How to get promoted

My daughter and I had a special evening to ourselves last night. I took her to a Chinese restaurant, at her request. At the end of the meal we got our fortune cookies and both of us noted that we never eat the cookies and instead simply enjoy the message inside.

As soon as I opened my message (above), Savanna wanted to take a picture of it. This holds meaning for everyone -- for Savanna, for me and for you. And best of all it's biblical.


"A man's gift maketh room for him and bringeth him before great men." Proverbs 18:16

Faithfulness is where it's at. Promotion comes as we stay true in being a good steward of our time, talent, and treasure.

It may seem like nothing is happening. But as you stay faithful, realize that everything is happening. You can't see what's taking place but rest assured, a divine shift is occurring.

Be faithful in the times where you feel like things are at a standstill. Eventually a time comes when you realize all that God was doing back then to set you up. 

Favor and Faithfulness Go Hand in Hand

This is a guest post by my dear friend and fellow blogger, Sandy van der Meulen. Sandy and I first met because we both serve as women's ministries reps for the Assemblies of God in PenFlorida. Sandy is a representative for South Florida, representing 21 churches on the east coast of south Florida. She says, "I personally don't see denominations nor denominational lines as much as I see cities and empowering the women in those cities to do fierce things for God." This is just one reason I love and appreciate Sandy so much. She's so kingdom minded, and an amazing soul winner.  Be sure to follow Sandy's blog here, and she'd love it if you follow her on Facebook too. :) Today she's sharing with us about favor and faithfulness.

***

Oh how the church loves favor and who wouldn’t? It’s simply amazing.  It’s definitely something to celebrate. We say things like “I’m blessed and highly favored.” (I personally like that one.) Or, "I’m the head and not the tail,”  which in essence means I have the favor or the influence of God on me and in my circumstances. Meditate on that one long enough and you’ll get your praise on in no time!

What I find is sometimes when we say “I’m the head and not the tail” our actions say “I want the privileges (the favor or the influence) of the head however, only give me the responsibilities of the tail.”  

We like the privileges of title and position -- we like the favor or the influence of God, but do we like the responsibilities that come with them?

That favor or influence we get from God has responsibilities with it.  Grace, or favor is the ability to do what God has called us to do. If we aren’t going to do what God has called us to do and where He has called us to do it then the grace or favor was given in vain.

 

Favor comes in the form of gifting, anointing, bigger titles or positions, and larger ministries.  We hear expressions like, "expanding our territories"... that’s favor. Business owners think of it as a larger marketplace. Politicians think of it is as more points in the polls or larger demographics.

These giftings, anointings, positions, and titles are just tools or favor to get the job done.  If the we aren’t on the job then why have the tools?  If we aren’t going to be faithful to the favor we have now, why get more favor?

I find that many leaders want more and expect more favor from God but shirk their responsibilities where they are now. It’s like a business owner wanting to open a hundred franchises before ever working or managing just one store with success.  In the ministry I meet women who want to preach all over the world the things of God but refuse to start at the weekly women’s Bible study. I have leaders wanting a greater anointing and that’s great, however what are they doing with the anointing they have now?

 

The more faithful you are to the favor (influence) God has given you, the more faithful God is to giving you more favor.  They go hand in hand. When we take the responsibilities God has given us seriously right where we are now God will give us more. 

Faithfulness is valuable to God. If it wasn’t so why would He spend so much time testing, putting it under the fire and proving it?  Where we are right now is testing ground for our faith. The stronger that faith gets the more favor, the more giftings, the more influence we will have.

So how can we be faithful to the favor we have now? This is not an exhaustive list but it will get you going in the right direction. 

Don’t despise small beginnings

You will learn a whole lot more in these small classrooms than in the big ones.  It’s a whole lot easier and less embarrassing to fail in front of small audiences than large ones.  It’s the best place to get comfortable in your own skin.  Think about it, would you rather discover who you are and who you are not in front of two people or in front of two thousand?

Let God open the doors

He knows better than anyone when it’s time to give you more favor.  He might be building a stronger platform because the weight of your message is so heavy.  That platform could be your heart and character.

Stay within your ministry, your area of influence, but go all out in it

Find out your real giftings and how to use them.  Push the envelope within you sphere of influence, use all the resources you have within the ministry. Learn how to make good use of your time, energy and money now. As you begin to steward new ideas, resources and your time well, God will give you more new ideas, more resources and more time for new territories.

Stay humble

 Pride will get you to think that you know more than you do, do more than you can do and be more than you are.  Humility is being utterly dependent on God and completely submitted to His will. 

Preparation is service

 When men and women enlist in the military they are sent to boot camp.  Boot camp prepares them for service.  Just because they are in boot camp doesn’t mean they aren’t a soldiers. Just because you haven’t seen the fullness of your destiny doesn’t mean your not in it.  Just because you haven’t seen big and mighty exploits doesn’t mean you never will.  Take the ministry you are in now and give it your all and watch how God will turn  your little effort into big WINS!

Grace

Without His strength, I'd be done. It would be game over...

Is Eight-Hour Sleep Unnatural?

Do you ever take a "break" in the middle of an eight hour night of sleep?

This article posted on Arianna Huffington's facebook page was very intriguing to me. Evidently the "8 hour night of interrupted sleep"is labeled as unnatural by some as well as a relatively new phenomenon.

Those who wake up for a while in the middle of the night you may actually be doing what their bodies are designed to do after all. This is especially interesting to me right now as I'm thinking a lot more about rest and how it affects my effectiveness as I shared recently here on the blog.

What do you think?  Do you take breaks in your sleep?

I'm an Overnight Success!!!

 "Definition of overnight success---Endless nights, early morning, long weekends, books, mentors, working when no else tells you to or watching, failing more times than you succeed, wanting to quit over and over, yet not doing it and working toward continuous improvement.
  I am an overnight success." 
~  Keith Frein

 

Why you should push through anxiety and do things

When I was a kid I used to bite my nails down to the quick. It started when I was just a few years old, and I'd bite them until they bled.

I stopped in 1986.

It wasn't easy to break the habit, in fact it was one of the hardest things I ever managed to do, with God's help.

Most people don't realize it but I'm nervous about a lot of things I do, but never let it stop me from doing them. Although I don't bite my nails anymore there are other ways my anxiety decides to show up and I find various ways to conquer it through God's help. It's important to conquer fear, nervousness or anxiety so we can fulfill our callings in life.

Some people just assume things come easy but without exception anything significant I've ever managed to do has required pushing beyond anxious thoughts.

Max saw my suitcase packed last night before I went to bed and started acting depressed. First he laid by the suitcase, then plopped down in my spot on the bed and started chewing on the blanket. He never does that unless he's anxious. I knew he figured out I was leaving today and got upset. I tried to explain to him that Larry was staying home with  him but, well, you know...he just didn't get it. ;)

I'm leaving for Oklahoma this morning. I'll be there for a few days, to speak at a women's event at a church there.  My host is a delightful friend named Jessica Smith and she's  a pastor's wife, licensed counselor and a minister in her own right.

Max isn't the only one who gets a little nervous. Last night a couple in our church asked me if I was coming back after my trip. (Did they think I was going to leave my husband, kids, dogs, and church family and just start a new life out there? I guess stranger things have happened. They mentioned I was just gone last week and now I'm gone again. True, but I always come back. My husband and Max are always real glad and now I know at least two church people are glad too. ;)

I don't get nervous to share God's Word. It's everything else that makes me nervous. I get anxious that my work won't get done before I leave. Going away always means double work beforehand. Last night I finished at 2:00 AM. Although I always leave in plenty of time I get nervous I won't make it to the airport on time as soon as bumper to bumper traffic starts which often happens on 275 in Tampa.  Once I get in my seat on the plane I put worship music on with my headphones and start reading Psalms, because flying makes me nervous.

Why do put myself through stuff if it unnerves me?  Because for anything I've ever done that has been meaningful I've had to press through some type of discomfort with God's help. It's so worth it to see lives changed.
 
I will come home to be with our church family in the nick of time for Sunday.  Pray that hearts be open and lives be changed, for His glory in Oklahoma City. <3

Now, what anxious thoughts do YOU need to press through with God's help to do something meaningful?

One Way to Stay Blessable

It's leap day! What does this have to do with living a blessed life? I'm about to tell you.

My husband has been sending facebook messages all throughout the day to different people, thanking them for who they are in his life and what they have done to influence or bless him.  He says that with the extra day we have been given this year, he wants to spend it with an attitude of thanks. What a great idea!  I can't think of a better thing to do.

I'm a little behind on the gratitude curve today. The first time I gave thanks was when I woke up this morning and went bike riding. As I was breezing along I thanked God for the moments we shared. I chose to go without music this morning and just let it be him and I in the silence while I rode.

The second time was a quick prayer over lunch with my husband as we thanked God for our meal.

Aside from that I haven't given a lot of thanks today for anything specific because I have been overwhelmed getting ready to leave on a trip tomorrow and feeling under pressure like I always do before I travel. (Once I get on the plane I always breathe a sigh of relief that I got everything done and made it on board, and thoroughly enjoy myself thereafter!)

Larry's posts have been a reminder to me that I need some time to breathe and just stop and give praise. Thankfully I have a set time before church tonight for prayer and I can't wait to do just that!

A friend recently said something on Twitter that rocked my world. They said, "When we take things for granted, what is granted gets taken."  I don't want that to happen to me. I want to stay blessable. To live a blessed life we can't be like the lepers who were cleansed but went on their merry way so excited they failed to give thanks to the One who blessed them.

I am grateful, so thankful for everything in my life. For my amazing family, my loyal friends, for a church family that is incomparable, for a home and provision, for the two best dogs in the world. Most of all for a Savior who redeemed me and continues to lead me on a journey that has exceeded my dreams.

3 Questions To Ask If You Want to Work at Home

Are you a good candidate for teleworking? Would you thrive in your own business, working from home? There are a lot of things to consider, but here are three I believe are most important.


1) Are you a self starter? 

I have an office at the church, however I work from home for about 50% of my work week. This actually enables me to get a lot more done than I would otherwise, being that I am extremely self motivated.

Nobody is home with me most of the time, except for my dogs. They don't give me instruction to do all the computer or paperwork associated with my job seekers,  to finish the five projects on my plate for church that day, or to prepare a message to preach when I travel this weekend. I am responsible to start those projects, and finish them.

If you can't start projects on your own and follow them through without someone prodding you on, working from home is not for you. If you need constant encouragement or feedback from others to keep you motivated, you might want to reconsider.

2) Are you focused?

When I'm working from home there are a ton of things around me at the house that need to be done. Unfinished chores at home depress me.  I like to have absolutely everything in order at all times. However if a church project is due that morning or a job seeker's file needs attending to, or I have three church calls to return, the other things have to wait until I am finished with work.

Let me explain the practicality of this to you as well when it comes to family matters and working from home. Your family has to understand the focus your job demands. This requires their understanding that you are there at times but not really there, because you are technically still at work. At times I will be on the phone with a client, put the headset on mute and get up from the computer to go get a cup of coffee while I'm still listening attentively. One of the kids may walk out into the kitchen and see me from behind and not know I'm actually still at work.  When they say, "hey Mom..." I turn around and when they see the headset they know I'm still at work. Unless it's an emergency, their question waits.

The point is - despite the distractions around you including dirty laundry and kids who want to know why they can't find the Easy Mac that was supposed to be in the pantry, you must stay laser focused and get your work done. The good news for me is that when I work from home I get things done much quicker and can attend to home things sooner rather than later most times.  

3)  Do you have the discipline to stop?

For the person who remains focused, you can become so engrossed in your work that you find it hard to rest. Working from home is the perfect environment for boundary blurring. It can completely take over your life.

Even if you don't work from home as a general rule but simply make yourself available from home to your co-workers or clients, it can be all consuming. My husband makes himself available from whenever he works (church, home or otherwise)  for six days a week, yet everyone knows Friday is his day off. This past Friday, his phone rang three times all before 10:30 AM from church people wanting things from him. He just pleasantly and quickly gave them what they asked for when they called but after the third call I said, "how many more of those are you going to answer today?" gently (okay, not-so-gently) reminding him that he needed to get some rest.

Just as you set a boundary to make sure you get the work done you also have to be wise enough to set one so you can rest when the day is done, and on your day off each week.

If I set no boundaries I would easily work 16 hours a day.  And sadly, sometimes I have. This isn't good for my family, or for me personally. I don't have to keep strict track of the hours to know my boundaries are lacking. Everything is off spiritually, emotionally and physically.  For me, setting the boundary means stopping at a certain point each night, and refusing to answer correspondence or phone calls on my day off unless it's a life/death emergency. A healthy me and a healthy family demands it!

There are many things to consider, but these are just a few starting points if you are thinking about taking a job working from home, or starting a business.

A half hour lunch would be nice! Guest Post: Lisa Alexander

Today's post is a guest post by my good friend, Lisa Alexander. One of the reasons I am such a kindred spirit with Lisa is that like me she wears a lot of hats. We understand each other's worlds very well. Lisa is a wife, mom, minister, student, business owner, marketing guru (she wouldn't call herself that, but I'm just speaking truth) and lots more. She creates the WOW factor for her clients and does it like no other. If you need help with web launches, advertising campaigns, social media marketing, book launches and the like, she's your gal! We first met many years ago online but our relationship has transcended to an in person one as well. I've had the privilege of being in her home and meeting her family. She's the real deal, ya'll! Here's what's on her heart to share with us today about half hour lunches and so much more...

I am a wife.

I am a mom.

I am a minister.

I am a student.

I am a business owner.

I am also a few me’s short to get done everything I need and want to get done.

I remember when I worked a 9-to-5 I would scoff at a half-hour lunch break. I lamented, what in the world can you get done in a half hour? Then I changed jobs and got an hour lunch break and you better believe I thoroughly enjoyed this luxury. Now as a business owner who works out of her upstairs loft, I think a half-hour lunch break is the epitome of luxurious living. 

I know how I would operate my business if I were a single woman but that’s not my reality. The wife, the mom, the minister, and the student must all be gently juggled with the business owner who needs to earn a living. 

There ain’t no way

When I was younger, I would read the story of the virtuous woman in Proverbs 31…yea, you know her…and wonder how she got it all done. I felt less than adequate as a woman and a wife. But on further inspection of the scripture, the virtuous woman was smart enough to solicit help! There is no way she could care for her house and run a successful business by herself. There’s just no way. 

I’ll do it myself

But trusting other people to help me has been a learning process. Let’s be very honest and very real, the reason some us do many of the things we do is because extra funds simply do not exist to pay someone to help you. 

Then we believe the lie that no one will care for or perform a task as you would. And your kids reinforce this belief when called upon to ask with the household chores. We tell ourselves it’s better to do it ourselves than waste time redoing work that was haphazardly done. And your kids know this. Do a crappy job and mom will release me from the chore altogether. Ideally, you instruct your children, set the standard and reinforce the standard when they miss the mark. But honestly, who has time for that most days! There’s a client project to work on, an eight-page marketing paper due, a bible study lesson to prep for and a husband who needs your attention.

Let somebody help you

I recently blogged about a photo shoot and how I was prepared to style my own hair and apply my own makeup. A few things I’ve learned to do well over the years. So when my stylist asked if she could do it for me, my knee-jerk reaction was to say no. But her fee was reasonable and it would save me time and stress so I let her do it. Needless to say the shoot was amazing and her work was incredible! 

There are skilled, affordable and qualified people who can help you get everything you need to get done. God told Moses, look, you have the overall blue prints for the Tent of Meeting but I’ve got some folk who I’ve given the details too and they are skilled and qualified to do what I’ve shown you.

Pray God connect you with these people and then don’t tell them no when they ask to help.

Dear one be encouraged.

You’re not alone in your struggle to accomplish many tasks with limited resources.

Some things may have to wait…I didn’t try and go back to school until both my children were old enough to fend for themselves in the kitchen. I’ll graduate this year so that’s one less thing I have to do. 

And it’s ok if laundry doesn’t always get put up right away. If your kids and hubby have to pull clean underwear out the dryer at least it’s clean right?

Don’t believe the lie that no one can do it as good as you. Train, allow for mistakes and don’t allow yourself to dismiss people from their responsibilities. They have to learn just like you did.

Finally, know when to release your inner do-it-yourselfer. There comes a time when skilled and qualified, God-sent help arrives because it’s time to move full steam ahead with what God has assigned to your hands. 

Be blessed everyone.

Why it took me 56 days to do one household chore

I cleaned up our patio yesterday from the New Year's Eve party we had 56 days ago. True story. The chairs were still in the same little circle around the fire pit and the blankets right where everyone left them. The wood next to the fire pit needed to be reorganized and the blankets washed. I even found a stray napkin and cup in the yard.  They had migrated all the way over to the tangerine tree.  While I was at it, I finally took the Christmas lights off of the bushes in the backyard. This was in between the normal household chores yesterday and doing some cooking in advance for our leadership meeting tonight at CC.

I didn't get a moment to take care of the patio til' yesterday. It's been on my "to do" list that long. I say this for the benefit of everyone who says to me, "how do you do it all, Deanna?" Well, there's just one practical example for all of you who wonder, of one thing on the list that never got done until later.  I'm fixin' to make a point here, so hold on...

I'm on the road this morning by myself headed to the Orlando area to preach at New Destiny Assembly of God, pastored by some amazing friends, Pastors Victor & Keila Vega.  I know God is going to show up at New Destiny and he's also going to do a great work at Celebration Church Tampa where the rest of my family will be this morning with our church family.  On Monday through Wednesday it'll be crunch time to cover my responsibilities with church and with NextJob.  I'll speak at Fusion service at Celebration on Wednesday night and then leave Thursday morning for Oklahoma, where I'll speak for another friend and get back late Saturday night in time to be with my church family again Sunday morning.

Life is busy. This is why it sometimes takes me 56 days to do one household chore. 

I was at a seminar a few years ago where the speaker (a woman) mentioned that she was coming back into a speaking ministry after taking time off. The reason was that in the past she was sitting at her dining room table preparing a message to preach at a church and as she did so, looked up to see that her ceiling fan was dirty. Upon seeing the dirty ceiling fan she had the thought that she shouldn't be going anywhere to teach God's Word if her ceiling fan at home wasn't clean.  Her thought was, "what kind of woman am I if I am not keeping my ceiling fans clean at home yet I go out to preach the gospel?

My thought was that my husband preached for a few years straight and some of our sprinkler heads in the yard weren't working. He didn't stop preaching until they were fixed.

I give him a list of "honey do" chores and sometimes he doesn't get to them for a while.  Sometimes he gets to them in days, other times weeks or months depending on his schedule. Even so he doesn't stop bringing God's Word. He's not a bad man, an unfit husband, father or preacher. I assure you he hasn't lost sleep for even a night over sprinkler heads or thought he was unfit for ministry because of it. 

Sometimes women can really get a case of the guilts over the fact that our homes aren't absolutely perfect. Make no mistake, I do believe keeping the home fires burning. We have to keep our marriage strong and spend time with and care for our children. We also must cover the basic necessities of life - meals cooked, clothes washed, etc. Those things are critical, but the truth is that some other things can keep for a while, especially if it's for the sake of the gospel. A lost soul is worth some dirt on a ceiling fan or some patio chairs that need to be reorganized.

Yes, it took me 56 days to do one thing. All things considered, it's worth it. God is going to do a great work this morning at New Destiny and it will be worth my linen closet that needs to be reorganized. Give me another 56 days...