I hope you each have a wonderful Easter weekend. Easter is such a great time to spend with family and friends celebrating and reflecting on the greatest event in history—the resurrection of Jesus Christ. As I thought of what to share in this week’s newsletter, the Holy Ghost prompted me to share an entry I made in my journal while I was in Jerusalem.
5/26/2006 - Jerusalem Journal Entry
My Testimony of Christ
I have spent the last week visiting the sites of the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. What a privilege it is to be where the great Jehovah, where the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, where the God of Israel spent his mortal life and ministry. He lived as the “Great I AM” in the Old Testament. He lived as Jesus of Nazareth while on earth, and He now lives as Jesus the Christ at the right hand of the Father, as the Redeemer, Savior and Mediator for all mankind.
As I sat on Mount Carmel where Elijah called on the Great Jehovah to send fire from heaven I did feel of the Lord’s power and Spirit as I read 1 King 18:38-39, “Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, Jehovah, he is the God; Jehovah, he is the God.”
As I sat on Shepard’s Field that overlooked Bethlehem and sang “Silent Night,” the word’s “Christ the Savior is born” sank deep into my soul. I know that the Great Jehovah of the Old Testament, the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning, was born to Mary as the Only Begotten of the Father, giving Him power over death, fulfilling the word of the Angel who spoke to Mary saying, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.” (Luke 1:30-31)
As I sat in a church built near the site of the last supper and sang the hymn “I Stand All Amazed,” I felt of Jesus’ love and mercy as I sang the words, “I tremble to know that for me He was crucified, That for me, a sinner, He suffered, He bled and died. I marvel that He would descend from His throne divine To rescue a soul so rebellious and proud as mine.” Christ’s love, grace, and mercy are truly wonderful.
The final stop of the week was the Garden Tomb where the body of Christ was laid following his death on the cross. Walking into the tomb and seeing it was empty brought to mind the words of the Angel to Mary Magdalene when she came to see Jesus in the Tomb, “Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen:” (Luke 24:5-6) “Come, see the place where the Lord lay.” (Matthew 28:6)
I do share my witness that Christ did take upon Him the sins of the world and was crucified and laid into a tomb. However, this was not the end of life but the beginning of a new life, for after His mortal body lay dead for three days, Christ was resurrected, becoming the first fruit of them that slept. (1 Corinthians 15:20) The tomb where Christ laid is empty. “He is not [t]here: for he is risen,” (Matthew 28:6) Jesus Christ lives. I know that He lives. And because He lives we too will each experience the new life that comes from resurrection. “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:22)
I do testify to these things, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you.”
–1 Peter 1:3-4, NIV
“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.”
–John 11:25, KGV
Monday, April 6, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Take the Initiative
“Everything you want is just outside your comfort zone.” -Robert Allen
“The world bestows its big prizes, both in money and honors, for but one thing. And that is initiative. What is initiative? I’ll tell you: It is doing the right thing without being told. But next to doing the thing without being told is to do it when you are told once . . . but their pay is not always in proportion. Next, there are those who never do a thing until they are told twice: such get no honors and small pay. Next, there are those who do the right thing only when necessity kicks them from behind, and these get indifference instead of honors, and a pittance for pay . . . Then, still lower down in the scale than this, we have the fellow who will not do the right thing even when someone goes along to show him how and stays to see that he does it: he is always out of a job . . . To which class do you belong?” (Elbert Hubbard, Love, Life & Work, (The Roycrofters, 1906) p. 84)
The Wright Brothers
The lives of the Wright brothers provide many wonderful examples of taking the initiative. William J. Tate, a man who helped the Wright brothers in assembling the Wright’s first glider in North Carolina, wrote of the early flights, “The mental attitude of the natives toward the Wrights was that they were a simple pair of harmless cranks that were wasting their time at a fool attempt to do something that was impossible. The chief argument against their success could be heard at the stores and post office, and ran something like this: ‘God didn’t intend man to fly. If He did, He would have given him a set of wings on his shoulders.’”
Wilber was born in 1867 and Orville was born in 1871 to Susan and Milton Wright in the Midwest. Orville and Wilber’s interest in flying began in 1878 when their father gave them a toy helicopter. This interest turned into an active pursuit at the end of the 19th century. Wilber began reading “everything he could lay his hands on, everything in sight. His father had some simple books on flight in nature in his library, and the Dayton Public Library had a handful of things on flight. When he had exhausted the local resources, Wilbur wrote to the Smithsonian Institution asking for more information on flight.” (“The Unlikely Inventors,” Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). Retrieved December 11, 2006, from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/wright/inventors.html)
In 1899, they began their flight experiments. At this time, the Wright brothers were running a bicycle repair and sales shop. The revenues from this company supported their living expenses and funded the development of the airplane. During the next four years, the Wright brothers performed thousands of tests, experiments, and flights. In 1901, they created the world’s first wind tunnel and tested more than 200 different wing shapes, and just in the months of September and October of 1902 they made over 700 glides. On December 17, 1903, Orville, age 32, and Wilber, age 36, achieved their dream of a controlled, powered flight. The flight covered a distance of 120 feet in 12 seconds—about half the length of a 747 jumbo jet. This flight was the beginning of modern aviation.
In 1904, the Wright brothers decided to take a financial risk and withdraw from the bicycle business to focus on developing a practical airplane they could sell. Wilbur explained to an acquaintance, “We believed that if we would take the risk of devoting our entire time and financial resources we could conquer the difficulties in the path to success . . . as our financial future was at stake [we] were compelled to regard it as a strict business proposition.” (Tom D. Crouch, The Bishop’s Boys, (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1989) p. 273–274) They would have to make the airplane a profitable business to survive, but they never compromised their values. The Wright brothers expected their employees to observe their family rules and among those who worked for them “there was no drinking, gambling, or flying on Sundays.” (Tom D. Crouch, The Bishop’s Boys, (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1989) p. 429)
In February 1908, the company obtained a contract from the U.S. Army to build a two-seat aircraft that could fly for an hour at an average speed of 40 miles per hour and land undamaged. In July 1909, they completed a flight that met the U.S. Army’s requirements and received $30,000 ($645,000 in 2006 dollars) for their aircraft. In 1910, they added air shows and commercial air cargo shipping to their business, earning nearly $100,000 ($2 million in 2006 dollars) in profit that year. (Tom D. Crouch, The Bishop’s Boys, (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1989) p. 429)
Flying was a risky venture. Otto Lilienthal, an early aviator pioneer whose work assisted and inspired the Wright brothers, died after a gust of wind threw his glider out of balance, causing him to fall fifty feet and break his spine. His last words were quoted as “sacrifices must be made” and those words were carved on his tombstone. (Fred Howard, Wilbur and Orville, (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1987) p. 16) The brothers wrote of Lilienthal and other early aviator pioneers that their work “infected us with their own unquenchable enthusiasm, and transformed idle curiosity into the active zeal of workers.” (Judith A. Dempsey, A Tale of Two Brothers, (Victoria, BC, Canada: Trafford Publishing, 2003) p. 26)
Orville and Wilber experienced their share of crashes. One occurred on September 17, 1908, when a propeller malfunctioned and the aircraft crashed killing the passenger. Orville suffered multiple serious injuries, including a broken leg and broken ribs. Because of the dangers in flying, and at the request of their father, Wilber and Orville never flew together. However, on May 25, 1910, after they had made many improvements that increased the safety of the airplane, and for the sake of history, the father agreed to let Wilber and Orville fly together. This was the only time the brothers flew together. After this flight, Orville took his 81-year-old father on the only flight of his life, which lasted 6 minutes and 55 seconds. “At one point during the flight, Milton leaned close to his son’s ear and shouted . . . ‘Higher, Orville, higher!’” (Tom D. Crouch, The Bishop’s Boys, (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1989) p. 12)
Wilber died from typhoid fever in 1912 at age 45. “Twenty-five thousand people viewed his casket and for three full minutes the citizens of Dayton stopped everything they were doing as they mourned an American hero. Orville had lost his brother, his best friend, his other half who knew the secrets of flying. He was devastated, but he carried on.” (Louise Borden and Trish Marx, Touching the Sky, (New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2003) Orville continued to run the Wright Company for three more years until he was 44 years old. On October 15, 1915, Orville sold his interest in the company. “The New York Times reported that Orville received roughly $1.5 million [$30 million in 2006 dollars], plus an additional $25,000 [$500,000 in 2006 dollars] for his services as chief consulting engineer during the first year of the new company’s operation.” (Tom D. Crouch, The Bishop’s Boys, (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1989) p. 465–466)
God did not give men wings upon their shoulders, but He did give them minds and hands to create. It took faith, study, courage, work, and persistence to achieve the miracle of flight. Two men with a dream to fly created wings for us all—the wings God intended for man.
The Wright brothers should inspire each of us to ask, “What cause or endeavor can I take the initiative to move forward?”
“The world bestows its big prizes, both in money and honors, for but one thing. And that is initiative. What is initiative? I’ll tell you: It is doing the right thing without being told. But next to doing the thing without being told is to do it when you are told once . . . but their pay is not always in proportion. Next, there are those who never do a thing until they are told twice: such get no honors and small pay. Next, there are those who do the right thing only when necessity kicks them from behind, and these get indifference instead of honors, and a pittance for pay . . . Then, still lower down in the scale than this, we have the fellow who will not do the right thing even when someone goes along to show him how and stays to see that he does it: he is always out of a job . . . To which class do you belong?” (Elbert Hubbard, Love, Life & Work, (The Roycrofters, 1906) p. 84)
The Wright Brothers
The lives of the Wright brothers provide many wonderful examples of taking the initiative. William J. Tate, a man who helped the Wright brothers in assembling the Wright’s first glider in North Carolina, wrote of the early flights, “The mental attitude of the natives toward the Wrights was that they were a simple pair of harmless cranks that were wasting their time at a fool attempt to do something that was impossible. The chief argument against their success could be heard at the stores and post office, and ran something like this: ‘God didn’t intend man to fly. If He did, He would have given him a set of wings on his shoulders.’”
Wilber was born in 1867 and Orville was born in 1871 to Susan and Milton Wright in the Midwest. Orville and Wilber’s interest in flying began in 1878 when their father gave them a toy helicopter. This interest turned into an active pursuit at the end of the 19th century. Wilber began reading “everything he could lay his hands on, everything in sight. His father had some simple books on flight in nature in his library, and the Dayton Public Library had a handful of things on flight. When he had exhausted the local resources, Wilbur wrote to the Smithsonian Institution asking for more information on flight.” (“The Unlikely Inventors,” Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). Retrieved December 11, 2006, from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/wright/inventors.html)
In 1899, they began their flight experiments. At this time, the Wright brothers were running a bicycle repair and sales shop. The revenues from this company supported their living expenses and funded the development of the airplane. During the next four years, the Wright brothers performed thousands of tests, experiments, and flights. In 1901, they created the world’s first wind tunnel and tested more than 200 different wing shapes, and just in the months of September and October of 1902 they made over 700 glides. On December 17, 1903, Orville, age 32, and Wilber, age 36, achieved their dream of a controlled, powered flight. The flight covered a distance of 120 feet in 12 seconds—about half the length of a 747 jumbo jet. This flight was the beginning of modern aviation.
In 1904, the Wright brothers decided to take a financial risk and withdraw from the bicycle business to focus on developing a practical airplane they could sell. Wilbur explained to an acquaintance, “We believed that if we would take the risk of devoting our entire time and financial resources we could conquer the difficulties in the path to success . . . as our financial future was at stake [we] were compelled to regard it as a strict business proposition.” (Tom D. Crouch, The Bishop’s Boys, (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1989) p. 273–274) They would have to make the airplane a profitable business to survive, but they never compromised their values. The Wright brothers expected their employees to observe their family rules and among those who worked for them “there was no drinking, gambling, or flying on Sundays.” (Tom D. Crouch, The Bishop’s Boys, (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1989) p. 429)
In February 1908, the company obtained a contract from the U.S. Army to build a two-seat aircraft that could fly for an hour at an average speed of 40 miles per hour and land undamaged. In July 1909, they completed a flight that met the U.S. Army’s requirements and received $30,000 ($645,000 in 2006 dollars) for their aircraft. In 1910, they added air shows and commercial air cargo shipping to their business, earning nearly $100,000 ($2 million in 2006 dollars) in profit that year. (Tom D. Crouch, The Bishop’s Boys, (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1989) p. 429)
Flying was a risky venture. Otto Lilienthal, an early aviator pioneer whose work assisted and inspired the Wright brothers, died after a gust of wind threw his glider out of balance, causing him to fall fifty feet and break his spine. His last words were quoted as “sacrifices must be made” and those words were carved on his tombstone. (Fred Howard, Wilbur and Orville, (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1987) p. 16) The brothers wrote of Lilienthal and other early aviator pioneers that their work “infected us with their own unquenchable enthusiasm, and transformed idle curiosity into the active zeal of workers.” (Judith A. Dempsey, A Tale of Two Brothers, (Victoria, BC, Canada: Trafford Publishing, 2003) p. 26)
Orville and Wilber experienced their share of crashes. One occurred on September 17, 1908, when a propeller malfunctioned and the aircraft crashed killing the passenger. Orville suffered multiple serious injuries, including a broken leg and broken ribs. Because of the dangers in flying, and at the request of their father, Wilber and Orville never flew together. However, on May 25, 1910, after they had made many improvements that increased the safety of the airplane, and for the sake of history, the father agreed to let Wilber and Orville fly together. This was the only time the brothers flew together. After this flight, Orville took his 81-year-old father on the only flight of his life, which lasted 6 minutes and 55 seconds. “At one point during the flight, Milton leaned close to his son’s ear and shouted . . . ‘Higher, Orville, higher!’” (Tom D. Crouch, The Bishop’s Boys, (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1989) p. 12)
Wilber died from typhoid fever in 1912 at age 45. “Twenty-five thousand people viewed his casket and for three full minutes the citizens of Dayton stopped everything they were doing as they mourned an American hero. Orville had lost his brother, his best friend, his other half who knew the secrets of flying. He was devastated, but he carried on.” (Louise Borden and Trish Marx, Touching the Sky, (New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2003) Orville continued to run the Wright Company for three more years until he was 44 years old. On October 15, 1915, Orville sold his interest in the company. “The New York Times reported that Orville received roughly $1.5 million [$30 million in 2006 dollars], plus an additional $25,000 [$500,000 in 2006 dollars] for his services as chief consulting engineer during the first year of the new company’s operation.” (Tom D. Crouch, The Bishop’s Boys, (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1989) p. 465–466)
God did not give men wings upon their shoulders, but He did give them minds and hands to create. It took faith, study, courage, work, and persistence to achieve the miracle of flight. Two men with a dream to fly created wings for us all—the wings God intended for man.
The Wright brothers should inspire each of us to ask, “What cause or endeavor can I take the initiative to move forward?”
Monday, March 2, 2009
Update on Baby Enoch
February 27, 2009
Thank you for your prayers. We have felt and seen the power of prayer strengthen Enoch and our family. As I held Enoch on Wednesday evening, I could feel the faith and prayers that were being offered for Enoch and I knew he would be okay. It has been a tangible feeling as the Spirit of the Lord has surrounded, supported, and strengthened us. Your outpouring of prayers for Enoch are greatly appreciated and have been felt.
On Thursday morning, the hospital drew blood to test for the infection and the test came back completely clear of the infection. Enoch had been healed. The pediatric infectious disease doctor was very happy to see the infection gone, but he was quite surprised by the test result. Enoch has now been approved for release from the hospital and will be coming home today. As I wrote that last sentence tears of joy and gratitude filled my eyes—grateful for the grace and the healing power of God and grateful to the many people who have exercised their faith and prayers on our behalf. Thank you.
God is a God of miracles and He does hear and answer prayers.
Cameron Taylor
“And the prayer of faith shall save the sick . . . and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”
(James 5:15-16, KGV)
Thank you for your prayers. We have felt and seen the power of prayer strengthen Enoch and our family. As I held Enoch on Wednesday evening, I could feel the faith and prayers that were being offered for Enoch and I knew he would be okay. It has been a tangible feeling as the Spirit of the Lord has surrounded, supported, and strengthened us. Your outpouring of prayers for Enoch are greatly appreciated and have been felt.
On Thursday morning, the hospital drew blood to test for the infection and the test came back completely clear of the infection. Enoch had been healed. The pediatric infectious disease doctor was very happy to see the infection gone, but he was quite surprised by the test result. Enoch has now been approved for release from the hospital and will be coming home today. As I wrote that last sentence tears of joy and gratitude filled my eyes—grateful for the grace and the healing power of God and grateful to the many people who have exercised their faith and prayers on our behalf. Thank you.
God is a God of miracles and He does hear and answer prayers.
Cameron Taylor
“And the prayer of faith shall save the sick . . . and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”
(James 5:15-16, KGV)
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Pray for Baby Enoch
Our third child, Enoch Wayne Taylor, was born on February 4th. He was 6 lbs. 13 oz. and 17 ½ inches long.
We named him after the prophet Enoch in the Old Testament as a reminder that he should walk with God throughout his life. “And Enoch walked with God.” (Genesis 5:24) And after his grandfathers, Wayne Taylor and Michael Wayne Brackett, as a reminder that the blessings he enjoys today have come as a result of the efforts and sacrifices of those who have gone before him and as a reminder of his goodly heritage. “The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.” (Psalms 16:6)
Enoch had been doing fantastic and was sleeping and eating well until Monday night when he got sick with a fever and pain over his whole body. We took him to the doctor Tuesday morning and he was admitted to the hospital. The initial thought was meningitis but the test of the spinal fluid came back clear. Last night his body began to swell. They have run additional tests and the pediatric infectious disease doctor current diagnosis is a Group B streptococcal (group B strep) infection which will require treatment of two weeks of antibiotics via IV.
WebMD says, “Group B streptococcal (group B strep) infection is a serious bacterial infection that is a leading cause of death and disability in newborns. In the 1970s, about half of newborns with group B strep infection died. Today, due to early recognition and aggressive treatment of the infection, far fewer cases end in death. An infection of the fluid or tissues that surround the brain and spinal cord (meningitis) could occur in the early or late stage. Newborns thought to be infected with group B strep need medical care right away, as the infection can be deadly.”
I am writing to ask for your help. You will please include baby Enoch Taylor is your prayers. Please pray that his pain will be eased and that he will be healed.
“And the prayer of faith shall save the sick . . . and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”
(James 5:15-16, KGV)
“All things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.”
(Matthew 21:22, KGV)
“By prayer and supplication . . . let your requests be made known unto God.”
(Philippians 4:6, KGV)
We named him after the prophet Enoch in the Old Testament as a reminder that he should walk with God throughout his life. “And Enoch walked with God.” (Genesis 5:24) And after his grandfathers, Wayne Taylor and Michael Wayne Brackett, as a reminder that the blessings he enjoys today have come as a result of the efforts and sacrifices of those who have gone before him and as a reminder of his goodly heritage. “The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.” (Psalms 16:6)
Enoch had been doing fantastic and was sleeping and eating well until Monday night when he got sick with a fever and pain over his whole body. We took him to the doctor Tuesday morning and he was admitted to the hospital. The initial thought was meningitis but the test of the spinal fluid came back clear. Last night his body began to swell. They have run additional tests and the pediatric infectious disease doctor current diagnosis is a Group B streptococcal (group B strep) infection which will require treatment of two weeks of antibiotics via IV.
WebMD says, “Group B streptococcal (group B strep) infection is a serious bacterial infection that is a leading cause of death and disability in newborns. In the 1970s, about half of newborns with group B strep infection died. Today, due to early recognition and aggressive treatment of the infection, far fewer cases end in death. An infection of the fluid or tissues that surround the brain and spinal cord (meningitis) could occur in the early or late stage. Newborns thought to be infected with group B strep need medical care right away, as the infection can be deadly.”
I am writing to ask for your help. You will please include baby Enoch Taylor is your prayers. Please pray that his pain will be eased and that he will be healed.
“And the prayer of faith shall save the sick . . . and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”
(James 5:15-16, KGV)
“All things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.”
(Matthew 21:22, KGV)
“By prayer and supplication . . . let your requests be made known unto God.”
(Philippians 4:6, KGV)
Sunday, January 25, 2009
The $1,000,000 Goal
"Of all the things I've done, the most vital is coordinating the talents of those who work for us and pointing them towards a certain goal."
-Walt Disney
There is great power in goals and dreams. "A study was done on Yale University's graduating class. It asked seniors a long list of questions about themselves, and three questions had to do with goals. They were, "Do you set goals?" "Do you write them down?" and "Do you have an action plan to accomplish them?" Only three percent of the class answered yes to those questions. Twenty years later, a follow-up study was done. It turned out that the three percent who had said yes to goals reported that they were more happily married, were more successful in the careers they had chosen, had a more satisfactory family life, and had better health. And listen to this. Ninety-seven percent of the net worth of that graduating class was in the hands of that three percent!" (Lou Tice, Personal Coaching for Results, (Nashville: Nelson, 1997) p. 93)
You have to have dreams and goals to make progress and achieve greatness. "Your progress toward success begins with a fundamental question: Where are you going? Definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all achievement, and its lack is the stumbling block for ninety-eight out of every hundred people simply because they never really define their goals and start toward them. Study every person you think of who has achieved lasting success, and you will find that each one has had a definite purpose. Each had a plan for reaching that goal, and each devoted the greatest part of his or her thoughts and efforts to that end." (Napoleon Hill, Keys to Success, (New York: Penguin, 1994) p. 1)
Many people live life backwards. They take what life gives them. Many people achieve little in life simply because they never decide to achieve something. Mark Victor Hansen wrote, "It grieves me to watch individuals squander their lives because they have neglected the process of writing down their personal goals." "Most of us would like to make a positive impact on the lives of others and on our world. If we do not feel that this is in some way happening, we tend to experience a sense of emptiness, low self-worth, futility, and sometimes even depression." (Herb Miller, Money Is Everything, (Nashville, TN: Discipleship Resources, 1994) p. 19) Football coach Lou Holtz taught, "If you are bored with life, if you don't get up every morning with a burning desire to do things-you don't have enough goals."
Everyone is born with a God-given mission he or she is to perform. We were not sent to earth by God to be born, pay the bills and die. God sent us here for a purpose. You should define your ideal life and then go out and get it. Dreams and goals inspire us to achieve our full potential. Defining your goals and dreams will help you discover and live the purposeful, joyful, abundant life you were meant to enjoy.
The Million Dollar Goal
"If we did all the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves."
-Thomas Edison
At the end of 2000, my first business venture failed, leaving me with thousands of dollars in business debt. I was newly married and I had no income. My wife was working earning $10 per hour but her income was not even enough to cover our $1,800 a month in debt payments. I now joke with her that she married me for my money, but the truth is I had less than nothing because of the burden of debt. I was forced to put my entrepreneurial efforts on hold to look for a job. I graduated with honors from business school and applied for dozens of jobs that were a good match for my skills, experience and degree, but I received rejection letter after rejection letter. I even applied at a call center that seemed to hire nearly everyone for a $6 per hour job and was rejected.
I now joke with people saying, "I had to start a business because I was the only person who would hire me." In 2001, I started a new business and one of our goals was to do $1 million a year in revenue. At the time this seemed like an impossible goal, but I knew that the goal was the starting point. I knew if I did not set a goal to do a $1 million in revenue with the company, then I would never figure out how to do it. I started with the goal and then everyday went to work on moving the company toward this goal. The company grew and developed and in our second year in business, we achieved the goal of doing a million dollars of revenue in one year.
At this point, we set a new goal of doing a million dollars in revenue in one month, and each day I went to work to move the company toward this goal. This was another lofty goal and it took another year of hard work and development for us to reach this goal.
It was now time for a new goal. We discussed what our new goal should be and the idea of doing $1 million in a single day was presented. That one sounded fun and exciting, so we set the goal to do $1 million in a single day. The exciting goal was set and now we had to figure out how to achieve it.
To go from a million dollars a year to a million dollars a month, we were able to expand and leverage what we were currently doing. To achieve the goal of doing $ 1 million in a single day required new approaches and models, as what we were currently doing couldn't be expanded enough to do a million dollars in revenue in a single day.
Our first opportunity to reach $1 million in a single day was in the fall of 2004 in New York City. It appeared that all the pieces were in place to do $1 million that day. The day ended and we weren't even close to our goal. We only did $177,555 in revenue. The day was still profitable and we were pretty happy. We learned a lot and we saw the potential to do a $1 million in a single day with a few adjustments and changes.
The next opportunity to reach our goal was in the spring of 2005 in Los Angeles. Everything was in place to do $1 million that day but would it happen? The day came and went and we again were not even close to our goal, but this time is a very, very good way. We exceeded our goal by $1.7 million-doing $2.7 million in revenue that day.
The size of your question, the size of your goals and dreams, will determine the size of your answer. If we would have never asked the question, "How do we do a $1 million in a single day?" we would have never found the answer. If you never ask the question "How can I build a multimillion dollar business?" "How can I become a best-selling author?" or "How can I earn a certain amount of money each year?" you will never find the answer. The goals you set will determine the type of life you build.
When you are building a house, does the house usually turn out like the blue print? Of course it does. If you design a house to be 1,000 square feet, the house should be 1,000 square feet when you finish. Before building a house, you first ask yourself, "What kind of house would I like?" You then design the house, create a blue print and then build the house. We should use this same process in our lives. "What kind of a life do you want? What do you want to accomplish?" Once you have determined the answers to these questions, create a blue print for your life and follow that blue print until you have built the life that you desire.
Questions to Help You Write Some Goals
"If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts,
liberates your energy, and inspires your hopes."
-Andrew Carnegie
Things I would like to accomplish?
Today
This Week
This Month
This Year
In the Next 5 Years
In the Next 10 Years
In the Next 20 Years
Before the end of my life
If I had 1 year to live, what would I do?
What problems in my family, community, nation and world most concern me? What can I do to help?
What books will I read to help me renew and grow spiritually, socially, intellectually, and physically?
What would I like said about me at my funeral?
Write down the 3 people you most admire and respect and the 4 attributes you would use to describe them.
Person 1. _______________
Attribute 1. _______________ 2. _______________
3. _______________ 4.________________
Person 2. _______________
Attribute 1. _______________ 2. ______________
3. _______________ 4._______________
Person 3. _______________
Attribute 1. _______________ 2. ______________
3. _______________ 4._______________
What attributes do I desire to possess and exhibit? (i.e. charitable, humble, thrifty, responsible, industrious, honest, virtuous, etc.)
How would I like others to describe me?
Describe my ideal life. Describe specifics. What would I do? What would I have?
What vacations would I like to take with my family?
Whom would I like to help? What causes would I like to contribute to?
What income level would I like to have?
1 Year
2 Year
5 Years
10 Years
20 Years
40 Years
Where would I like to live? Describe my ideal home and surroundings.
Other Goals
-Walt Disney
There is great power in goals and dreams. "A study was done on Yale University's graduating class. It asked seniors a long list of questions about themselves, and three questions had to do with goals. They were, "Do you set goals?" "Do you write them down?" and "Do you have an action plan to accomplish them?" Only three percent of the class answered yes to those questions. Twenty years later, a follow-up study was done. It turned out that the three percent who had said yes to goals reported that they were more happily married, were more successful in the careers they had chosen, had a more satisfactory family life, and had better health. And listen to this. Ninety-seven percent of the net worth of that graduating class was in the hands of that three percent!" (Lou Tice, Personal Coaching for Results, (Nashville: Nelson, 1997) p. 93)
You have to have dreams and goals to make progress and achieve greatness. "Your progress toward success begins with a fundamental question: Where are you going? Definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all achievement, and its lack is the stumbling block for ninety-eight out of every hundred people simply because they never really define their goals and start toward them. Study every person you think of who has achieved lasting success, and you will find that each one has had a definite purpose. Each had a plan for reaching that goal, and each devoted the greatest part of his or her thoughts and efforts to that end." (Napoleon Hill, Keys to Success, (New York: Penguin, 1994) p. 1)
Many people live life backwards. They take what life gives them. Many people achieve little in life simply because they never decide to achieve something. Mark Victor Hansen wrote, "It grieves me to watch individuals squander their lives because they have neglected the process of writing down their personal goals." "Most of us would like to make a positive impact on the lives of others and on our world. If we do not feel that this is in some way happening, we tend to experience a sense of emptiness, low self-worth, futility, and sometimes even depression." (Herb Miller, Money Is Everything, (Nashville, TN: Discipleship Resources, 1994) p. 19) Football coach Lou Holtz taught, "If you are bored with life, if you don't get up every morning with a burning desire to do things-you don't have enough goals."
Everyone is born with a God-given mission he or she is to perform. We were not sent to earth by God to be born, pay the bills and die. God sent us here for a purpose. You should define your ideal life and then go out and get it. Dreams and goals inspire us to achieve our full potential. Defining your goals and dreams will help you discover and live the purposeful, joyful, abundant life you were meant to enjoy.
The Million Dollar Goal
"If we did all the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves."
-Thomas Edison
At the end of 2000, my first business venture failed, leaving me with thousands of dollars in business debt. I was newly married and I had no income. My wife was working earning $10 per hour but her income was not even enough to cover our $1,800 a month in debt payments. I now joke with her that she married me for my money, but the truth is I had less than nothing because of the burden of debt. I was forced to put my entrepreneurial efforts on hold to look for a job. I graduated with honors from business school and applied for dozens of jobs that were a good match for my skills, experience and degree, but I received rejection letter after rejection letter. I even applied at a call center that seemed to hire nearly everyone for a $6 per hour job and was rejected.
I now joke with people saying, "I had to start a business because I was the only person who would hire me." In 2001, I started a new business and one of our goals was to do $1 million a year in revenue. At the time this seemed like an impossible goal, but I knew that the goal was the starting point. I knew if I did not set a goal to do a $1 million in revenue with the company, then I would never figure out how to do it. I started with the goal and then everyday went to work on moving the company toward this goal. The company grew and developed and in our second year in business, we achieved the goal of doing a million dollars of revenue in one year.
At this point, we set a new goal of doing a million dollars in revenue in one month, and each day I went to work to move the company toward this goal. This was another lofty goal and it took another year of hard work and development for us to reach this goal.
It was now time for a new goal. We discussed what our new goal should be and the idea of doing $1 million in a single day was presented. That one sounded fun and exciting, so we set the goal to do $1 million in a single day. The exciting goal was set and now we had to figure out how to achieve it.
To go from a million dollars a year to a million dollars a month, we were able to expand and leverage what we were currently doing. To achieve the goal of doing $ 1 million in a single day required new approaches and models, as what we were currently doing couldn't be expanded enough to do a million dollars in revenue in a single day.
Our first opportunity to reach $1 million in a single day was in the fall of 2004 in New York City. It appeared that all the pieces were in place to do $1 million that day. The day ended and we weren't even close to our goal. We only did $177,555 in revenue. The day was still profitable and we were pretty happy. We learned a lot and we saw the potential to do a $1 million in a single day with a few adjustments and changes.
The next opportunity to reach our goal was in the spring of 2005 in Los Angeles. Everything was in place to do $1 million that day but would it happen? The day came and went and we again were not even close to our goal, but this time is a very, very good way. We exceeded our goal by $1.7 million-doing $2.7 million in revenue that day.
The size of your question, the size of your goals and dreams, will determine the size of your answer. If we would have never asked the question, "How do we do a $1 million in a single day?" we would have never found the answer. If you never ask the question "How can I build a multimillion dollar business?" "How can I become a best-selling author?" or "How can I earn a certain amount of money each year?" you will never find the answer. The goals you set will determine the type of life you build.
When you are building a house, does the house usually turn out like the blue print? Of course it does. If you design a house to be 1,000 square feet, the house should be 1,000 square feet when you finish. Before building a house, you first ask yourself, "What kind of house would I like?" You then design the house, create a blue print and then build the house. We should use this same process in our lives. "What kind of a life do you want? What do you want to accomplish?" Once you have determined the answers to these questions, create a blue print for your life and follow that blue print until you have built the life that you desire.
Questions to Help You Write Some Goals
"If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts,
liberates your energy, and inspires your hopes."
-Andrew Carnegie
Things I would like to accomplish?
Today
This Week
This Month
This Year
In the Next 5 Years
In the Next 10 Years
In the Next 20 Years
Before the end of my life
If I had 1 year to live, what would I do?
What problems in my family, community, nation and world most concern me? What can I do to help?
What books will I read to help me renew and grow spiritually, socially, intellectually, and physically?
What would I like said about me at my funeral?
Write down the 3 people you most admire and respect and the 4 attributes you would use to describe them.
Person 1. _______________
Attribute 1. _______________ 2. _______________
3. _______________ 4.________________
Person 2. _______________
Attribute 1. _______________ 2. ______________
3. _______________ 4._______________
Person 3. _______________
Attribute 1. _______________ 2. ______________
3. _______________ 4._______________
What attributes do I desire to possess and exhibit? (i.e. charitable, humble, thrifty, responsible, industrious, honest, virtuous, etc.)
How would I like others to describe me?
Describe my ideal life. Describe specifics. What would I do? What would I have?
What vacations would I like to take with my family?
Whom would I like to help? What causes would I like to contribute to?
What income level would I like to have?
1 Year
2 Year
5 Years
10 Years
20 Years
40 Years
Where would I like to live? Describe my ideal home and surroundings.
Other Goals
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Egypt and the Christmas Story
Mathew 2:13 reads, “An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. ‘Get up,’ he said. ‘Take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt.’”
As a part of the lesson, a Sunday school teacher asked each of her students to draw a picture of a story from the Bible. After collecting the drawings, she noticed that one little boy's drawing depicted an airplane with four people abroad. Curious the teacher asked what the picture was. The boy answered, “This is Joseph, Mary and Jesus’ flight to Egypt. The teacher then asked who the fourth person was in the picture. The boy replied, “That’s Pontius the pilot.”
The flight to Egypt is “a small incident in the Christmas story, usually overlooked and seldom portrayed in church pageants; [however, it] looms large in the salvation narrative. Occurring immediately after what often is presented as the climax of the story—the visit of the Magi—Joseph has another nighttime encounter with an angel. This time, God’s messenger tells him to flee with his family to Egypt. They had just entertained Eastern celebrities bearing fabulous gifts for their child-King. Now, abruptly, they are to run for their lives. And the destination—Egypt.
“The phrase ‘out of Egypt’ appears in nearly 150 biblical texts. This ancient enemy symbolized oppression and slavery, and often God’s people would recall that the Lord had freed them and delivered them from that place. Yet God says, ‘Go to Egypt.’ What is Joseph thinking and feeling? His first encounter with an angel announced a ‘virgin’ birth. Then, the baby, born in a stable, was visited by shepherds and kings. And now, this!
“We don’t know Joseph’s thoughts, but we do know his actions. He obeyed. And Jesus escaped Herod’s murderous wrath. And we celebrate Christmas. ‘But,’ we protest ‘we’d obey too if we knew God was talking!’ Really? He speaks to us daily, but do we listen? Unlike Joseph, we have God’s written Word, filled with direction and instruction. May we, with Joseph-like faith, obey and get moving.” (Dave Veerman)
Christmas is a wonderful time of giving and remembering all the wonderful gifts we receive from the Savior of the world. We give gifts to family and friends but what gift can we give to Jesus. All the possessions we have are actually things Christ has already given or loaned to us. While we should give of our possessions to build the Kingdom of God, is it really a gift if we are simply returning to Christ something that is already His? There is one thing we have to offer to the Lord that is not already His—our will. Our obedience is the gift we can truly give to Christ this Christmas. May we give Christ the Christmas gift of obedience and follow His example when he said, “Father . . . not my will, but thine, be done.” (Luke 22:42)
“The submission of one’s will is really the only uniquely personal thing we have to place on God’s altar. . . when you and I finally submit ourselves, by letting our individual wills be swallowed up in God’s will, then we are really giving something to Him! It is the only possession which is truly ours to give!” (Neal Maxwell)
As a part of the lesson, a Sunday school teacher asked each of her students to draw a picture of a story from the Bible. After collecting the drawings, she noticed that one little boy's drawing depicted an airplane with four people abroad. Curious the teacher asked what the picture was. The boy answered, “This is Joseph, Mary and Jesus’ flight to Egypt. The teacher then asked who the fourth person was in the picture. The boy replied, “That’s Pontius the pilot.”
The flight to Egypt is “a small incident in the Christmas story, usually overlooked and seldom portrayed in church pageants; [however, it] looms large in the salvation narrative. Occurring immediately after what often is presented as the climax of the story—the visit of the Magi—Joseph has another nighttime encounter with an angel. This time, God’s messenger tells him to flee with his family to Egypt. They had just entertained Eastern celebrities bearing fabulous gifts for their child-King. Now, abruptly, they are to run for their lives. And the destination—Egypt.
“The phrase ‘out of Egypt’ appears in nearly 150 biblical texts. This ancient enemy symbolized oppression and slavery, and often God’s people would recall that the Lord had freed them and delivered them from that place. Yet God says, ‘Go to Egypt.’ What is Joseph thinking and feeling? His first encounter with an angel announced a ‘virgin’ birth. Then, the baby, born in a stable, was visited by shepherds and kings. And now, this!
“We don’t know Joseph’s thoughts, but we do know his actions. He obeyed. And Jesus escaped Herod’s murderous wrath. And we celebrate Christmas. ‘But,’ we protest ‘we’d obey too if we knew God was talking!’ Really? He speaks to us daily, but do we listen? Unlike Joseph, we have God’s written Word, filled with direction and instruction. May we, with Joseph-like faith, obey and get moving.” (Dave Veerman)
Christmas is a wonderful time of giving and remembering all the wonderful gifts we receive from the Savior of the world. We give gifts to family and friends but what gift can we give to Jesus. All the possessions we have are actually things Christ has already given or loaned to us. While we should give of our possessions to build the Kingdom of God, is it really a gift if we are simply returning to Christ something that is already His? There is one thing we have to offer to the Lord that is not already His—our will. Our obedience is the gift we can truly give to Christ this Christmas. May we give Christ the Christmas gift of obedience and follow His example when he said, “Father . . . not my will, but thine, be done.” (Luke 22:42)
“The submission of one’s will is really the only uniquely personal thing we have to place on God’s altar. . . when you and I finally submit ourselves, by letting our individual wills be swallowed up in God’s will, then we are really giving something to Him! It is the only possession which is truly ours to give!” (Neal Maxwell)
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Constantly Seek Improvement
“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.”
-Ecclesiastes 9:10, New International Version
Satan tries to persuade us to be content with just getting by. The Lord rebukes those who are satisfied with their condition in life, who are content with the way things are, and who don’t seek change and improvement. We are always in need of improvement. If you say “I . . . have need of nothing” (Revelations 3:17, King James Version) and “do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked,” (Revelations 3:17, New International Version) the Lord will see you as being lukewarm (apathetic) and will cast you out as He said in the book of Revelations, “ . . . because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” (Revelations 3:16, English Standard Version) The Lord expects us to continually seek improvement.
The Parable of the Fig Tree
The Savior teaches this principle further in the miracle and parable of the fig tree found in Chapter 11 of Mark. Jesus, walking with His disciples, came to a fig tree that had no figs on it. When Jesus saw that there were no figs upon the fig tree, He cursed the fig tree, and the next day it was withered and dead. This miracle is different from all the other recorded miracles of Jesus that were performed for relief, blessing, and beneficent purposes. This appears to be an act of judgment and destructive execution. A key to understanding this miracle and parable is found in verse 13, which reads, “It was not the season for figs.” (Mark 11:13, New King James Version) The fig tree didn’t have figs on it because figs were not in season. None of the trees had figs on them—why did Jesus destroy this tree? On his tape entitled A Higher Standard of Excellence, Mark Gorman states that at 2 a.m. God told him the meaning of these passages. When the inspiration came, he sat straight up in bed and God spoke to him saying, “If all you are doing is what comes naturally to you, I am not impressed. If you are only producing when everyone else is producing, so what. If you are just keeping up with the crowd, big deal.” To impress the Lord, we must strive for excellence and do more than just what comes naturally. We must not just produce fruit when it is in season—we must produce fruit everyday. We must rise above mediocrity. We must rise above just getting by. We must excel.
“I say to you, Search the Scriptures! If ever you tire of them in seeking a rule of faith and a standard of morals, search them as records of history. The Bible contains the only authentic introduction to the history of the world. It is a book which neither the most ignorant and weakest, nor the most learned and intelligent mind can read without improvement.”
-John Quincy Adams, sixth President of the United States
-Ecclesiastes 9:10, New International Version
Satan tries to persuade us to be content with just getting by. The Lord rebukes those who are satisfied with their condition in life, who are content with the way things are, and who don’t seek change and improvement. We are always in need of improvement. If you say “I . . . have need of nothing” (Revelations 3:17, King James Version) and “do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked,” (Revelations 3:17, New International Version) the Lord will see you as being lukewarm (apathetic) and will cast you out as He said in the book of Revelations, “ . . . because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” (Revelations 3:16, English Standard Version) The Lord expects us to continually seek improvement.
The Parable of the Fig Tree
The Savior teaches this principle further in the miracle and parable of the fig tree found in Chapter 11 of Mark. Jesus, walking with His disciples, came to a fig tree that had no figs on it. When Jesus saw that there were no figs upon the fig tree, He cursed the fig tree, and the next day it was withered and dead. This miracle is different from all the other recorded miracles of Jesus that were performed for relief, blessing, and beneficent purposes. This appears to be an act of judgment and destructive execution. A key to understanding this miracle and parable is found in verse 13, which reads, “It was not the season for figs.” (Mark 11:13, New King James Version) The fig tree didn’t have figs on it because figs were not in season. None of the trees had figs on them—why did Jesus destroy this tree? On his tape entitled A Higher Standard of Excellence, Mark Gorman states that at 2 a.m. God told him the meaning of these passages. When the inspiration came, he sat straight up in bed and God spoke to him saying, “If all you are doing is what comes naturally to you, I am not impressed. If you are only producing when everyone else is producing, so what. If you are just keeping up with the crowd, big deal.” To impress the Lord, we must strive for excellence and do more than just what comes naturally. We must not just produce fruit when it is in season—we must produce fruit everyday. We must rise above mediocrity. We must rise above just getting by. We must excel.
“I say to you, Search the Scriptures! If ever you tire of them in seeking a rule of faith and a standard of morals, search them as records of history. The Bible contains the only authentic introduction to the history of the world. It is a book which neither the most ignorant and weakest, nor the most learned and intelligent mind can read without improvement.”
-John Quincy Adams, sixth President of the United States
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