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Study to Show Yourself Approved

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There are so many benefits to our lives if we are willing to invest time into ourselves and the studies it requires for improving in all areas of life. It is unfortunate that a high percentage of people  never read or study a book the remainder of their lives upon graduation from high school or college. With the rapid changes in technology and global growth, if you are not willing to invest in yourself, you will soon be left behind with limited skills and abilities. In this Wisdom Note, let us explore the many benefits of continual study and improvement.

When I refer to books in today’s notes I am referring to physical, electronic, and audiobooks as well as any other types of online or offline articles and courses. All of the books that you will ever need to make you as rich, as healthy, as happy, as powerful, as sophisticated, and as successful as you want to be have already been written. They will provide you with the rich and satisfying life that is written of in John [10:10]. Always keep in mind that when Scripture refers to a rich and satisfying life, it has little to do with material wealth although that could be a facet of it if we keep it in proper perspective.

People from all walks of life, people with some of the most incredible life experiences, and people who have gone from pennies to fortune and from failure to success have taken the time to write down their experiences so that you might share in their wealth of knowledge. They have offered their wisdom and experience so that you can be inspired and instructed by it and allow it to amend your philosophy. Their contributions enable you to change the trails of life that you hike based upon their experiences. They have handed you the gift of their insights so that you can change your plans, if need be, in order to avoid their errors. You can rearrange your lives based on their wise advice.

All of the insights that you might ever need have already been captured by others in books. The important question is this: In the last ninety days, with this treasure of information that could change your lives, your fortunes, your relationships, your health, your children, and your careers for the better, how many books have you read? With a plethora of information at your finger tips at little or no cost, there are no excuses.

Why do we neglect to read the books that can change our lives? Why do we complain but remain the same? Why do so many of us curse the effect but nourish the cause? How do we explain the fact that only a small percent of our entire world population that have access to libraries or the internet actually spend the time improving themselves through self-study? The opportunity is there for us to access all of the answers to success, happiness, and knowledge we could ever want. Those who wish for a better life cannot permit themselves to miss the books and other materials that could have a major impact on how their lives turn out. The books you don’t study will not help you!

The issue is not that books and study materials are too expensive! If you conclude that the price of buying the book is too great, wait until you must pay the price for not buying it. Wait until you receive the bill for continued and prolonged ignorance.

There is very little difference between someone who cannot read and someone who will not read. The result of either is ignorance. Those who are serious seekers of personal development must remove the self-imposed limitations they have placed on their reading/studying skills and their reading/studying habits. There is a multitude of offline and online classes being taught continually on many topics, including how to be a good reader. There are thousands of books online or on the shelves of the public libraries just waiting to be read. Most will not cost you anything, except an investment of time. Reading is essential for those who seek to rise above the ordinary. You must not permit anything to stand between you and the books and study materials that could change your life.

A little reading or studying each day will result in a wealth of valuable information in a very short period of time. But if you fail to set aside the time, if you fail to read or listen to the books, if you fail to exercise the discipline, then ignorance will quickly move in to fill the void. Ignorance is not bliss. Ignorance is just ignorant. There is an enormous cost in remaining ignorant – a cost much higher than we will ever pay for wisdom and knowledge. There are no excuses.

If you seek a better life, you must first become a better person. You must continually seek after self-mastery for the purpose of developing a balanced philosophy of life, and then live in accordance with the dictates of that philosophy. The habit of reading/studying is a major stepping-stone in the development of a sound spiritual, emotional, physical, and philosophical foundation. And in my opinion, it is one of the fundamentals required for the attainment of success and happiness.

As a Christ follower, I firmly believe that the foundation of wisdom and knowledge comes from the Bible, and it will serve you very well to include it in your study time. As is written in Joshua 1:8, “Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.”

Hard Work Can Perform Miracles

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A New Year is time to reflect on the miracle of life. Life in itself is a miracle, and we need to make sure that we take time each day to be thankful for all of the miracles that we experience, both small and large. Regardless of our age or status in life, our ability to perform some sort of labor, whether little or much, has the capability to make an impact on our world and indeed the entire world to bring about miracles in the lives of others.

While I don’t think any of us really enjoy paying taxes, we certainly do like some of the benefits that we receive from the taxes we do pay. Most of us would like to experience a phenomenon at tax time and have our taxes paid miraculously, but that is not how it works. Another tax situation is recorded in the Good News according to Matthew, who himself was a former tax collector. The story is recorded in Matthew 17:24-27. The tax collectors were out doing their work, and they accused Jesus of not paying his share of taxes although technically Jesus was required to pay it. In verse 27 Jesus said, “However, we don’t want to offend them, so go down to the lake and throw in a line. Open the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you will find a large silver coin. Take it and pay the tax for both of us.”

We read in the passage that Jesus’ disciple Peter came to him and said it was time to pay taxes, but they had no money. In response to his disciple’s statement, Jesus said, “No problem.” Now, why could he say “no problem”? Well, word had it that Jesus was a miracle worker. If you hand a problem to a miracle worker they are inclined to say “no problem.” It is good when you are able to hang out with people like that.

I do not want to minimize the miracles of Jesus at all because they are truly miracles. When you really think about the universe and so much that goes on around us, then we can see miracles every day. God works through faithful and gifted individuals to bring about what is considered miracles to others. The question is, “Are you allowing miracles to be worked through you?”

Since I have nearly 40 years of experience in technology, some may look at what I am able to perform on computers as miracles, but, unlike Jesus, it has taken me many years to gain these miraculous abilities and skills.

Those individuals who have honed their skills can appear to be miracle workers. If you hand any of them a problem guess what they say. That’s right. They say, “No problem.” How many books will they read to solve a problem? As many as it takes. If they need to consult, how much consulting will they do? As much as it takes. How early will they get up? As early as it takes. “No problem…” You need to surround yourself with people like that. You cannot believe the thrill of being associated with miracle workers – people who will do whatever it takes to get the job done and perform miracles. This association allows you to also become good at your craft.

When asked about paying the taxes Jesus said it was “no problem.” In fact, he said it was going to be easy. He told Peter to just go fishing. Now, it couldn’t have been any easier than that, especially for this disciple because Peter was a fisherman. If you can fish and you should fish and you don’t fish, then that is why you do not get a miracle. But, Jesus told his disciple to go fishing and to look in the mouth of the first fish that he caught. Peter, who was getting used to these strange happenings and miracles agreed to go. Well, Peter caught his first fish and looked in its mouth and found a large silver coin. Peter then realizes that the coin was exactly enough to pay his and Jesus’ taxes.

Once again, I am in no way minimizing the miracles of Christ, but we would say, “Wow! That is a miracle!” We call it a miracle simply because we don’t quite understand how it works. That’s all. It doesn’t mean it doesn’t work, it just means we don’t quite understand how it works, which is true of all miracles. It was “no problem” for Jesus. In fact, for most of us, our whole life is a miracle.

How about this miracle. God says if you plant the seed, I will make the tree. Wow! You can’t have a better arrangement than that. First, it gives God the tough end of the deal. What if you had to make a tree? That would keep you up late at night trying to figure out how to make a tree. God says, “No, leave the miracle part to me. I’ve created the seed, the soil, the sunshine, the rain, and the seasons. I’m God and all this miracles stuff is easy for me. I have reserved something very special for you, though, and that is to plant the seed.” So are you fulfilling your part in God’s miracles?

I have found in life that if you want a miracle, you first need to do whatever it is you can do. If that’s to plant, then plant. If it is to read, then read. If it is to change, then change. If it is to study, then study. If it is to work, then work. Whatever you have to do, do it. And then you will be well on your way to doing the labor that works miracles.

Even in the miracle of new life in Christ, we must do our part, but it is God who performs the miracle as the Apostle Paul wrote in his first letter to the Colossians in Chapter 3 verses 6 through 8, “I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work.”

There is much we may not understand yet, but as we grow in wisdom and insight, we will come to understand our part in the miracle process. Work hard and you can perform miracles.

Christmas Courage – The Story of Joseph

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In this note, we will diverge for a bit to bring you a story of Christmas during this special time of year. There is a story of courage that took place at the first Christmas. We often miss it because our focus is on a young mother and a baby. But the character I want us to focus on during this trek was in the story too.

He heard firsthand that his bride-to-be was pregnant, and it was not his child. This was difficult for him to deal with, but he wanted to handle the situation properly. As he thought about what to do, he experienced a personal message from God because of the extraordinary event. He stood by the manger where the baby was laid. He provided protection for the mother and child during the early years of the child’s life. The man’s name, of course, is Joseph.

What can we learn from Joseph? Let’s read his story from Matthew [1:18]-25.

This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph, her fiancé, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly. As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:

“Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel,
which means ‘God is with us.’”

When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.

1. God gives courage to ordinary people.

In the midst of the story of the miraculous birth of Jesus, we find an ordinary man by the name of Joseph. Many of us don’t view biblical characters as ordinary, do we? Many times we attribute to them almost super-human powers. But folks, that is not the case. They were people just like you and me. They had problems, fears, doubts, and worries just like you and me, yet God is able to use them. In fact, that is a major theme of the Bible.

“God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things.”

Look at how Paul states this fact in 1 Corinthians 1:26-29, “Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.”

Joseph was an ordinary man, but He was a man God could trust to be strong in the midst of crisis. He was strong and resilient enough to protect his family. Matthew says it this way, “He was a good man.” In other words, he was a man of honor. Did he have concerns? Yes, but he was a man, as the Scriptures tells us, that was “good.”

Let’s read the first part of this passage again.

This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph, her fiancé, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.

Joseph was an ordinary man, yet he was a good man. What that means is that Joseph displayed moral courage. Joseph displayed the character of God in his own life. That’s tough to do sometimes, isn’t it?

In the movie Cinderella Man, we meet a man like Joseph. It is a story that takes place during the Great Depression. The father is a boxer who has lost everything, and the family is starving to death. His son steals a loaf of bread to help his starving family. The father rebukes his son and makes him apologize to the storekeeper. This God-fearing father may not have been able to fill his family’s stomachs with food, but he was able to nourish their spirits. Joseph was a man like that. He was an ordinary man but a man with moral courage.

As we reflect on Joseph, we see that he was ordinary but good. He was also a very courageous man that would have to remain good in the face of ridicule and slander. We should all endeavor to be like Joseph in our lives.

2. God gives us the courage to overcome our doubts and fears.

We can only imagine how Joseph must have felt when he found out that Mary was pregnant. His natural response would have been that she had been unfaithful to him. He knew the child was not his. She must have been unfaithful. What emotions do you think he would have?

Shock, disappointment, embarrassment, sorrow, anger…Probably a mixture of all. Yet Joseph’s character enabled him to keep a rein on his emotions. His love for God and for Mary compelled him to seek a way to protect her. You know the scripture says in 1 Peter 4:8, “Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.”

And also in Galatians 5:22-23, “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”

Joseph faced down his own emotions and courageously chose to protect Mary. Can you imagine rumors that must have spread through the community? The neighbors would have thought that they had broken the law. Obviously, the neighbors thought that they were having a sexual relationship.

Regardless of what others say or think, we must do what Joseph did. It is always the right time to do the right thing. God gives us the courage to face our own doubts and fears and also the rumors of others.

The third point I want to explore with you in this courageous story of Joseph is…

3. God gives us the courage to face the future.

It would take unrelenting courage to deal with the life that Joseph had to face. In the case of Joseph, he was given a vision – a dream to help reinforce his faith. He knew the neighbor’s opinion of him would change. He knew the rumors would be flying. But he also knew that God had spoken to him in a special way. The scriptures say, “As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream.”

Does God always give a vision to people? No, it does not appear to be frequent today since we have the full revelation of Jesus Christ in God’s Word. But sometimes He does. Sometimes God will give you a vision. Does God always give a vision to people? No, it does not appear to be frequent today since we have the full revelation of Jesus Christ in God’s Word. But sometimes He does.

Sometimes God will give you a vision. Sometimes He will speak to you in a dream. Sometimes He will lead you to a verse in the Bible and show you how that verse applies to your situation. He does not do that every time, but sometimes He does. But you know what He will always do? If you are Christian, if you have accepted Jesus as your Savior, if you have the Holy Spirit living inside you, He will never, never, never leave you or forsake you. He will always be there. That is a promise.

Hebrews 13:5 – Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”

This fact gives me the courage to face the unknown as described in Romans 8:31, “What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?”

When we face doubts, when we face fears, when we face an uncertain future, we are tempted to avoid the wilderness. We like our comfort zones. If we are approaching an area of the unknown, we try to find another way around or to make a U-turn to avoid it. We are afraid of the wilderness. There might be Giants there. There might be bullies there. There might be rumors and teasing. There might be hardships and struggles. But it is only by a journey through the wilderness that we will reach the Promised Land. And if we make the journey, God will be with us. Think of what Joseph had to endure and remember, “It is only by a journey through the wilderness that we will reach the Promised Land.”

God gives courage to ordinary people like you and me and Joseph.
God gives the courage to face our doubts and fears.
God gives the courage to face the future.

Trust in God. Believe in Him. No matter what you are going through He will be there with you.

What a marvelous story of courage that we find in this ordinary and humble man, Joseph. Dare to be a Joseph. Dare to be ordinary, but good. We can be courageous and remain good in the face of hardships, ridicule, and slander. We should all endeavor to be like Joseph in our lives.

9 Nuggets More Valuable Than Money

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In this note, we will explore 9 things or attributes that are far more valuable than any amount of money.

When starting a business or any worthwhile pursuit in life, whether it is full-time or part-time, we all know the value of having adequate capital or money…But you have probably heard of people who started a business or organization with little or no money and then went on to great success and fortune. “How?” you may ask.
Well, I believe there are actually some things that are more valuable than money that can lead to your entrepreneurial success. Let me give you the list.

1. Time

Time is more valuable than money. The time you set aside should not be wasted and not be given away. The time you set aside to invest in a business that brings value to the marketplace with the hope of making a profit can be considered money time.

How valuable is time? Time properly invested is worth a fortune. Time wasted can be devastating. Time invested can perform miracles, so do not spend time as you would spending money. Invest your time so that it provides wealth for the future.

2. Desperation

When you have very little money you work from the perspective of desperation. Not in a stupid manner, but in a manner that is wise. You make sure that every dollar invested produces a good return because you have no choice. It is amazing how enterprising you can become when it is do or die financially. Desperation can be a powerful incentive. At this point, you say, “I must make this work.”

3. Determination

Determination is the outgrowth of desperation. If you know you have no choice then you must become very determined. Just like a snowball gathers more snow as it rolls down the hill, so determination allows you to continue to grow when there are no other choices. You can say to yourself “If it works once, it will work again.”

4. Courage

Courage is more valuable than money. If you only have a few dollars and a lot of courage, I’m telling you, you have a good future ahead of you. Have courage in spite of the circumstances. Humans can do the most incredible things no matter what happens. Haven’t we heard the stories? From the stories of Victor Frankl or Corrie Ten Boom from the Nazi concentration camps to the heroic stories from 9/11, these are unbelievable stories of being in the depths of hell and finally making it out. You can’t sell humans short. Courage in spite of, not because of, but in spite of the circumstances is what we all need. When starting a business with no money, you also need the courage to continue on when the times are most bleak. Perform heroic acts of personal sacrifice today so that you will have a chance of a better tomorrow even when there are no guarantees.

5. Ambition

Ambition is more valuable than money. Ambition, when linked to courage, determination, and desperation, allows you to invest the time necessary in the proper activities that will produce a return.

6. Faith

Once you put into motion the first five precepts then we start to gain the faith needed to survive. At first, our faith will be weak and shaky, but the more that we move forward with confidence the more faith that we will gain. As it says in Hebrews 11:1-2, “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation.”

It is with faith that you start to believe in yourself. You realize that maybe you can make this happen. Your self-esteem starts to soar. These are investments that are unmatched. Money can’t touch it. What if you had a million dollars and no faith? You’d be poor. You wouldn’t be rich.

7. Ingenuity

Ingenuity is putting your brains to work. Until you are really challenged, you’ve put about 10% of your brainpower to work. What if you engaged the other 90%? You can’t believe what can happen. Humans can come up with the most intriguing things to do. Ingenuity. What’s ingenuity worth? A fortune. It is more valuable than money. All you need is a few dollars and plenty of ingenuity. Figuring out a way to make it work and not stopping.

8. Passion

What is a substitute for passion? It’s not money. Money can’t buy passion. Passion is more valuable than a million dollars. If you have a million dollars without passion, you have no life. You are ineffective. Passion is like the unseen magic that moves people to commit, to make decisions, to act, and to respond.

9. Personality

You may have to spruce up and sharpen up your own personality. You have plenty of personality. Just get it developed to where it is effective every day, it’s effective no matter who you talk to whether it is a child, a business person, a rich person, or a poor person. You need a unique personality that is at home anywhere.

One of my mentors taught me you have to learn to be just as comfortable with yourself, whether it is in a little run down home with an old friend or as a guest of someone of great prominence that you are in awe of. Move with ease whether it is with the rich or with the poor. And it makes no difference to you who is rich or who is poor. You know you have the chance to have a unique relationship with whomever. That kind of personality is comfortable. That kind of personality does not get bent out of shape. Don’t judge others by their status in life.

And lastly, let’s not forget attractiveness and humbleness. Being an attractive person with a good dose of humility is the key to creating a winning scenario in business and in life.

This entire list is more valuable than money. With one dollar and the list, I just gave you, the world is yours. It belongs to you, whatever piece of it you desire and whatever development you wish for your life. I’ve given you the secret assets. These kind of assets are more valuable than money and can secure your future and fortune. And best of all, they are all free. Remember that you do not lack the resources for success, it is up to you to utilize them.

Even when the times are difficult and you would are tempted to give up, let’s remember what the Apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the church in Galatia 6:9-10, “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.”

Life Is Shaped by the Language We Use

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In this note, we will discuss how what we say and how we say it can have a major impact on our lives. Our time of discovery for today will focus on…

The Subtlety of Language

I have found that sometimes the subtle difference in our attitude, which of course makes a major difference in our future, can be as simple as the language we use. The difference is even in how you talk to yourself or others. Consciously making a decision to quit saying what you don’t want and to start saying what you do want. In some aspects, I call that faith or confidence – believing the best, hoping for the best, and moving toward the best.

A few examples could be instead of saying “What if somebody doesn’t respond to me?” start saying, “What if they do respond?”

Instead of saying “What if someone says no?” say, “What if they say yes?” Instead of “What if they start and quit?” say, “What if they start and stay?” Or instead of “What if it doesn’t work out?” you say, “What if it does work out?” And the list goes on and on.

I found that when you start thinking and saying what you really want, then your mind automatically shifts and pulls you in that direction. And, sometimes it can be that simple, just a little twist in vocabulary that illustrates your attitude and philosophy.

Our language can also affect how others perform and behave around us. As an example, a teenager says to a parent, “I need $50.” And if the parent learns to say, “No comprendo. That kind of language doesn’t work here. We have the money to give, but that’s not how you get $50,” then he teaches the teenager to ask, “How can I earn $50?”

That is the magic of words. There is money available here. There is money for everybody, but you just have to learn the magic words to get them. If you just learn the philosophy of asking “How can I earn $50?” you can get everything you’d possibly want.

You can’t go to the soil and say, “Give me a harvest.” You know the soil smiles and says, “Who is this clown that brings me his need and brings me no seed?” Instead, if you said to the soil, “I’ve got this seed and if I planted it, would you work while I sleep?” Then the soil says, “No problem. Give me the seed. Go to sleep, and I’ll be working while you’re sleeping.”

If you just understand these simple principles, teaching them to a teenager (or adult) is sometimes just a matter of language. It’s like an investment account instead of a savings account. It’s simple language, but it’s so important. It is easy to stumble through almost a lifetime and not learn some of these simplicities.

If you don’t learn them, though, then you have to put up with the lack and the challenges that don’t work out simply from not reading the proper books, not listening to the proper training like this podcast, not sitting in the class, and not studying the principles that will change your life. Does your language limit you so that you are not willing to search for the information and find the resources you require?

In order to obtain resources, information, or relationships, you must take continual action. You cannot obtain without putting forth the effort. It is the principle of planting and harvesting. A farmer cannot go to the land and say, “I planted last year, so produce for me a crop again this year.” That is not how life works. Luke 11:9-10 gives us the pattern, “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” Results follow actions.

If you don’t like where you are in life today or if you desire changes in your life, here is the great news. You can start this change process anytime. For me, I started to put the principles for success into practice early in my adult life. We have had our share of steep uphill climbs, times of trials where we lost nearly everything, as well as times of bounty as we continued to apply the principles for success.

In my experience, it takes about seven years to go from a place of desperation to complete freedom. I call this my “Seven-Year Price.” It may be a different timeline for you, but it will take time. There is no elevator to the top. It is one step at a time, and the stairs are usually very steep.

You might say, “What kind of revolution, what kind of change, what kind of thinking, what kind of magic had to happen? Was it you?” And I say, “No. Any person of any age and any status in life has the capability to succeed.” Any seven years – 25 to 32, 50 to 57, 65-72 will work. The starting point is not the issue if you truly desire to change in your life. Whether it is seven years, a few more, or a few less, the number of years depends on you. You must be willing and embark on an intensive, accelerated personal development curve, learning curve, and application curve to learn the disciplines and principles.

Now, it might not take the same amount of time, but the changes and the rewards in some fashion are available for those who are willing to pay that “Seven-Year Price.” You will find in addition to the time and effort that you invest, your language can have a great impact on your attitude, actions, and results. The subtlety of language is so crucial. Self-talk will program your brain to achieve what you tell yourself you are capable of. That can be very little, or it can be much. The choice is yours.

As we talk to ourselves we need to understand that life is shaped by the language we use. Let’s speak carefully and encouraging.