The Lord Will Make a Way by Lawrence Powell |
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I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. ~Isaiah 43:19 At the time of Isaiah’s ministry, Judah was going through periods of revival and periods of rebellion. Because of Judah’s rebellion, they were threatened with destruction by enemy forces. Yet, each time they were spared because of God’s rich mercies. Have you ever been spared from something because of God’s mercy? Aren’t you grateful for it? You and I know very well where we’ve blown it, sinned, and found ourselves in great suffering from the consequence of our sin and the judgment we received. But even when we sin, God does not give up on us. I want to encourage you today that if you’re struggling in sin, God has not given up on you. God will not give up on you. He’s begun a good work in you and that work will be completed even to the day of Jesus Christ. I’m glad that, even though God has given us the gift of choice, He is still a sovereign God and can intervene. God can step in and do whatever He wants to do so that His will is accomplished. I’m grateful today that when I was trying to go left, God said, “Not so!” and turned me back right again. God’s got a word of promise that’s tailor-made for you today! As a principal, what He revealed to the prophet Isaiah then is still relevant, alive and powerful today: The Lord WILL make a way for you! I want to give you six words from the Lord, as revealed in Isaiah 43: Don’t be afraid: But now, says the Lord who created you, O Jacob, and He who has formed you, O Israel, ‘Fear not! For I have redeemed you and I have called you by name” (Isaiah 43:1). I don’t know what you’re afraid of, but God says “Fear not!” Don’t fear! Fear is a controller. It intimidates and manipulates. Fear is a crippler. It keeps us focused on the past, anxious about today and worried about tomorrow. Remember what Paul said to Timothy: “God has not given you a spirit of fear, but of power, of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). You belong to God: It says in Zechariah 2:8, “…he who touches you touches the apple of His eye.” The “apple of the eye” refers to the tenderest part of the pupil. Imagine getting poked in the eye. When people touch you, God feels it! When they mess with you, God takes it personally. If you’re a parent you know that, if somebody messes with your child, you’ll do everything in your power to make sure that child is protected! How much more so will our Heavenly Father protect us? When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord lifts up a standard against him. God’s not a deadbeat dad; He takes care of His children! Test and trials will not destroy you: Isaiah 43:15 tells us, “When you pass through the waters, I’ll be with you. And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned.” There’s a lie circulating that when you accept Jesus into your life, you are exempted from trials and tribulations. Jesus said in this world you will have tribulation and persecution. But those who suffer with Him shall reign with Him, according to Scripture. You’ll go through, but you’re going to come out victoriously, amen? God always brings His children out of their troubles into triumphs. “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers them out of them all” (Psalm 34:19). Take your eyes off the drama; get your eyes off the pain; stop focusing on the trauma. You’re coming out of trouble, and the other side is way better than what you’re experiencing now! You are not alone: “Fear not, for I am with you” (Isaiah 43:5). True, you can be in a room full of people or in a crowd someplace and still feel alone. You can reason to yourself, “Well, if I just get married, I won’t be alone.” But you can be with your spouse, your seven kids, your gerbil, your dogs, your cats and your goldfish—and have TVs on in every room–and still feel alone. I want you to know that even in times when it feels like God is a million miles away, He is right there—and you are actually never alone! He said to Joshua, “Be strong and of good courage, don’t be afraid nor dismayed for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Friend, you’ve got to get this: The Lord your God is with you! Jesus said, “Lo, I will be with you always, even to the end of the world.” And He meant it! You’re going to be a living witness: You’re going to know for yourself that the Lord is with you. It’s not what you heard from your mom or other people. Thank God for your mother’s experiences and for all the experiences that others have had and shared, but you’ve got to have your own experience. God says you’re going to have a personaltestimony to share on the witness stand—an experience of His Power and Glory all your own! He says, “You’re going to see this with your own eyes. You will go through trials, but you will experience victory …and tell others about it! God’s got your back: The Lord is the Redeemer, the Holy One, who “makes a way in the sea and a path through the mighty waters” (Isaiah 43:14-17). You know the people who think you’re down and out and won’t make it out of your current hardship? The ones who didn’t think you’d be able to live for God five days, let alone five years? The people who smile in your face and then stab you in the back? God says, “I’m going to handle this for you.” Remember: “’Vengeance is mine,’ saith the Lord.” Isaiah 43:19 says, “I will make a way in the wilderness and make streams in the desert.”Whenever God wills a thing, that thing, in fact, is already done! With these precious promises, you can be sure that no matter what obstacles or hardships you face, the Lord will indeed make a way for you! What an awesome God we serve! |
Monthly Archives: November 2015
Energy Leadership
Energy Leadership
Leaders know that disengagement causes lower productivity, increased turnover, and deteriorating morale.
As a leader, if you’re disengaged, or not as engaged as you could be, a game of follow-the-leader ensues. The result: employees who are so dissatisfied that they can’t wait to find a new job. Worse, many high potentials, in whom you’ve invested, are also looking to leave.
Core Energy Coaching™
The benefit of the Core Energy Coaching™ process is that it enables leaders to raise their own conscious awareness and provides processes and tools to assist them in leading others towards a stated goal or task.
You will learn how to break through limiting thoughts and emotional responses, so that you can replace them with supportive, empowering beliefs that will lead to powerful and consistent ACTION. When you as a leader are highly aware of how you think, feel, and act, the stage is set for sustainable growth personally and professionally. The process will allow you shift into high performance mode that you truly desire and help you accomplish exponentially greater results while expending less effort.
Benefits of Core Energy Coaching™
- You will identify desired goals, and work with them to break through any blocks that are preventing you from moving forward
- You will identify how your past experiences have formed beliefs that are holding you back. You will re-engineer those beliefs so you can achieve greatness personally and professionally
- You will create measures of success that fits you and your profession
- You will recognize the challenges you face today are often symptoms of another underlying cause. The Core Energy Coaching™ process will assist you in determining the root cause(s) of what has held you back from reaching your potential as a leader.
PRICING
Core Energy Coaching™, Energy Leadership Assessment, 2 hour debrief meeting and three 30 minute follow-up meeting with a Javis Brunson Consultants advisor will cost $575.
Email (jay@javisbrunsonconsultants.com) to schedule a 15-minute introductory phone conversation to discuss how we can help you become a better leader.

Making Every Day Thanksgiving
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The Most Important Moment
The Most Important Moment |
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“One of the most severe punishments for a prisoner is solitary confinement; one of the most hurtful things kids do on a playground is to ditch another kid; one of the most frustrating and hurtful things that friends can do to each other is to give “the silent treatment.” These are all experiences of social isolation; and social isolation is the strongest psychological risk factor for disease. More than stress, more than anything else. Of course the moments I’m talking about are not as severe as total social isolation, but they are threads of the same cloth. Research shows how even mild experiences can have a huge effect: Pedestrians who walked past a stranger without getting any acknowledgment from that stranger reported a substantially lower sense of connection to other people — just from that one moment. People riding an elevator who were completely ignored by the stranger next to them moved from feelings of happiness toward feelings of hurt. In a computer simulation of a game of catch, when people were not thrown the ball for just five minutes, they felt more sadness, despair and hostility, and less self-esteem, sense of belonging, sense of control, and meaning in life… in five minutes. With a stranger. Even with a stranger they were told they would not like. Imagine how much more intense it is for us to be ignored by somebody we know and care about. And yet most of us are unaware of how often we do this. It is so easy to get caught up in whatever it is that we’re doing, and miss these moments of contact — the moments when the people we care about ask for our attention. We usually think that it will be just fine to respond a little later when we’re done with our task. We do this not because we’re rotten people, or because we don’t care about our mate or our children or our friends, but because these moments can be easy to miss, and we don’t realize the power that’s contained in them. Sometimes when I tell my clients about this, they say something to the effect of: “But if I respond, won’t I have to do what the other person is asking? What if I’m busy? What if I don’t want to do what they’re asking? Do I have to always drop everything whenever someone wants my attention?” Let me clarify something that will make doing this much easier, and much more attractive. When somebody — our mate, our child, a friend — asks for our attention, all we have to do to make a better relationship is within that moment when we turn toward them and acknowledge their request. We don’t have to do what they’re asking us to do. Sure, it’s nice if we can, and we want to follow through and be more involved as often as possible; but that’s not the most important thing. What’s most important is the initial immediate response. Say for example your wife asks if you could help her to do a chore, but you have work to finish, and you can’t reasonably take the time right now to help her. Just physically turn toward her, and say something like, “I’d like to help, but I have to finish what I’m doing. I’ll be done in about an hour, and I’d be happy to help you then.” Or, “I’m sorry honey; I’ve got my hands full, and I really can’t help you now.” Or what if your son wants to tell you about an idea he has, but you’re really busy? Turn toward him and take a moment to say something like, “I really want to hear about your idea, but I have some things I need to take care of right now that I can’t put off, could you tell me about it when I’m finished?” Now, they may be disappointed, but they won’t feel ignored. The moment that matters most is the initial response, when we physically turn toward the other person and respond to their request for our attention. In that moment we are communicating volumes. We’re saying that we care about them, that we hear them, we see them, and that they matter to us. On the other hand, when we don’t respond, we’re saying something more like, “I don’t see you, I don’t hear you, I don’t care about you, and you don’t matter to me.” All in a moment. One of the most important and gratifying experiences that we give one another in a relationship is visibility. The experience of being seen is a deep human need, and our closest relationships are where we meet that need. The more we share these moments, the more resilient our relationships become. When we have the kind of base that is built by countless friendly, kind, and playful interactions, then when the inevitable hard conflicts or misunderstandings come, they are much less daunting – because they are exceptions to the overall spirit that we’ve created over time. These smaller habits are also what build the foundation that can make the bigger positive events much more fun and satisfying. There is more to building a great relationship of course. But establishing this simple habit of immediately responding to a request for attention can act as a powerful positive catalyst. It binds with and enhances every other positive thing we do; it can significantly improve your relationships — and it only takes a moment. |
What every small business owner needs to know about Buyer Personas
What every small business owner needs to know about Buyer Personas
by Joe DeMicco @demicco
Successful small businesses (well all businesses I guess) know that happy customers are key to their growth and future. The best way to keep customers happy is to know them as well as possible and serve them in ways that are meaningful to them specifically. Whether you market B2B or B2C, your target audience groups consist of real people, with real lives, wants, pains, goals, responsibilities, challenges, and jobs, with bosses they have to answer to. The goal is to get to know them on a personal level so that you can start to deliver useful business content and messaging that will resonate with them and get them to take action.
For most of us, getting to know each one of our potential and existing customers is an impossible task. Luckily, many of them have shared traits and commonalities. By gathering these shared traits and commonalities into a single persona profile, we can create a prototype of our ideal customer. We call this a Buyer Persona.
You likely have more than one Buyer Persona type that you sell to. The idea is focus on your ideal Buyer Personas – those who represent the strongest, most rewarding business opportunities. Depending on the size and nature of your business, you may end up with a minimum of two and potentially three to five for each business division you have. It is best to keep them to a minimum, remember, you are considering those who are your ideal customers because of what you are going to do next.
The next step is to use what you know about each one of your Buyer Personas in all future business considerations, including: developing content such as website copy, case studies, white papers, technical documentation, videos, social media posts, advertising copy, promotional materials, and pre- and post-sale communications; developing new products, services, events, training, and customer support channels; and even expanding your physical presence to new geographic areas.
Whether its delivering a specific type of content – at a certain time – to the right person via the right channel, or opening a new store in a new city, Buyer Personas give you much of the valuable insight you need to do the right things at the right time. Buyer Personas are the key that unlocks the opportunities to attract new business, make sales, and develop customer loyalty that not only sustains your business but helps it to continue to grow.
Break the Shackles of Debt
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The Truth About Money
by Craig Ballantyne, editor
Deep inside the SLS Hotel in Las Vegas lies a cavernous, and carnivorous, restaurant called Bazaar. Helmed by the celebrity chef, Jose Andres, you can order the finest charcuterie, rib eye steaks 2.5 inches thick, and if you call a day in advance, a whole suckling pig delivered to your table (recommended for groups of 6 or more). It’s not cheap, but it’s worth the visit. Last month, my friend and business partner Bedros Keuilian and I went to Bazaar and brought along our friend Andy. Young Andy was in awe of the restaurant, and the prices. He’s just getting started in his career and hasn’t yet built a proper money mindset. The right money mindset doesn’t mean throwing money around to show off, or wasting it on frivolous purchases. The right money mindset means that you know how to attract opportunity and properly allocate your capital. Bedros and I are good stewards of our money. Bedros has built several multi-million dollar businesses, and as a result, he lives the good life. Sure, he has treated himself to a couple of toys, a Nissan GTR and a few nice watches, but other than that, he wisely reinvests his profits back into his rapidly growing business, invests in rental real estate, and supports his family of four. More importantly, the good life also allows him to be a servant to others. He’s donated over $200,000 to Shriners Hospital, and he’s coached thousands of personal trainers to grow their businesses and, in turn, help tens of thousands of men and women transform their bodies and their lives.
Bedros has also built a franchise, Fit Body Boot Camp, where each week over 49,000 clients visit a location for a workout. Think about that for a moment. Bedros is directly responsible for helping almost 50,000 people lose weight, look great, and get healthy — all because he has the right money mindset and was willing to take action on his big ideas. Having the right money mindset has also led to our Mastermind Group. Bedros and I know that we need to celebrate our success by giving back and coaching others. We help people build businesses similar to ours. This month, we’ll have our annual Information Marketing Workshop in California with over 100 attendees, including several ETR readers, where we’ll teach people to make money — and how to have the right money mindset. The right money mindset starts a virtuous cycle. When you have it, you make more money, invest more money, and have more money. And doing all of that brings more opportunity back to you so that you can make more money. That was the big lesson we wanted to teach our young friend Andy in Vegas. “When you serve others,” I told him, “You attract the opportunity to make a lot of money.” “And if you have the right money mindset,” Bedros said, “You’ll deliver value and receive value in return. You’ll grow wealthy and be able to help more people, and that is a good thing, despite what you hear in the news and despite the negative talk you hear from other people, or worse, in your own mind.” “Plus, having the right money mindset allows you to make the right decisions with your money once you’ve earned it,” I said to Andy, who was getting excited at the prospect of getting rich. “Basically, the right money mindset guarantees that you will continue to grow your wealth, rather than losing your fortune, as has happened to so many others.”
“So how do I get the right money mindset?” Andy asked? It’s a great question. Everyone needs help with getting the right money mindset. Bedros and I have slightly different approaches, of course, because while the right money mindset is a general concept, the details are specific to each individual. The help you need for getting the right money mindset is unique to your situation. Some folks need help making money, others need help saving money, and some folks need help spending money. It’s tough to wrap up a generic money mindset lesson, but I’ll do my best. In my opinion, the best approach to a healthy Money Mindset is… To not need a lot of money… You must be able to overcome the power that money has over most people. If you can agree with the following statement, then you have the right relationship with money. If the world was to take all your earthly possessions and ask you, “What do you have left?” and you could truthfully reply, “Everything,” with a calm smile on your face, knowing that you have your family, friends, and integrity, then you, my friend, have lived the right way and won the game of life. Count your riches in relationships. Now all that being said… We’re here to make money. But if you can truly live by the statement above, then you will make the right decisions right now for your right life and your future. You won’t take short-term gains that sacrifice long term wins. To make money, you must have Big Ideas and you must add value to the world through the implementation of your ideas. You need to surround yourself with others that think big, like you, and that will support you on your quest to add value. This is why it’s so important for people to get out of their bubbles and attend events, connect outside of the industry, and hang around people that play up a level. If you only talked to your neighbor in your hometown, then you’d think that making $40,000 was good enough and getting a $1,000 tax refund every April was a big bonus. It’s not. But if you hang around Go-Givers, generous people that are wealthier than you, then you will see what is truly possible when you have a BIG IDEA that adds value to the lives of millions. That’s when the Money Game is ON. So it comes down to this. The truth about money is… “Your wealth is the average of the wealth of the five people you spend the most time with.” The No. 1 thing you can do today to improve your money mindset is to play UP a level. That might mean taking a millionaire to lunch, joining a Mastermind group, or hiring your first business coach. You need to attend seminars and be in the room with Bedros, Mark Ford, Tim Ferriss, Dan Kennedy, Oprah, Sara Blakely, Tony Robbins, and so on and so forth. Your money mindset, your habits, and your ability to generate big ideas are all greatly influenced by other people. Fixing your money mindset starts with choosing the right external factors — your friends and your environment. Go to good places. Spend time with good people and you will get the right money mindset on your side so that you’ll attract great opportunity into your life.
9 Wealth-Building Lessons From Billionaires
9 Wealth-Building Lessons From Billionaires | |||||||||||||||||
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HOW TO LIVE THE GOOD LIFE
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