right words to say and the right spirit in which to confront that person. When I go to someone with a judgmental attitude it will only stir up more strife. We must remember that we too, have been offensive to others at times. The whole point in going to the one who has offended you is that you might be reconciled, not so you can make sure that other person knows how rotten they treated you and what a low down scoundrel they have been. We must go with a humble attitude, desiring to clear the offense out of the way so that we can be reconciled with that person.

Well, I’ll tell you what I’m going to do. I am going to print 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 and meditate on it until love oozes out of me like honey. How many marriages, friendship, family relationships could be saved if we would love as God has loved us? We will make mistakes, but that’s what repentance and forgiveness have been given to us for. Relationships are the most important thing we have. Material things can be replaced, people can’t. Don’t wait another day to forgive and begin practicing loving as God does.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD FRIEND?

2010-07-19T08:49:00.001-07:00

Everyone needs friends. It is the second most basic relationship in life. Jesus said that the two most important commandments are to love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself. We often experience God's love through the love of a friend. People usually don't care if they have a friend in Jesus until they see that they have a friend in us. Proverbs clearly tells us what makes a good friend - how to develop and maintain meaningful friendships.

We’ll look at some covenant supplement for a good friendly life.

1. Faithfulness. Friends do not desert each other when times are bad.

Proverbs 17:17 - A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

Proverbs 27:10 - Do not forsake your friend and the friend of your father, and do not go to your brother's house when disaster strikes you - better a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.

One of the greatest friendships in the Bible was that of David and Jonathan. When Jonathan's father, King Saul hated David enough to kill him, Jonathan protected David. (Read the story in I Samuel 20:30-33.)

2. Keeping confidences. Friends do not gossip.

Proverbs 16:28 - A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends.

Proverbs 11:13 - A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.

As a friend you'll know details and secrets of your friend's life. Friends do not gossip. Gossip is telling detrimental things about another person to someone who is not a part of the problem or the solution. Friends know when to tell someone else (such as in cases of abuse) and when to keep confidences.

3. Kindness. Friends do not carry jokes or pranks too far.

Proverbs 26:18-19 - Like a madman shooting firebrands or deadly arrows is a man who deceives his neighbor and says, "I was only joking!"

Fathers can help their children by teaching them the difference between a joke or harmless prank and going too far.

4. Do not co-sign for each other. Friends encourage each other to live within their means.

Money is often the cause of bitterness between close friends.

Proverbs 6:1-5 - My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, if you have struck hands in pledge for another, if you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth, then do this my son, to free yourself, since you have fallen into your neighbor's hands: Go and humble yourself; press your plea with your neighbor! Allow no sleep to your eyes, no slumber to your eyelids. Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.

Proverbs 17:18 - A man lacking in judgment strikes hands in pledge and puts up security for his neighbor.

When you co-sign, you accept responsibility for the debts of others. When you co-sign you are enabling your friend to buy something he cannot afford. The Bible calls that "putting up security" or being "surity."

When we were first married, we decided to buy a vacuum cleaner. Even though we had the money to buy it, the salesman told us that we could delay the payment for three months if we put it on credit. We thought that was a good idea. Why pay for it now if we can wait three months? The problem was that they wouldn't qualify us for the payment plan since we didn't have a credit history. Neither of us had ever had a credit card. The salesman suggested that we ask someone to co-sign the loan. So, we asked a Christian friend. Fortunately for us, he knew the teaching of Proverbs better than we did. He showed us these verses and refused to co-sign. We were grateful for the Biblical instruction and bought the vacuum cleaner with cash. Our friend knew what makes a good friend.

It is best to encourage your friends to buy only what they can afford. When someone wants something they can't afford, encourage them to save until they can buy it. If your friend is truly in need, it is better to give them a gift rather than to loan or co-sign.

5. Generosity. Friends do not turn away when their friend is in need.

Proverbs 3:28 - Do not say to your neighbor, "Come back later; I'll give it tomorrow" - when you now have it with you.

We have all been given the same amount of time - 24 hours a day. Even with our busy lives, it amazes me how many people have time to give to their friends. When my wife was sick for a prolonged period of time many friends helped us. They brought in meals, did the ironing, ran errands and prayed for us. Many hours were given. Did they have nothing else to do? Were their days empty? I don't think so. These were acts of friendship.

6. Forgiveness. Friends do not seek revenge.

Proverbs 24:29 - Do not say, "I'll do to him as he has done to me; I'll pay that man back for what he did."

Proverbs 20:22 - Do not say, "I'll pay you back for this wrong!" Wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you.

Our fallen human nature says, "Don't get mad - get even." Jesus says we must forgive - not 7 times, but 70 X 7. Other than Jesus, every friend is imperfect. We must be ready to forgive our friends, just like they have to forgive us.

7. Bringing out the best in each other. Friends do not ask their friends to participate in sin. They look out for each other.

Proverbs 16:29 - A violent man entices his neighbor and leads him down a path that is not good.

Proverbs 22:24 - Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn his ways and get yourself ensnared.

On October 24, 2008 the Daily Mail (a British newspaper), stated that a female police constable appeared in court charged with burglary and misconduct in public office after she allegedly abused her position to help her friends commit crimes.

This 26-year-old woman is said to have passed on confidential information from police computer systems to her boyfriend and others. She is also accused of helping a friend to steal thousands of pounds from a shop by listening to traffic on her police radio to warn him if police were on his tail.

This is not the behavior of true friends.

8. Telling the truth - even if it is "bad news". Friends do not with-hold the truth in order to save the other person's feelings.

Proverbs 27:17 - As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.

Proverbs 27:6 - Wounds from a friend can be trusted.

Proverbs 27:9 - The pleasantness of one's friend springs from his earnest counsel.

A girl saw her friend doing something that was self-destructive. What would a friend do? If she confronted her or told her parents, it would certainly ruin their friendship.

A man saw a friend acting in a way that would probably destroy his friend's family. What would a friend do? In this case, he did nothing because he didn't want to lose the friendship.

True friends put the needs of a friend before their own need to keep the friendship.

We all need someone who will tell us the truth in a loving way. It is hard to grow without the help of our friends. It's never easy, but when you must tell someone the truth, use this approach: speak calmly, clearly, directly, honestly and respectfully. This is how Jesus would confront someone.

9. Unselfishness. Friends look out for the interests of each other.

Proverbs 17:17 - A friend loves at all time.

Proverbs 18:1 - A unfriendly man pursues selfish ends.

On August 5, 1936, at the Berlin Olympic Stadium it was a little past nine in the evening. The pole vault event had lasted longer than expected.

The final three competitors were Earl Meadows of the United States and two close friends from Japan, Shuhei Nishida and Sueo Oe. The bar was at 14 feet 3 1/4 inches, which Earl Meadows cleared on his second try. Nishida and Oe missed all three attempts. The two Japanese continued to jump for second and third place, but the competition ended without a conclusion when it became too dark to continue.

James and I went back to the Olympic Village certain we had tied, since we both jumped identical heights," Nishida remembered. (At that time they did not have a tie breaking rule.)

The officials decided to award the silver medal to Nishida. They never fully explained their reasoning. Oe was awarded the bronze. Nishida was not happy with the decision. When they got back to Japan both Oe and Nishida decided to cut their medals in half. Then they joined half of the silver medal with half of the bronze medal for each of them. The medals were called the Medals of Eternal Friendship.

Soon after Oe was killed in World War II. His medal is on display at the National Stadium in Tokyo. What an unselfish act on the part of a friend.

At the end of the day, what makes a good friend? Practicing the golden rule. Friends treat each other as they would like to be treated.

Jesus said, "I have called you friends." John 15:15. How does Jesus treat us? That's our best example of what makes a good friend.

You can be a good friend like JESUS!

Covenant Supplement for Good friendly life

FRIENDSHIP: NOT WHAT YOU THINK…

2010-07-19T08:44:00.000-07:00

The scripture of Mark 2:1–5 records one of my favorite biblical story of friendship. It is about four men who took their paralyzed friend to Jesus to be healed. As I reflected on the story, I could not help but be amazed at their tenacity in going the extra mile for their friend.

In my imagination, I believe that they had heard about Jesus and his amazing powers of healing and decided to take their friend to see him. They got him ready and went to the house where Jesus was preaching. As they approached the house, they saw a large number of people. “So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them” (Mark 2:2). The crowd was so huge, try as they might pushing bodies aside to force a gap, they could not get to the front door. Nevertheless, they were not about to give up. They walked around the house looking for a window or some opening that they could get their friend through; however, they were unsuccessful. Then they decided to try the roof! They most likely had to build a makeshift ladder or devise some other method of lifting their friend up to the roof. I picture them carrying him precariously up the side of the house, pulling and pushing as they found footholds to make their way to the roof. The wobbly ride up may have been scary for the sick friend, but the thought of being healed would have put aside his fear. Once they got up on the roof, they had to identify the exact spot where Jesus was in the house and then began digging there. It probably took them some time to dig through the roof because it was no small peephole, but an opening large enough to pass their friend through. However, they did it! “Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on” (Mark 2:4).

Visualize, if you can, the face of the owner of the house as he saw a hole appearing in his roof. Most likely, his eyes bulged and mouth opened wide as he gazed up again and again in disbelief. His first thought was probably that it might be rodents, but as the hole got larger and larger right before his eyes, he knew that could not possibly be the case. He may have tried to make his way outside to see what was going on but got stuck because of the crowd. Surely, he must have been distraught as he witnessed the destruction of his property. Others too may have been looking up, incredulous at seeing the paralytic being lowered into the house.

In our lives today we can certainly learn from the actions of these men in building friendships of our own. It is great to have one best friend, but how much more enriched our lives would be if we have a few best friends. Think about the wealth of love that can exist through these friendships. We can have best friends in different areas, at different times, and for a short or long period in our lives. They can come in different shapes, sizes, and ethnicities, and with a range of emotions from joy to pain. What is important with valued relationships is that we invest the time to nourish them. Friends often are a reflection of who we are and they help to mold and shape us. It is said that we attract friends who bring out either the worst or best in us. But we should bring the best of ourselves so as to form authentic relationships. Friends don’t have to be perfect, but they should be genuine. The men who persevered with their sick friend exhibited true qualities that any good friend should possess: faithfulness, caring, trust, patience, persistence, and love. Today we can build, or strengthen, our friendships by their example.

Faithfulness

These men did not just take their friend to see Jesus and leave him there. Nor, did they turn away when they saw the crowd. Sometimes friends leave when the going gets rough. One might lose money, job, or home, and the friends that one counted on do not stick around. Obviously, these types are not true friends and were probably in the relationship for all the wrong reasons. We need friends who are reliable and who will come through for us. Of course, there will be times when one friend cannot meet an immediate need (which is another reason why we should have many best friends), but the reason should not be unfaithfulness or lack of trying to accommodate the need. We are also tested when one of our friends is unavailable. If our relationship is authentic, we should be understanding rather than resentful. The four men were faithful and they never gave up, but stood by their sick friend’s side until he was healed. Look at the marvelous gift they received because of their faith—their friend was freed of his illness!

Caring

This probably was not the first time they sought a cure for their friend. Through his illness the friends most likely took him to doctors and healers, and perhaps even nursed him themselves. There may have been times when the sick friend wanted to give up, but the friends would encourage and uplift him. It is good to be surrounded by friends in times of need. Their support and prayers help to sustain us, and their presence can soothe us. Of course, one must be open to receiving help. Sometimes a person may hide a need, hindering another from being a blessing to them. God gave some of us the gifts of sharing and caring and this may be the only way we can help. True friends take off the barriers laying bare the needs, and the care is lovingly given.

Trust

The sick friend put his life into the hands of his friends, and they came through for him. He also trusted them not to drop him as they carried him up the building and then lowered him down through the hole. It is good to have several friends who are loyal and can be called on in any emergency; with whom we can speak freely and confidentially, knowing they will not betray us; and with whom we can share our dreams and aspirations, knowing that they want the best for our lives. They are complete in themselves; hence there is no jealously or competition with each other. Nonetheless, trusting someone is not always easy. We do not like to reveal our emotions and struggles, and in the process of holding back and hiding our hurts we lose out on forming great friendships. Trust is a two-way street. We have to earn the trust of others by proving that we are responsible and can be held accountable.

Patience

I am sure there may have been times when the sick friend or the others were tired and wanted to give up. Dealing with that kind of illness, especially with the stigma attached to it, could not have been easy. It called for a tenacious spirit. When things go wrong in any kind of friendship, we have to be patient and ride the waves of dissention until things get right again. These are not the times to wander away or get caught up in one’s own life. There will be occasions when the issue is as simple as a difference of opinion, but one may see it as a monumental problem. It may be easy to solve the problem if the friend changes a pattern of behavior that is destructive. However, the friend may not see it your way or believe that there is anything wrong with the behavior. In such cases, one has to be patient in letting the friend sort it out, but be available to support and comfort when the friend is ready.

Persistence

The friends of the sick man showed up and took action. They persevered and he benefited from their determination. There will be times when we have to push a friend beyond what she believes she is capable of, which may entail telling some truths that she is uncomfortable in facing. Persistence can also take the form of assisting her with completing a college application, urging her to follow up on her dreams, or simply being on the other end of the phone in the middle of the night. Even when we are unable to be there physically, a friend should still know that she can depend on us at all times.

Love

I cannot say what brought these friends together, but they shared a common bond of love for their friend. I think that when they reached the building and observed that there was no way of getting through the door, they evaluated the situation, came up with a plan, and executed it. They were unified in that goal and were successful despite the odds. I am inspired by their audacity and fortitude. This exhibition of love stood the test of time. It surely was a mental and physical strain on all of them, but their love conquered all and their efforts were rewarded when Jesus forgave the friend's sins and he got up and walked.

“When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven" (Mark 2:5). Similarly, our friendships should demonstrate this kind of love for each other. For those who do enjoy such relationships, what a joy to their souls. For those who do not, what a blessing to receive.

Covenant prerequisite for Supernatural Empowerment.

2010-07-19T08:40:00.001-07:00

Every empowerment has a cost price; it is neither free nor cheap. In the adventure for God’s power, one prerequisite that is a must is Consecration. It is a price you have to pay. Consecration is a vital prerequisite for God’s visitation. (Ex. 19:10,11; Matt. 5:8). God demands for it from everyone who desires empowerment (acts 2: 38).

What is consecration?

Consecration is separation from sin and separation unto God. It is a process of cleansing, washing and purging to prepare us for God’s usefulness.

Why is consecration necessary? God is holy and He inhabits only holy vessels. Every time God wants to do mighty He looks for consecrated vessels. It is your cleanliness that guarantee your usefulness. (1Sam. 12:3-5).

Consecration brings us into alignment with God. It is the key that determines your levels of empowerment. God assesses you on the index of consecration to determine the measure of power to give to you. Sin is power-pollutant and a sinker. Sin turns God’s eye away from you while righteousness draws His attention towards you. “The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteousness…(Ps.34:15, Habaku 1:13).

Sin manifests itself through our carnal desires which are called the deeds of the flesh. That is why the scripture commands us expressly to mortify these vices, “Mortify therefore your members….fornication, uncleanliness, inordinate affection, covetousness…” Col.3:5,6.

How do I arrive at consecration?

Consecration is unattainable without the help of the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that keeps us away from sin. The Bible says ‘walk in the spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh’. Gal. 5:16. Nothing destroys the works of the flesh like the Holy Spirit. When you are in the Spirit, sin no longer have power over you.

The Holy Spirit is the mortifier that helps to destroy the deeds of the flesh (Rom. 8:13). Also, He energizes us with the spirit of love for righteousness (2Tim. 1:7; Ps. 45:6-7). When you live by this Spirit you lose taste for fornication, stealing and covetousness, etc. This is why we must engage the power of the Holy Ghost at all times for consecration.

How do I engage the Holy Spirit for Consecration?

Praying in the Holy Ghost increases your affection for God and hatred for sin (Jude. 1:20). Praying constantly in the Spirit draws you closer to God, it keeps you clean, purifiers your thoughts and make you holy, sanctified and consecrated.

Sin is not ordinary. It is described as mystery because there are many things people do and yet don’t know why they do it. (@Thes. 2:7). You can only deal with those mysteries by engaging the mysterious language of the Holy Spirit.

Satan is not after your flesh but after the Holy Spirit inside you. He wants to disconnect you from your source of power by making you indulge in sin. Call for the help of the Holy Spirit everyday in prayers against the spirit of iniquity. Pray for the baptism of the spirit of Holiness in order to enjoy ceaseless flow of God’s power in your life.

The Real Truth about making cool money from online business

2010-07-16T08:07:00.000-07:00

I know you've heard people say severally that you can get rich on the Internet. But, I want you to know that making money on the Internet is not a get rich quick or an overnight business. Your Internet success will take your time, your efforts and knowledge. There's no easy "get rich quick" method, so you need and must spend time building income stream from your Web site.

You can find many kinds of Websites that have the intent, directly or indirectly, to make money.

Apart from the online retailers who are using their websites directly or indirectly to make money. These sites are coded with various moneymaking features.

Here I want you to know that if you must succeed in making money from the internet, you have to succeed at three points...

1. * Develop a great product that is of interest to others on the Web.

2. * Write a professional Web site designed to sell.

3. * Attract targeted customers to the site.

Here's an excellent page describing realistic ways of making money on the Internet from your personal Web site - Work From Home. No "get rich quick" schemes. Just proven, reliable ways to build an online business or use a Website to expand your offline one.

The basis for building serious income is the high traffic. If your site only gets a few hundred visitors per month, as most of personal Web sites, you'll unlikely make more than pocket change.

Here are some ways of making money on the Internet from your personal Web site...

Freebies

Under this category are things such as free lotto tickets and various games where you can win prizes. Often, these are implemented as pop-ups and are much more annoying than banners.

Affiliate programs

They pay you a percentage of the sales you generate for them, or for each visitor you send. This is one of the best ways of making money on the Internet. You don't have to spend time and energy creating your own product. And some of them pay 50% commission. See Affiliate programs for more information on building income from affiliate programs.

Google AdSense

This is one of the easiest ways of making money on the Internet for small and medium sites by displaying relevant, text-based ads from Google AdWords (Google's own advertising program) and receiving a share of the pay-per-click payment.

Banners

They were one of the first ways of making money from hobby Web sites, however they are not so popular now since most surfers don't even look at them. In fact, the click-through rate (the percentage of visitors who actually click on a banner) has steadily dropped, from around 5% 4 years ago to less than 0.5% now.

In the Traffic-Building volume of Make Your Site SELL! 2002 (the free ebook describing all possible ways of making money on the Internet), banners are called #1 "Time and Money Wasters." Save yourself months of poorly spent time. Read this essential manual first.

If you have highly relevant, cleverly designed banners, you can beat the odds. However, you need relatively high traffic to actually make more than pocket change. In fact, most banner advertising companies prefer to only pay for actual sales (even click throughs are no longer attractive, since many people click through because they are paid to, and not because they intend to buy anything).

Some Other tools

There are many tools that can help you make some pretty big commissions without your visitors even realizing that you're building income from their visits.

For example, several search engines will pay you a few cents per search made from your Web site. If a few hundred people use your search box, you'll earn a few dollars a day - not bad for a few minutes of cut & paste a small line of code within the HTML of your Web page.

6 Traits That You Can Adopt to Succeed in your business

2010-04-04T23:45:00.001-07:00

Successful Businessmen have more in common with each other than just their bank accounts - for some business men, striking it rich took courage, salesmanship, vision and passion. Find out which traits are most common to the seven-figure bank account set, and what you can do to hone some of these skills in your own life.

1. Independent Thinking

Successful Businessmen think differently. Not just about money, about everything. The time and energy everybody else spends attempting to conform, Successful Businessmen spend creating their own path. Since thoughts impact actions, people who want to be wealthy should think in a way that will get them to that goal.

Just look at David Geffen. A self-made millionaire with $4.5 billion to his name in 2009, this American record executive and film producer was college dropout, but made millions founding record agencies and signed some of the most prominent musicians of the 1970s and '80s. Although he didn't take what many assume to be the usual path to success, his tireless work ethic and sense of personal conviction about artists' potential allowed him to rack up a sizable fortune.

2. Vision

Successful Businessmen are creative visionaries with a positive attitude. In other words, wealthy people not only have big dreams, they also believe they will come true. As such, wealth seekers should set lofty goals and not be afraid of uncharted territories.

Bill Gates, the world's richest person in 2009, did just that. The American chairman of Microsoft (NYSE:MSFT) is one of the founding entrepreneurs who brought personal computers to the masses. Gates jumped into the personal computers business in 1975 and held on tight, creating Microsoft Windows in 1985. When consumers began to bring computers into their homes, Gates was ready to profit from this new age.

3. Skills

Writer Dennis Kimbro interviewed successful people to determine the traits they had in common for his book, "Think and Grow Rich" (1992). He found that they concentrated on their area of excellence. Successful Businessmen also tend to partner with others to supplement their weaker skills. If you don't know what you are good at, poll friends and family. Use training and mentors to refine your strong skills. (Want advice from some of the most successful investors of all time? Check out our reading list in Ten Books Every Investor Should Read.)

4. Passion

Billionaire investing guru Warren Buffett says "Money is a by-product of something I like to do very much." Enjoying your work allows you to have the discipline to work hard at it every day. People who interact with money for a living, bankers for example, often love creating new deals and persuading others to complete a transaction. But finding your dream job may take time. The average businessman doesn't find it until age 45, and tends to be 54 (on average) before becoming a millionaire. (Find out how Warren Buffett's passion for investing led him to a billion-dollar fortune in Warren Buffett: The Road To Riches.)

5. Investment

Millionaires are willing to sacrifice time and money to achieve their goals. They are willing to take a risk now for the opportunity of achieving something greater in the future. Investing may include securities or starting a business - either way, it is a step toward achieving great financial rewards. Start investing now. (Want to get started but don't have much capital? Read Invest On A Shoestring Budget.)

6. Salesmanship

Successful Businessmen are constantly presenting their ideas and persuading others to buy into them. Good salesmen are oblivious to critics and naysayers. In other words, they don't take "no" for an answer. Millionaires also have good social skills. In fact, when writer T. Harv Eker analyzed the results of a survey of 753 millionaires for his book, "Secrets of the Millionaire Mind" (2005), he found social skills were more important than IQ. Just look at Donald Trump. His fortune has fluctuated over the years, but his ability to sell himself - whether as a TV personality or as the force behind a line of neckties - has always brought him back among the ranks of celebrity millionaires.

Social Media Marketing

2010-03-25T14:46:00.000-07:00

Before we get too far into this topic, I think it is worth defining what 'social media' is. It has recently started to become a widely used term that means different things to different people.

So the following gives a good definition of what social media is:

'online technologies and practices that people use to share their opinions, insights and experiences with each other. Information can be shared as text, images, audio or video via blogs, message boards, wikis, RSS, podcasts and social networking sites'.

The heart of social media is the ability of individuals to interact with other people so that they feel involved and part of a community. A big part of this phenomenon is the activity of finding, sharing and recommending products, services, events and experiences to like-minded people. This is where social media crosses over with marketing.

Social media can be a great way to have your website promoted online by word-of-mouth.

If you can get people to talk about and recommend your services to their peers, it is more powerful than any marketing you can buy. So how can you get started?

How Can You Make Social Media Work for You?

The good news is it is easy to start the process of using social media to promote your website.

1) Create a MySpace Page

MySpace (www.myspace.com) is the largest and best-known social network (although more recently Facebook has been growing in size). At these social networking sites, individuals can create profiles about themselves and then invite similarly minded people to become their online friends. When someone becomes a friend, you can communicate with them and subtly direct them towards your own website.

Setting up your own page is simple and free. Go to www.myspace.com and follow the instructions. Put up a brief description about yourself and a link to a more detailed biography page on your own website. Remember, the goal of this page is to drive people to your own site so make sure you get plenty of links included without overtly promoting your website.

Spend an hour every week developing your site and building your líst of friends. Invite relevant people to comment about your website.

2) Add Bookmarking Links to Your Article Pages

A big part of the social web is the ability for people to build lísts of their favourite sites or articles. People with similar interests can then share their lísts and benefit from other people's recommendations. If your website has free content, you should make these articles easy to bookmark or add to favourites lísts. There are a lot of internet sites that now host and share bookmarks. You can add links to these sites to your article pages.

There are two ways of doing this. You can go to each of the leading bookmarking sites and download their code and links onto your site. The ones that you should include are:

Digg - www.digg.com
Technorati - www.technorati.com
Del.icio.us - del.icio.us
Reddit - www.reddit.com

However, if you go this route it can be time consuming and you will omit many of the potential bookmarking sites. The alternative is to put a link to AddThis.com on the foot of each page. This gives your users access to over 30 bookmarking sites.

3) Add an RSS Feed

RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication or Rich Site Syndication, depending on who you ask. RSS allows people to be notified every time new articles are added to your website so they can keep up to date with your content.

Ask your developer to create some RSS code for your website and then put a link on all of your pages to the RSS code page. The link should be a small orange rectangle with the letters RSS in white.

Publish your RSS feeds at Feedburner to encourage distribution and interest.

4) Email to a Friend

Enabling people to easily email an article to a friend is not typically bundled under the heading of social media marketing, but in my view it is another way to encourage people to share and recommend your content. Add an 'Email a Friend' link to all of your content pages.

5) Add a Forum

Having a Forum on your website is a great way of building a community around your subject area. Monitoring the forum will both give you a chance to understand what people are discussing and promote your expertise by adding your own comments.

The downside of a forum is it does need to be carefully managed. You need to allow people to make negative comments so they don't feel they are being censored, but you have to stamp out aggressive behaviour, personal insults, spam and meaningless rubbish. This can be time-consuming work, so don't bother with a forum unless you have the time to do it properly.

Non-technical people can pay to use vBulletin. More technical people can use a free opensource solution such as PHPBB.

You can register your forum with BoardTracker to make it easier for people to find.

6) Create How-To or Product Review Videos

It has nevër been easier to create short videos that can demonstrate your expertise. How-to videos are very popular. For example, if your website is about Making Monëy on eBay, you could create a short video on "How to Take Perfect Photos for Your eBay Listings". Make sure you have your website URL on the opening and closing sequence of your video to promote your website.

Post your videos on YouTube and Google Videos. Give it a catchy title and teaser to get people interested. Also link to the videos from your own website.

7) Share Your Photos

If you have photos related to your subject area, post them on photo sharing websites such as Flikr and PhotoBucket. For example, if your website is about steam trains, take a camera to your next steam train show and post the pictures on these sites. People searching for steam train images are likely to try these sites. They can then follow the link on the photo to your website. P.S. Remember to include links back to your own site from the images.

8) Create a Blog

Blogs are very simple content sites where short articles are listed one after the other on the home page. They are usually used to write about current events or comment on news.

Some successful content websites are blogs. Some are much more like magazines with feature articles. If your site is more feature-based, consider starting a separate blog that can be more informal and brief. Update the blog every day even if it is with just one- or two-sentence comments. Blogs that are infrequently updated quickly löse their audience.

Use the blog to drive traffíc to your main website.

You can get basic blogging software for free. Try Wordpress or Blogger. For a managed service, try Typepad.

In many ways, today's social media technologies are still fairly primitive, but I can say with confidence that the phenomenon that they have created - of customers taking control of the buying process - is here to stay. Customers will continue to get stronger, so publishers, manufacturers and anyone else with customers better start listening to what they are saying.

One word of warning for the social media marketer is that once you decide to adopt the social media marketing techniques, you are inviting people to comment about your service. You must be ready for negative as well as positive feedback. Good companies listen to the feedback and make positive changes. Poor companies ignore it or worse still, call their lawyers to fight it. If you jump into the social media world, be ready to participate, listen, learn and take action.

building site content to enhance your site traffic

2010-03-25T14:32:00.000-07:00

The design and layout of your web site is important, but your potential customers are visiting your site to see the goods or services you can offer them. Content is what drives traffic to your site, so you must ensure that the information you place on your web pages is engaging and relevant to the customers you are trying to attract.

Scanning not reading
Writing for the Web is different from writing for print, mainly because people don't read online - they scan the content. Therefore, the content you publish on your web site needs to be more scannable than it would be for a print publication.
You may need to revise or possibly rewrite your existing text to suit this style.
• Write concise sentences.
• Keep paragraphs short.
• Use subheadings to break up content.
• Use list formatting when possible.
• Provide a summary or overview of key points for longer articles before providing the details.
• Avoid using all capitals for titles.
• Provide clear, concise calls to action.
• Keep layout and formatting to a minimum.
Less is more
Space is valuable on your web site and should be made use of, but if you fill every inch of your page with blocks of text, animated bouncing icons and flash media fireworks, you'll give people a headache. Too much information is distracting and can result isn a slow upload causing people to leave your site before it is even loaded!
Getting rid of all those words that no one is going to read has several beneficial effects:
• It reduces the noise level of the page.
• It makes the useful content more prominent.
• It makes the pages shorter, allowing the users to see more of each page at a glance without scrolling.
Two ways of reducing the the amount of words on a page are the removal of any happy talk and needless insturctions.
Happy Talk
Happy talk is the introductory text that's supposed to welcome us to the site and tell us how great it is, or to tell us what we're about to see in the section we've just entered. Happy talk conveys no useful information, and it distracts the user from what is really going on on the page.
Needless Instructions
The main thing to understand about instructions is that no one is going to read them - at least not until the user has tried and failed a number times. And even then, if the instructions are wordy, the odds of the users finding the information they need is pretty low.
When designing your web site your objective should always be to eliminate instructions entirely by making everything self-explanatory, or as close as possible. When it is necessary to have instructions keep them to a bare minimum.
Keep making more content
The content that you place on your website must also be regularly updated. If your site has the same products and information week in and week out, you'll see a clear reduction in traffic.
The content you create for your site's pages is an ongoing process that you should make a priority. Even small changes to your homepage can secure a surprisingly high level of repeat visits, as customers want to know what else you have that they might be interested in. Over time, these customers will become your regular customers as they know that your site will contain new products or services that are going to interest them.
Relevance is also a major factor in keeping potential customers on your website. You can't create compelling and engaging content if you don't know who your customers are, or what they are looking for from your business. Always strive to understand your customers in as much depth and detail as you can. This information can then be used to improve your existing website, or enable you to build a new one that will attract and hold your customers.

Think like a millionaire to be a millionaire

2010-03-25T14:10:00.000-07:00

What is a millionaire mind-set? I keep asking myself this question. Are there really certain characteristics that help hopeful entrepreneurs realize those dreams of being rich and successful?

According to a recent study of self-made millionaires headed by Dr Barbara Walls at Chicago Business School, apparently 80 per cent of the tycoons put their success down to possessing certain characteristic traits.
The researchers conducting the study found that self-made millionaires had a number of character traits in common, and to which they accredited their business success.

These were:
Can't Resist A Challenge
All tycoons quizzed admitted that they could never resist a challenge - particularly when they had been advised against it.

They each had the willingness and courage to take that "leap of faith" and risk everything to start a business, regardless of lack of resources. They have the self-belief to carry on against the nay sayers and doubters, and the passion to keep going when times are tough.

For instance, Alexander Amosu, 33, who made his first million composing ringtones for mobile phones, says: "There are many times when people have said to me, 'What the hell are you doing? You're wasting your time.'"
"But I don't get put off when people are negative - it spurs me on. If you don't try something then you have failed yourself"
Another millionaire who can't resist a challenge is Mark Ellingham. When he first came up with the idea for his Rough Guides to foreign countries, he was told that the name was 'off-putting'. Against all advice, he published them himself - and later sold the company for £10 million.
Most self-made millionaires admit to being manically optimistic. As one pundit remarks: "For them, the glass isn't half full, it's positively spilling over!"

Writing a Winning Presentation

2010-03-25T14:08:00.000-07:00

Perhaps the thought of standing up in front of an audience makes your knees tremble, try these tricks to delivering seamless and engaging presentations

Create an outline: You may not think you need to outline your topic, but it will likely save you time in the long run. Outlining your entire presentation before you start to write it lets you organize the flow of information and ensures that you have included all the relevant topics.

Determine the proper number of slides: If you are using Power Point, the rule of thumb is that each slide will require two to three minutes of discussion. If you are speaking for an hour, 60+ slides will be too many. You know your topic best, but 25 to 30 slides would probably be appropriate for a one-hour presentation.

Limit the amount of text: Slides that are too wordy will cause your audience to lose interest faster than the freeway Try to stick to no more than five bullet points and whenever possible, sho instead of tell. This means that you should illustrate your topic with charts, graphs, graphic images, or other visual representations to keep your content engaging.

Minimize the bells and whistles: A lot of activity or noise on your slides is bound to distract your audience. Resist the temptation to pepper your slides with flashy animation or music unless it truly enhances your message.

Proofread and check spelling - twice: Nothing kills a presentation faster than grammatical mistakes. You could be the most engaging speaker in the world, but spelling errors and misplaced punctuation can cause your audience to lose focus and question your credibility. If you don't trust your own proofreading ability, have a colleague review your presentation.

Practice, practice, practice: If you don't have an audience to test your materials on, lock yourself in an empty room and start talking to the chairs. It may seem awkward at first, but it's the best way to calm your nerves and to be thoroughly prepared. If you've practiced to the point of practically memorizing the whole speech, you will launch into autopilot and deliver a flawless performance when showtime arrives and stage fright kicks in - even if your brain checks out.

Pace yourself: Nervous presenters often talk too fast and rush through material. When you practice your speech, time it and give yourself some room for questions or interruptions. To help with pacing, consciously pause between sentences and slides. Two seconds may feel like an eternity to you, but it allows your audience time to absorb what you've just said. Even taking a slow, deep breath between sentences and slides can slow you down and calm your nerves.

Record your performance: Professional speaking programs use video cameras to show students how to improve their presence on stage. As painful as it may be to watch yourself on film, this is the best way to discover your flaws and nervous ticks. You may find that you sway, play with your pen, jingle the change in your pocket or look like you're dancing because you're moving around so much. Using a video camera to capture your performance lets you identify your nervous habits and break them before you leave the audience talking about how many times you said "Um."

Use note cards or cheat sheets: Even the world leaders use a teleprompter when giving speeches, and you have the right to use notes or 3x5 cards to keep you on track. Just be careful not to read them or rely on them too heavily; if you've practiced, this shouldn't be a problem. Avoid writing your entire speech verbatim on the cardssince they will be difficult to glance at and could cause you to end up reading from them. Instead, write down only short bullets to jog your memory and keep your flow.

Warm up the audience: The best way to get the crowd on your side is to open with humor. Start with a joke or quip that is related to your topic.

Keep an eye on the clock: Audiences and event organizers appreciate speakers who stick to the time line. Keep an eye on the time so you can speed up or slow down. You can also ask someone in the audience to give you hand signals if necessary. If your presentation ends before the alloted time, open the floor to questions.

Talk to foreheads: Make an effort to speak to the whole audience, which means looking around the room and making each attendee feel as though you are speaking directly to that person. If eye contact makes you even more nervous, then talk to foreheads. Nobody will notice your lack of true connection, yet you will still convey your ability to engage the entire room.

Don't forget to smile: Use inflection in your voice and keep a smile on your face. Your audience will mirror your behaviour and if you get onstage with a stone-faced, monotone delivery, the whole audience will be bored (or asleep) by the time you are done. Weave in some humor or anecdotes and let your personality shine through.

Whether you are speaking to a room of six people or six hundred, these tips should help you become a more polished presenter. Remember that the number one key to success is to be prepared as possible. Another great way to learn new techniques is to critique the performance of other presenters. Watch presentations on television or at venues in your area. Notice how the speakers engage the audience and watch for tricks that you can incorporate into your own regimen.

+2347057674084

Advice on starting a franchise

2010-03-25T13:25:00.000-07:00

An important step in the small business start-up process is deciding whether or not to go into business at all. Each year, thousands of potential entrepreneurs are faced with this difficult decision. Because of the risk and work involved in starting a new business, many new entrepreneurs choose franchising as an alternative to starting a new, independent business from scratch.

Franchising incorporates the features of both a start-up and an existing operation. The franchise is the right to sell a product or service. When you purchase a franchise you are basically paying for the right to market an already established product or service owned by somebody else (the franchisor). Under the franchise agreement, you (the franchisee) are expected to market the product/service successfully.

Proven Format

Buying into an established company reduces the risk of failure when starting in business. Not only because the business idea is already proven, but the infrastructure of a national or international organisation provides franchisees with ongoing support including corporate marketing, training and advice which is critical during those first tough years.

Training
It is a simple fact that no-one can be an expert in every facet of their business. For some learning by bitter experience or from 'the school of hard knocks' is where the fun and challenge of starting a new business lie. For others the recognition of where their strengths and weaknesses lie makes it more appropriate to work with a suitable business partner. A good franchisor will provide initial and ongoing training to help with most aspects of the business. Such training may cover how to manage the accounts, handling sales calls or general aspects about running the business successfully on a day-to-day basis.

Marketing

It is likely the franchise corporation as a whole, will already have a good level brand awareness within its target audience. As corporate reputations can take years to build this gives franchisees a real head start as they can immediately take advantage of this market recognition.

Choosing a Business Partner

Choosing a business partner whose strengths lie in marketing, training and providing a proven business model is not for everyone. The reason behind this is quiet simply that it does involve going into business with a partner.

A franchisee will only ever own a part of a much larger organisation and for the truly entrepreneurial spirit this may not be enough. Owning part of a franchise within a larger operation also has limitations when it comes to expansion. Where owners managers are at liberty to enjoy the unrestricted rewards of a free market economy, franchisees are typically licenced to a particular geographical territory and often tied into promoting the franchisor's own product or service to the exclusion of all others.

Of course these very restrictions are some of the elements that make franchising so successful - for example one of the great benefits of franchising is there is already a successful product range or service available for franchisees to distribute.

When it comes to choosing a business partner it is critical to select the right one. And as with any business partners some will be better than others!

Finance

One factor that cause people to shy away from franchising is that it has conventionally been seen as the 'expensive' option. The cost of purchasing a franchise can range from anywhere between £10,000 to £70,000 and upwards, depending on its particular business model. This fee will cover costs like: marketing, training, licence fee, stock and goodwill of the business. If a potential franchisee is to be taken seriously by a franchisor they must have assessed how the venture would be financed initially and for working capital purposes.

Always get an accountant to analyse the set up costs, projected turnover and expenses: a trained eye will spot whether the figures you have are optimistic or pessimistic. Some say, 'take 50% from any revenue projections and add 50% to the expense projection' - if these figures prove unworkable then it will be tough to survive.

Of course, those who start out alone often do not have the knowledge or experience necessary to look after the financial element of the business and under funding is one of the most commonly cited reasons why new business fail in their early years. So it is not that franchising is expensive, rather, it is that all the costs associated with starting-up are simply outlined upfront.

Risk versus Reward

With franchising, ultimately, the rewards may not be as great as with a fully owner-managed small business. However, it is true to say the risks are vastly reduced. And with so many new businesses failing in their early years it is worth looking carefully at the reasons to start up in business in the first place to see if franchising may be for you.

If you are the ambitious type, not adverse to risk and strive to be the sole owner and manager of a multi-million pound organisation, becoming hugely wealthy in the process then franchising is certainly not for you! However, if your aim is to make a good living out of running your own successful small business based on a proven idea and are open to working with a business partner to help you achieve this then franchising is certainly worth considering.

Five ingredients you'll absolutely need for success

2010-03-25T13:17:00.000-07:00

For any entrepreneur starting up in business, there are five ingredients needed for success:

1. An idea for a product or service that customers are willing to buy at a sufficiently high price to allow for a big margin above cost.

Whether the idea is original, borrowed, or bought, the idea is the heart of any business through all stages of its life. If there is no idea, there is no business.

The idea is what will keep you fired up, and give you pride. Plus, the idea is the most fun part of business. So go with an idea you can get excited about.

2. The ability to provide the product or service.

Is it possible for you perform the service or provide the product to a high enough standard so that you can get return business and referrals to new clients?

Make sure you get the relevant education and experience in the same industry as your intended enterprise.

Research your product or service and benchmark the competition to see how they do it and how you can do it better.

3. Personal contacts for acquiring information and other resources.

Networking is an essential skill for most business people, but especially for entrepreneurs. The strong association between the entrepreneur as a person and his or her business, demands entrepreneurs get out into the world and create and maintain business relationships.

Active networking and participation in network partnerships can help you meet people and build mutually beneficial business relationships.

For a start-up or small business, networking can provide a lifeline of support and help generate business for your company through benefits such as:

• benchmarking opportunities against competitors and similar-sized businesses

• comparing and discussing issues of common interest, for example supply networks, customer service and legal and regulatory developments.

• developing ideas, innovation and knowledge of best practice.

• rasing your business profile by becoming an established networking member.

• expanding markets by generating business contacts such as customers, suppliers and partners.

• overseas partnerships, through international exhibitions and conferences.

4. Money to keep the business going during the start-up phase.

Don't think you'll start making money right away. What do you do till the cash starts flowing? And where can you get the upfront money your startup will need?

A possible source of money is "angels". They are successful entrepreneurs who are willing to risk money in a new venture if it promises a good return. Find rich people in your area and have an excellent business plan ready. This will take time and networking. Another possible source is government funds.

If all sources decline to participate, you have the option of "boot-strapping", which means starting small and growing carefully on the cash flow your business generates.

5. Sufficient customer orders to cover all costs and expenses and to provide a profit.

Ensure there is a demand for your product or service. Try and pick a growing industry, as opposed to one that is crowded with suppliers. Take advantage of major trends. Establish reliable connections with vendors who will be supplying your materials so that you can cope with any increase in demand to your business.

Many entrepreneurs have tried to start businesses without giving enough attention to each of these requirements, their businesses have failed.

How has this post help you?

Inform us: nseng78@yahoo.com

USING THE SWOT Analysis in improving your business

2010-03-25T13:07:00.000-07:00

Strengths - Weaknesses - Opportunities - Threats A

SWOT analysis

A SWOT analysis is a strategic planning tool used to evaluate a business or a business venture or any other situation that requires a decision. A SWOT analysis evaluates the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats of the project (in this article we will look at evaluating a business).

Performing SWOT

Once you have completed the analysis you want to be in a position where you can determine a strategy for the future to improve your company's overall performance (or maintain it if you are happy with your final analysis).

Strengths

Determine your company's strong points. Consider these from an internal perspective, and externally from the point of view of your customers and people in your market. These strengths are your company's resources and capabilities that can be used as a basis for developing a competitive advantage.

• What advantages does your company have?

• What do you do better than anyone else?

• What unique or lowest-cost resources do you have access to?

• What do people in your market see as your strengths?

A strength could be:

• Your specialist marketing expertise

• A new, innovative product or service

• Location of your business

• Quality processes and procedures

• Any other aspect of your business that adds value to your product or service

Weaknesses

In some cases, a weakness may be the flip side of a strength, or a weakness may be viewed as a lack of certain strengths. Again, consider this from an internal and external basis.

• What could you improve?

• What should you avoid?

• Wht are people in your market likely to se as weaknesses?

A weakness could be:

• Lack of marketing expertise

• Undifferentited product or services

• Location of your business

• Poor quality goods or services

• Damaged reputation

Opportunities

A useful approach to looking at opportunities is to look at your strengths and ask yourself whether these open up any opportunities for profit and growth. Or alternatively, look at your weaknesses and see whether you could open up any opportunities by eliminating them.

• Where are the good opportunities facing you?

• What are the interesting trends you are aware of?

An opportunity could be:

• A developing market such as the Internet

• Mergers, joint ventures or strategic alliances

• Moving into new market segments that offer improved profits

• A new international market

• A market vacated by an inefficient competitor

Threats

Changes in the external environment may present threats to your company. A threat is a major unfavourable situation in a company's environment. They are key impediments to the company's current or desired position.

• What obstacles do you face?

• What is your competition doing?

• Are the required specifications for your job, products or services changing?

• Is changing technology threatening your position?

• Could any of your weaknesses seriously threaten your busines?

A threat could be:

• A new competitor in your home market

• Price wars with competitors

• A competitor has a new, innovative product or service

• Competitors have superior access to channels of distribution

• Taxation is introduced on your product or service

Example SWOT analysis (in brief) - Wal-Mart

Strengths - Wal-Mart is a powerful retail brand. It has a reputation for value for money, convenience and a wide range of products all in one store.

Weaknesses - Wal-Mart is the World's largest grocery retailer and control of its empire, despite its IT advantages, could leave it weak in some areas due to the huge span of control.

Opportunities - To take over, merge with, or form strategic alliances with other global retailers, focusing on specific markets such as Europe, or the Greater China Region.

Threats - Being number one means that they are the target of competition, locally and globally.

Summary

SWOT analysis is a framework for analysing your company's strengths, weaknesses, and the opportunities and threats that it may face.

This will help to use your strengths to provide an insight to your business opportunities. Also it will allow you to see any weaknesses in your business that can cause immediate threats.

The Quiet Millionaire

2010-01-02T00:08:00.000-08:00

Book Review - The Quiet Millionaire

The Quiet Millionaire is a book that contains a wealth of information on personal finance topics. With forty plus years of professional experience as a personal and business financial advisor, Brett Wilder shares with us his expertise on how to accumulate and keep our wealth.
This book’s theme is tied very closely to the title of the book – The Quiet Millionaire. Instead of writing about how to be frugal or the secret to picking the right stock at the right time, this book focuses on how the average population can carefully plan and be a millionaire with time, patience and good probability.

One of the first Brett advices is to discover who the real you is and what you really want out of life, while making sure we plan for money to be our servant instead of being our master.
Next, he explains to us the seven major obstacles to Financial Success:1. Undisciplined Spending2. Materialistic Thinking3. Burdensome Costly Debt4. Taxes5. Inflation6. Poorly Structured Investment Portfolios7. Unforeseen Life-Changing, Financially Devastating EventsThis sets up the rest of the book where he tackles all sorts of topics such as cash flow, investing, taxes, and retirement.

Cash FlowThe key to having a positive cash flow involves knowing where our money is going. This includes creating a budget, in which personal finance software such as Quicken or Microsoft Money can help. Other tips include having a plan to determine cash flow requirements to fund future goals and objectives and paying ourselves first with automatic savings deductions.
InvestingBrett is a big advocate of low cost index funds. He believes in the long run, most people will end up leaving money on the table by trading individual stocks because many of us let our emotions get in the way. This is great advice for so many people because this totally takes the maintenance work required for stock picking out of the equation and just let the money work for us.
TaxesIn order to minimize taxes paid, we should actively plan for tax reductions. This means proactively perform intelligent tax reduction to maximize our after-tax dollars throughout the entire year.

RetirementOnce we retire, the primary focus should be to protect and preserve our wealth instead of trying to accumulate and grow it. One of the advices given is to establish a lifetime gift-giving program to reduce the value of his/her estate and transfer it to someone else over time without incurring taxes.

Target AudienceThe book is for people who have a good income stream and would like the extra help to accumulate and keep their wealth through time. People looking for the secret to getting rich quickly are not going to find what they are looking for in this book.

Last WordsFrom the cover and title to the content, this book is about substance. There is nothing fancy in this book, just straight forward personal finance information that we can all benefit.

Making Angel Investors Notice You

2009-12-19T02:07:00.001-08:00

People often say that money makes the world go round. This age-old line can never be truer in the case of business owners for without money, they would cease to be.

Right from the start, regardless of size and industry, businesses are all about making money. However, in order to make one, you also have to part with some, and parting can only be done if you have sufficient capital with you to spend. But what if you only have the idea but don’t have the financial strength? Then you go to angel investors.

With so many would-be business owners as well as businessmen who need help in expanding their businesses looking for angel investors, you might feel that it would be hard on your part to secure the help of even one “angel”. There are actually some ways by which you can get them to notice you.

One of the tips that could help you find angel investors is that you should have a business plan. As basic as it may seem, some business owners forget to come up with a convincing business plan that they end up losing the interest of angel investors. Your business plan should completely detail how much you think your would earn over a certain period, what your expenses would be, what your products and services would be, and how you would secure your clients. These details would help angel investors to see if your business is something that they would like to be involved in.

Make sure also that you focus your search on an angel investor network that specializes in your field. Keep in mind that most angel investors would prefer businesses that they already have an experience in. They are also most likely to go for businesses located within their area so that they can easily monitor just how their investment is doing.

Lastly, make sure that you also throw in some of your money into your business. You cannot expect an angel investor network to fully cover up all capital that you would need. Remember that angel investors would take time in raising the needed capital. They would also like to see that they are not the only ones who are risking their money in your business. It gives them confidence to know that you also have risks involved in the business.

MAKE MONEY EASILY FROM THE INTERNET

2009-08-18T09:57:00.000-07:00

MAKE N10,000 DAILY OR OVER N300,000 IN (1) MONTH WITH A VERY LITTLE CAPITAL TO START UP.

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