Birthdays and Getting Old

Last week marked another birthday. How do you deal with them? So you won't be wondering how old I am, I will just tell you, 47. Back to my question, how do you deal with them? How do we react?

My daughter announced earlier this year that they were going to have a baby. I am going to be a grandmother in 10 weeks. She asked me what I wanted to be called, which was about everyone's question after they congratulated me. I thought about it for about a half a second and decided...grandma. What other time do you get "grand" before your name. My grandmothers were some of my most favorite people. I count it a privilege. 

Christmas is around the corner. I'm sure I will get my share of family letters which I love to read. What a great look at the year, trials and celebrations. For my birthday I made a list of goals for 47. I definitely want to celebrate what a great year 46 was. But you all know that as you get older, the years go faster. I want to be intentional about each one that I am given. Here is a look at some of the things that made the list.

• I don't like that my body feels older but that is mostly my fault. It went down on my list to get in shape. 
• I put family on my list. With my kids all adults and their lives getting busy. I don't want to get to far away from being a part of their life.
• For work and my entire life, I want to be totally centered on what God has for me. He created me for a purpose and I want to make sure I fulfill it. No more wrong turns ... no more Ishmaels.
• It is also a time to really focus my work. As one that has a tendency to say "yes" to lots of things. It's time to trim back the things that don't fit. It's no longer about saying no to bad things, it saying no to good things that keep you from great things.
• In the spirit of bringing things together, God came through with a great blessing. And that is faith for a family business that my husband and I are starting. Only He (our Abba father) could pull our strengths, our past experiences, and our desires from two relatively different people. 
• Here is what I say to 47...bring it!

Each year is not something to regret but something to look forward to. God has something for us every day, every week, every month, and every year. It's a testimony of His faithfulness and goodness. 

Ephesians 3:13-21

Therefore I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory.

¹⁴ For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, ¹⁶ that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, ¹⁹ and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.
²⁰ Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, ²¹ to Him be the glory 

30 Days To Be Thankful in Your Work!

It's hard to believe that November is here already. Every year we seem to say where did the year go. November is one of my favorite months. While the weather hardly ever proves to be something to brag about in Illinois, it is my birthday month and the month of my favorite holiday.  I love Thanksgiving. You get all the benefits of Christmas without the gift buying. Guaranteed four day weekend, great food, amazing family get together, and a great kick-off for all the season.

My sister is doing her own Thanksgiving "Advent"...every day she writes on facebook what she is thankful for. I think that would be great exercise for us this month. Let's do it in the framework of our work and see if how we view our work changes in the next month.

We are already a couple days behind but the first days of the month are easier anyway.  I'll start I'm thankful...

November 1 - that God puts a vocational desire on my heart.
November 2 - for my husband and how he supports my business ideas.
November 3 - for my great friend, Tina, that I get to do life with and discuss how we see God in our work life.
November 4 - for all the great support I get in MERGE.
November 5 - for how God speaks to me in my work.
November 6 - (let's continue together)

Philippians 4:4-7

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. ⁶ Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Just because November and December are holiday months doesn't mean the demands and pressures of our work go on hold. But being intentional about being thankful can only benefit us during this season and any actually. I love verse 6, be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication. Let's bring all our requests before God.

Then share with someone or comment on this blog for how it works.

MERGE Halloween Blog: Zombie Apocalypse

I don't know how many of you have actually watched a zombie movie. I have, and I have found most of them uninspiring and not that overly entertaining. Although I do like the one that tells you all the rules and they are on the hunt for Hostess Twinkies and get upset when they find a truckload full of Hostess Snowballs. No one likes a snowball. That was amusing. When watching all the zombie stuff, I always wonder about the fascination with it and where is the truth and the life lesson. Then I saw this on Facebook, which I had thoughts of this as well.

We have so many distractions in our world today. That we are not present to what is really going on. Not much different then a zombie. One of the enemy's tactics is to distract us. Whether you are dressing up for Halloween or not, let's make sure we are present to what God is doing right in front of us. You have been created for something amazing.

Genesis 1:28
God blessed them:
        “Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge!

October 31st is also Reformation Day. On 31 October 1517, Martin Luther wrote to Albrecht, Archbishop of Mainz and Magdeburg, protesting against the sale of indulgences. He enclosed in his letter a copy of his "Disputation of Martin Luther on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences," which came to be known as The 95 Theses. 

Don't let the distractions in your life take away from the amazing things God is doing.

Living on the Edge!

A friend on Facebook posted this picture with a question, "How can cats sleep like this without worrying about falling off?" I replied, "they always land on their feet."

I think there is a lesson in this picture. Do we not live life on the edge because we are worrying about falling off? This unsuspecting cat is not just living on the edge but sleeping on the edge.  The lesson then becomes two-fold. Are you living life to the fullest, taking risks and are you resting in that place?

I know what my answer would be, and I would have to say that I have some work to do in this area.  I find myself either willing to take a risk but then worrying about the outcome or not being comfortable in the risk. But merging risk and rest...  

After all isn't risk really faith? 

If we have heard clearly from the Father to risk than we should rest in it. I think about the story of Peter walking on the water. What an experience that would have been! To jump out of the boat and find yourself walking on water. And it worked as long as Peter's eyes were on Jesus and not the rough water.  Likewise, looking at the water makes us worry; looking at Jesus allows us to sit down and rest in where the Father is asking us to go.


"But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” - Matthew 14:27



Never thought I would blog about a cat...but the Holy Spirit will use anything to speak to us.

Read up on Peter walking on water (Matthew 14:22-33)...remember eyes on who? Eyes on Jesus!

Mulligan - Do Over!

How many of us in life want a "do over?" Although I am not a golfer, I believe it is called a Mulligan. The definition of a Mulligan in Wikipedia: "it is a stroke that is replayed from the spot of the previous stroke without penalty, due to an errant shot made on the previous stroke. The result is, as the hole is played and scored, as if the first errant shot had never been made."

I love that, "it is as if the first errant shot had never been made." Probably many of us don't think this way but what Adam did in the Garden of Eden, which brought sin into the world. Jesus did a do over, and his life, death and resurrection made as if we had never made the first errant shot or sin in this case.  Not only that, but we keep getting them. When we know Jesus as our Lord and Savior, than God doesn't see our sin, He sees Jesus.

In Hebrews 10:16-17, "“This is the covenant that I will make with them After those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws upon their heart, And on their mind I will write them,” He then says, “And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”

The parallels to a Mulligan shot and what Jesus did are interesting. When we attempt to keep the law in our own effort, our shot can go into the water or the weeds. We get a do over, we get a better position to try it again in Him.

Wikipedia also says that in strict rules this practice is not allowed and can be disqualified from sanctioned competitions. While I have nothing against the golfing rules, in our lives, this is what the enemy wants to do to us. When we take a bad shot or do something we aren't supposed to do, he wants us to think we are disqualified. Which doesn't leave any room for how God wants to speak into the situation.

Friends, in Jesus, we are never disqualified! The reason for Mulligans were to speed up play, reduce frustration, increase enjoyment and help a player "shake off" a bad shot. Ironically, isn't that what God wants for us? He wants us back into relationship with Him where we are not fretting over the error, get back on track with where He wants to take us, and increase or enjoyment.  He wants to restore joy to our lives.

In a bad spot, call "Mulligan", thank Jesus that He went to the cross for it, ask Him into the next step, and live from joy that you are totally loved, not condemned and He wants to prosper you.

Jeremiah 29:11, ^"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Exchange Rate

There is a lot of focus on money today and the value of the dollar.  Our exchange rate for our U.S. currency appears dismal.  There is another exchange that can be equally dismal. What did we exchange our life for?  God created us in his image and we exchanged that for a lie of being like him, we already were.  Jesus exchanged his heavenly position for humanity in order to save the world.  We exchange our worldview for a Biblical view to believe in Him.  We exchange death for life again.  We exchange a life of bad choices for a life of transformation that brings abundant life.  We exchange our comfort to reach out to those who do not have.  The amazing thing is our exchange when choosing life, or Jesus, will always be better than what we give up.  Because Jesus paid it all!

Business is an exchange of products or services for money.  When we build products and services that transform the universe then we are showing love and doing the work of the Father.  We then have the opportunity with the wealth that we have accumulated to show the generous heart of the Father.  Our personal story and business story can be in alignment with God's story.  We also get to exchange our fallen story for God's story.  It's the story that Hollywood unknowingly writes about.  Where good triumphs over evil, where people find love, where lives are transformed, where ugliness is transformed into something unexpectedly beautiful.

I think about so many young people that graduate college and have great hopes and desires to change the world.  They have a passion written on their heart, college has equipped them, and they are ready to go.  Usually, it doesn't take too long before they are kicked in the teeth by the world and many exchange their passion and gifting for making money.  Then their lives become getting to the quickest retirement plan possible so they can do what they want to do and what they want to do has now been exchanged for rest, relaxation and parties.  Where did their passions and big ideas go, they exchanged them for a lie.  How do we avoid it?

We have to exchange our worldview for a biblical view.  We have to know the greatest story of all and how it continues to unfold in front of us.  We have to know the heart of our creator or "Abba" Father.  We need to engage in a relationship with him, the author of our life, and ask Him to unfold the story of our life so we can live it.  It's a daily process, it's an incredible journey.

C.S. Lewis was great at telling stories that so mirrored the story of Jesus.  In an article by Eric Metaxas, he discusses that C.S. Lewis didn't intentionally write these stories to push an agenda, it came out of his biblical worldview.  He understood the story.  So much of our worldview is formed by cynism from television and our story becomes skewed.  We need to exchange our worldview for a biblical worldview and out of that will flow stories that reflect the greatest story ever told.

Covenant Friendship - What a Blessing!

I just spent a weekend with one of my best friends.  It's the type of friendship I have always wanted.  Our friendship puts me in the mind of the story of Jonathan and David.

I Samuel 18
Now it came about when he had finished speaking to Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as himself. ² Saul took him that day and did not let him return to his father’s house. ³ Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. ⁴ Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, including his sword and his bow and his belt.

What I love about my friendship and what I believe makes it covenant is:

• We know the plans that God has for each other both professionally and personally
• We protect those plans
• We become the eyes and ears to see what God is doing in times of harvest and in times of famine for each other
• We pray for our families
• We learn from each other
• We push one another on to more of what God has for us
• We encourage one another
• We support one another
• We have shoulders to cry on (but no longer than 48 hours)
• We have cheesecake together
• We regret cheesecake together
• We love one another 
• We compliment, we complete, and we don't compete!

• Best of all...God orchestrates the relationship! 

This type of relationship is a one way God shows us how much He loves us and is a great asset for Kingdom business!  How do you get one?  Pray!  Both of us prayed for this relationship before God introduced us.  He will be faithful, community is His design.

Check out www.MergeBusiness.com to find a MERGE Community near you.   

Hospitality - It's All About Generosity

I Peter 4:9
"Be hospitable to one another without complaint."

What is hospitality?
According to Merriam's it is "generous and friendly treatment of visitors and guests"

So how is your hospitality in your work?  The trend in the past couple of decades has been towards more customer care.  We have metrics on customer satisfaction.  We get surveyed to no end by many of the businesses we encounter.  There is even a new executive title to pay attention to this area, Chief Customer Relationship Officer and departments for Customer Relationship Management.  So should we just mark this one off the list?  Do we as the workplace have hospitality covered?  

Does the hospitality that we are showing in the workplace show the love of the Father?  Is it generous, or is it just better than the competition?  Is it love, or is it good business because we know that customer care/hospitality builds relationships?

Here is our opportunity for the Kingdom!  We already know that outstanding customer care and hospitality is good for business.  But genuine love and generous hospitality shows the welcoming characteristic of the Father.  In Ecclesiates, it talks about how God has written eternity on the hearts of man.  What if we started calling that out?  What if we reflect the goodness of God and call out the life that God has placed on man's heart.  

Ecclesiastes 3:11 
"He has made everything  appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end."

It's an opportunity to be the salt of the earth that Jesus calls us to be.  Look at the way the Message translation talks about being salt of the earth.

Matthew 5:13 (MSG)
“Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness?" 

As salt we get to preserve what God has hidden in their heart and bring out the flavor.  That is an experience that the people you encounter at work will not soon forget.  It glorifies God and it brings more meaning to your work.  It is infectious and it's what people love being around.  The generosity of the Father is the best thing we can give our customers and co-workers.

How do we do that?  
1.  Pray for the person you are interacting with, always pray for the heart of the Father for that person.  It can be a quick prayer asking the Father what He has for them and show you how to love.
2.  What pictures or words come to your heart?  Is it encouraging?  It may surprise you that you thought something you don't know.
3.  Speak it out.
4.  Always be generous...surprise them! 
 

Spice Up Your Networking

Colossians 4
⁵ Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. ⁶ Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.
  
As I was reading in Colossians 4, I was pondering verses five and six.  "Conduct yourself with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity."  This is great networking tip!  When I was a State Farm agent, many asked me how I would have time to run a business, sell insurance and financial services, and be a single mom to three in a town I wasn't familiar with.  I said, simple, it's about just living life and sharing what you do with those you  meet, listening for the needs they have, and trying to offer a product or service during those moments.  

While that was insurance, it was work for the Kingdom.  I didn't realize it.  But helping people recover from unexpected loss or from what Satan is continually trying to destroy;  that is Kingdom work.  It's about restoration.  Now with a larger understanding of how Kingdom work translates to the workplace, it is so exciting to see how God uses our businesses to do the work of the Kingdom.  

There is also another opportunity that the Scripture points to.  That is our opportunity to share what God has done for us.  The next verse, "Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person."  I hung on this phrase "with grace", while some translations interpret that to mean gracious, I think it is bigger.  It's communicating what God has done through Jesus through His finished work on the cross.  That is where the salt comes in.  His sacrifice, his labor of love, has so many features and benefits (still speaking sales), that's what we need to share.  The finished work of the cross brings freedom, it brings salvation, it brings purpose, it brings joy, it brings peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, self-control, and love.  Our speech regardless of what are calling is should be seasoned with all these amazing things.  It should be so attractive that it draws people in to want to know more.

Life is so busy, how do I do this?  The scripture did not leave us hanging, but we have to back up to see it.

Colossians 4
² Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; ³ praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; ⁴ that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak.

It's the same as how I answered my critics when it came to being a State Farm agent.  You do life and you be watchful for every interaction, every opportunity.  We pray and we stay focused on what God is doing around us. We get to know the Father so well, we see His work, He will be faithful to prompt us, and He will provide for us as we make the most of every opportunity.  Those opportunities may look like sharing how your business or work can help (remember bringing solutions to life's problems is how God shows love to His people), it might be what God is doing or has done in your family, and it may be what God is or has done in your personal life.  Being present or in the moment of what God is doing is good for business and it's good for Kingdom.

For more on MERGE - visit www.MERGEBusiness.com
Like us on Facebook - MERGE Community
Follow us on twitter @MERGEmyLife  

Feast of the Harvest in the Workplace

This weekend is Pentecost - Feast of the Weeks.  Pentecost was a celebration of the Law coming down from Mt. Sinai and then in the New Testament, the coming down of the Holy Spirit to begin the New Testament church.  What does this have to do with the workplace?  A lot.

Let me back-up.  Our understanding of the church varies and mostly we think of the organizational church that we go to on the weekends.  It was about 5 years ago, that my family and I took a trip to Greece and Turkey.  We were on a tour in Turkey of the seven churches in Revelation.  It wasn't until a few months ago that I realized all these places we visited, I only went through one church in Smyrna.  In New Testament days, the church was a group of believers in town.  They met in homes.  They worked in the marketplace.  Don't get me wrong, I love the organizational church and all they contribute, however the walls of the church sometimes become a barrier for our doing the work of the Father in our workplace setting.  It creates a physical dualistic mindset that what is preached on Sunday morning only impacts my time away from the workplace.

God's plan for our life includes all things.  We don't need to compartmentalize, we need to learn to integrate, to merge our lives.  Our work becomes another place to do the will of the Father, for God to be glorified in my work.  Not to mention the amazing harvest of reconciliation in our workplace settings.

John 4:34-35
Then Jesus explained: “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work.  You know the saying, ‘Four months between planting and harvest.’ But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest.

Is your work the work of the Father, does it provide nourishment?  I'm sure for many of us it doesn't feel nourishing at all.  But Jesus came to reconcile all things and that includes our work.  So it can provide physical nourishment to you and your family, it can provide spiritual and emotional nourishment because we are partnered with the King, and it can bring nourishment to our soul because we have true eternal meaning and purpose in our work.

Yesterday I was talking with my son and asking him about his work.  He said he loved it but was concerned about his promotion coming up.  Would it represent all the work that he has put in over the last year?  And let me tell you, he's not exaggerating, it was a lot.  I know for me financial increases at work rarely measured up to my expectation.  Even when they did, they felt hollow.  That comes from a lack of understanding of my identity as a daughter of the King and my eternal destiny of bringing heaven to earth, right where I'm working.  When we understand the influence of the Kingdom than we don't depend on the things of this world that have not been reconciled. 

Finally, the power of the Holy Spirit that fell on that day of Pentecost in Acts 2, the power that was central to Jesus ministry as well as the New Testament churches, is available to us in our workplace.  Jesus came to reconcile all things and He left that we might have all the benefits of Heaven through the Holy Spirit.  Holy Spirit doesn't just operate in the confines of the church or in the confines of church activities.  He is available to us in everything, in our workplace.

The harvest in the workplace is an untapped area.  And we can be on the front lines with all the Kingdom influence and all the power of the Holy Spirit to do the work of the Father.  And it's all in the midst of our workplace giftings.  God is amazing!

Romans 5:18
Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone.

This new life for everyone includes our workplace. 

If you want to know more about your workplace calling...

Join us for our monthly lunches in Urbana, IL
Like us on Facebook "MERGE Community" 
Follow us on Twitter @MergeMyLife
Invest in your calling and join the journey with us as we launch official training for your call...check it out here



 

What Are You Working For?

What are you working for?  Money.  Relationships.  Security.  Is it fulfilling?  Or are you looking for and waiting for early retirement?  Does your work satisfy?  Do you stand back when something is accomplished and find satisfaction in your work?  Or do you just run through the tasks everyday working towards a paycheck, a weekend, a vacation, or a promotion. 

I remember a time when I didn't find much satisfaction in my work and I hated getting my yearly salary increases.  Might sound funny but it reset the clock to have to wait another year for the next exciting moment in my job.  Very sad.  Once I realized that my vocation was something that God wanted to restore my job and use it for His purpose.  It changed the way I work.  I spent the last 6 days mostly away from work through a four day weekend with family, whom I love and a 2 day retreat with my fellow workers, whom I love.  During these last six days I have missed my work.  While it is unhealthy to become all about work because even God rested on the 7th day.  We also must build rest into our daily, weekly, monthly and yearly schedules to reflect with God and family all the blessings and spend time getting refueled.  However, I have missed working alongside My Father (God) and watching Him create and use my vocation for His purposes.

I'm not wanting anything..."The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want" Psalm 23:1
I'm not anxious for anything... "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."  Philippians 4:6

What if our work could be satisfying?  What if we could regain that passion that we had when we were young thinking about what we wanted to grow up to be, before we headed to college to study for our exciting new careers, before we started our jobs that held so much anticipation?  How do we get here?  It's so important to know that God loves you and made you uniquely for a purpose.  He hid an amazing treasure in you and is waiting for you to engage to unlock the treasure. 

"Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain" - Psalm 127:1

To find out more about your workplace calling and how to live that out, join our MERGE community.  Check out our website www.MERGEBusiness.com

Say Yes to Give Through Your Workplace Calling

Giving and the church always seems to be an uncomfortable topic.  For those of us in the workplace sometimes we feel like a big paycheck for the church or that the church is just another one of our kids asking for their allowance.  Although the church is being more prescriptive about it, there is a 10% and above expectation.  For some we may attend churches where we aren't really sure of the budget and aren't trusting leadership.  Sometimes it feels like money is the main point of connectivity because a lot of what is preached from the pulpit, I can apply it to my life or not.  But when it comes to money, I feel like they are directly talking to me.  If you are someone who has one of these thoughts or maybe giving is just an obligation.  I would like to challenge our uncomfortability.

If we only believe that people who work in the church have God given purposes than the topic of money because of point of contention.  We are all called to the mission field and most of us are called to the workplace.  If you want to know more about this, check out the MERGE events on www.MERGEBusiness.com for more information on workplace calling.

We as leaders in the workplace have a great capacity to make and accumulate wealth.  Let's read that again, we as leaders in the workplace have a great capacity to make and accumulate wealth.

But to what end are we making money?  We have believed the lie that it is for our comfort and reward and while God wants us to prosper he also wants us to partner with Him in the Kingdom.  So we have distorted the value of money by overusing it for our own good.  And we have exchanged something that was supposed to bring life to others as well as ourselves for something we now serve.

Even money can be reconciled back to God.  We can say thank you to God through our generosity, we can show the love and generosity of the Father as we give to others, and our generosity translates into others hearing the good news and the Kingdom advancing.  Look at the following verses:

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that although he was rich, he became poor for your sakes, so that you by his poverty could become rich.  II Cor. 8:9

And God is able to make all grace overflow to you so that because you have enough of everything in every way at all times, you will overflow in every good work.  II Cor. 9:8

When we change our heart and our thinking about money, than we will experience great freedom in our finances.  Then I believe there is a next step that God wants us to take.  I believe He's calling us to be financial partners in the Kingdom.  In a sense, you can become a Kingdom Venture Capitalists.
We have been given the wealth of the world to finance the Kingdom.  Why wouldn't we want to be a part of this?  Do you want to be stewards of God's finances?  Then let's say yes to give.

Things we can practically do:
1)  Go to God and 'say yes' to what He has for you.
2)  Ask for creative ways to partner with Him in the Kingdom both through finances and through your workplace setting.
3)  Talk to your pastor or church leadership about how to connect at this level.
4)  Watch expectantly for God's blessing in this area.

Say Yes to Go Into the Marketplace

This weekend's message was about Say Yes to Go.  It highlighted the great vision that God has given our senior pastor about becoming a campus pastor at one of our multi-sites, a church planter in a town, or a missionary in Mexico, China, or Taiwan.  We have great men and women in our church that have said yes to go and it is an amazing calling.  God has designed the church to be a vital part of community as it helps encourage, take care of people, equip the saints, etc.  

There are callings that fall outside the structural church and activities that make up a church and that is being called to the marketplace.  Many of us think of our jobs as a means to provide financial security, use our talents, and to fulfill our needs.  Most of us don't even consider our work as a place God has called us to minister.  But God uses the marketplace to show love to people.  This is where are basic needs are met.  We can bring the God of the universe into our most difficult marketplace problems.  We can look to God, the creator, to impart creativity when thinking up new ideas to solve issues and problems of today.

When called into ministry, whether in the church or the marketplace, it is usually followed by a "Woe".  Problems arise when we say yes.  We have an enemy and He doesn't want us to realize our identity in Christ or our purpose that God has uniquely placed on us.  When you say yes to your marketplace calling, then there will be a "woe".  There will be times when we have to go against what the world is demanding because we are saying yes to God.  There will be times when the good business practices are on our side to fire someone or terminate a relationship with a vendor or customer, but God may be asking you to press in with love.  There is a cost, but there is also a reward.  The reward of not having to do life in the marketplace alone.  The reward of realizing the God of the universe loves you and wants you to become all that He has created you to be.  The reward of being part of God's plan to advance His Kingdom.

"Say Yes" to the marketplace and become part of God's plan for reconciling the marketplace.  "Say Yes" to the marketplace and become a partner with the church in your community.  "Say Yes" to the marketplace and change your perspective on your job/career immediately.

Giving up spending!

by Carla Green

Do you ever wonder where or how your needs are going to be met especially when you sense that God has asked that you do something?  God has given me a vision for helping businesses through the local churches.  There are certain start-up costs associated with starting a business and this is no exception.  This business need has come up at the same time as the Lent season, so a 40 day fast of some sort seemed appropriate.  Not from the sense of trying to manipulate God but to spring clean to hear and receive everything God has for me.  While there are some food modifications in this fast, I sensed that fasting from spending outside of groceries was in order.

The first day I felt like God was telling me to fast spending came while enjoying a skinny latte at Starbucks.  So I said to myself, "Enjoy this one because it will be 6 more weeks before I get another."  That evening, I was at a church event where our group won a stimulating round of trivia.  The reward was a $5 gift card and bonus for me, my husband doesn't like Starbucks, make that $10.  Within 12 hours my "Abba, Father" gave me 2 trips to Starbucks.

A couple of days later, I was driving between meetings and found myself hungry but no food.  I asked how this was going to get resolved and God said to lean on Him.  I thought that was to prompt me to pray that my hunger be taken away.  When I got to my appointment, I was met with "I want to take you to lunch and order what I like, my treat."  Again God comes through with a great lunch, I tried something new, and I let someone take care of me, and it was amazing.

This fast has become a reliance on how God will take care of my needs.  Giving up control and spending?  Crazy but He more than satisfies, He surprises, and spoils His kids.  I'm not sure how He is going to take care of the business start-up costs but I'm still seeking His direction. 

Matthew 6:31-33 (the whole chapter is great on this!)

Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 

Pressing On Through the Storms

by Carla Green

As business owners and professionals do you ever wonder why you are in the business you are in?  Do you question your purpose?  Do you wake up and wonder why you didn't choose an easier path?  What keeps you going through these times of questioning your decision?  How close do you get to picking up your exit strategy and executing it?  Does it scare you when the drive and excitement that you had to start this venture is no longer there?  

Maybe I'm the only one this happens to but it scares the day lights out of me.  It steals me of my joy and robs me of my hope.  It feels like I'm boarding on depression and I wonder if I will ever return from it.  Here are some things I do that help me manage these times.

1.  Return to the source - When I'm questioning my destiny, I go back to the one that put it there in the first place.  I need to press in more to the comforter, my encourager, the author of my life to restore my hope and joy.  I could say if you have a healthy rhythm of going to God in good and bad times there might be less bad times.  This could be true and more time with God is never wasted but this line of thinking might have an adverse effect.  I don't want to punish yourself for being in a state because you didn't do everything right.  

Having some extra time with God to really press in to why I'm feeling this way always seems to help and provide the insight I need to move forward.


Proverbs 3:5-6 - Lean not on your own understanding
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.

2.  Rest - Are you tired?  Maybe you need a long nap or a get away weekend that involves a lot of sleep.  
"In quietness you possess your soul - the storms of like will keep you from being creative."  T.D. Jakes

3.  Community - what does your community look like?  Is your spouse on the same page as you are?  Does he/she understanding your calling and your purpose?  Have you enlisted them to help when things are not going well or do you shut them out having too much pride to admit when you are weak?  Do you have a close friend that you can confide in and can lift you up?  Do you have a small business group of people that you trust that can see the truth through the lies?  

All these people are instrumental in your journey.  They can walk you through the dessert and point out the promise land.  Keep them close.

4. Structure and processes - do you have enough of a routine and direction that you can keep working through it even when you don't feel like it, even when it doesn't make sense for today?  These activities should probably not include selling your vision or decision making.  Save those for when the drive and purpose have returned.  If you have to make decisions, run them past your trusted inner circle to make sure they are sound.


Philippians 3:12-13 (NET) - Pressing on 
Not that I have already attained this—that is, I have not already been perfected—but I strive to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus also laid hold of me.  Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have attained this. Instead I am single-minded: Forgetting the things that are behind and reaching out for the things that are ahead.

5.  Assess - Start taking note when these moments of questioning your purpose happen.  Are there ways to build more structure around it so it doesn't happen?  I know that I get a little down after I come off leadership conferences if I haven't planned how I'm going to use the information.  The amount of information is daunting and it seems like a burden more than a help.  So I try to make time to plan how I'm going to use the information.  There are other things throughout the month that require a lot of administrative type work.  This is also another drain since my leadership type is entrepreneurial and luminary.  I need to hire for this extra administrative work so as not to impact my purpose.

Who Inspires You?

by Carla Green

I've been thinking lately about who inspires me?  Our Executive Pastor talks about the 5 people that you hang out will help mold who you are, or something like that (sorry Ron, wasn't listening for exact wording).  Let's see if I can identify five people:

Tina, friend, amazing daughter of the King and businesswoman.  She is someone that is willing to do life with me and help me discern what God is saying in situations I may not be able to see so well.

Tom, my new business partner, has become a good friend and has helped me become measure for our business venture.  His level of knowledge and much of his purpose joining my purpose is a true gift.  I'm excited for the my level of leadership to be catapulted forward turning years into weeks. 

Joseph Prince (pastor of one of the largest churches in Asia), while we are not friends, his teaching has catapulted my knowledge and understanding of grace further than anyone else I know.  His books, "Destined to Reign" and "Unmerited Favor" along with his program on Christian television feeds my soul on almost a daily basis.

TD Jakes (pastor of a large church in Dallas, TX), again not a friend, but have a fabulous opportunity to meet him this week and spend two days in leadership training.  Conferences are a great opportunity to get a lot of information, inspiration, and encouragement in a short amount of time.

Now if you don't have close friends that inspire you, there are other ways to get at this too.  How about using Scripture to find mentors and characters to learn from.

Joseph in the old testament is one of my favorite characters.  He had a dream, was misunderstood, had faith, did the best work he could in every situation he was given, found favor by all, persevered and became second in command in all of Egypt.  Hang out with Joe for awhile.

Or Paul, all these early churches and people groups that He was managing.  Trying to break down old paradigms of the Old Covenant and teach New Covenant.  Paul was exposing the lie and covering it up with truth all the time.  He knew his purpose and he would not be swayed.

The best friend or guide that we have is Holy Spirit.  With Jesus' example as a guide and Holy Spirit directing us.  We are on the path for success in the Kingdom.

Finally Rick, my husband, a kind and gentle spirit that always helps bring a level of calmness to situations that I don't see.  He also shows me a level of support that has been unmatched in my lifetime, which makes me be a better person for others.  When someone is committed and loves pouring into you, it really helps lift you up to be all that God created you to be.  Who lifts you up and who are you lifting up?

What do all these have in common?  They all take a commitment of time to build a relationship or to allow God to speak through others.  If you are running on empty, these are the types of relationships that will fill you up, inspire you, and encourage you to move forward.

The Business of Marriage

by Carla Green

Genesis 2:18 (NLT)
¹⁸ Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” 

How do you look at your marriage in business?  Is it a separate thing that you try to balance?  Are you in business together?  Do you have the same goals and purpose?  What role do each of you play?  It seems like there are many ways that this could go.

• Your spouse really doesn't have anything to do with your business or your work.
• On the good side you are able to balance it and compartmentalize your life and the two shall never mix.
• On the bad side, it bleeds over all the time and causes a host of problems.  Your spouse feels like they have to compete with your job.  They don't understand it and question your decision making.  Your attitude at home is directly related to the kind of day you have had.
• You are both involved in each others work, maybe you even own a business together.  You try to explain what you do but may not offer all things.  Or you have different ends to why you are in business.

I'm sure there are several other scenarios or degrees of the ones above.  But imagine a marriage where you know the purpose God has given your spouse and maybe even your marriage.  You become partners in the purpose for your life and you are the best asset each other has in the work that you do. Your spouse becomes your encourager, your spiritual director, your best sounding board for making solid decisions, and your cheerleader.  What if it has more to do with integration than balance?

My husband, Rick and I have very different leadership skills and types.  However, he is fully aware and supportive of my purpose and often hears from God on the direction I need to take.  He provides insight into what decisions have life and those that don't.  The ones that he would not support used to frustrate me but I started to realize that he wasn't wrong and often discerned from God what I was too close to to hear.  He also has a purpose on his life and I work at ways that he has more room to align his work with that purpose.  We dream and plan together.  We network and research for each other.  I have increased my resources by partnering with my spouse.  I don't know about everyone else but I have limited energy in a day and arguing with my spouse is not a good way to move my purpose forward, but partnering with him exponentially helps God's purpose for my life.

God knew what He was doing when He sent Adam a help mate or partner and He knows what He is doing now.  My questions is are you an asset to your spouse in their work?  Are you promoting their purpose?  What is the purpose God has given your marriage?  Get together on this, it's totally worth it.

Where is Your Focus Today?

I Corinthians 4:5 
 Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God.  (NASB)

Today, I find myself sitting in my hometown Panera Bread.  It's a place my parents find themselves every morning when they aren't snowbirding in Arizona.  I came to get some things done but find myself looking into faces that I knew long ago.  I see how they have aged, the gray hairs, the wrinkles but they are still recognizable.  It makes me wonder if their life is all they wanted it to be.  It makes me wonder if they are still living out their dream, their call, their purpose even though they have retired from their vocation?  Are they still dreaming how to change the world? What do their conversations sound like?

It is such a stark contrast against the younger people that are meeting with purpose and trying to make their mark on the world or make a living for their family.  Not even paying attention to anything in their surroundings.  I'm wondering if the questions the young people have could be answered by the older ones. 

Where do I fall?  In the middle.  My mid-forties have set in with needing reading glasses.  Why do I bring that up?  Because if I put my reading glasses on, I have to focus on my work, if I take them off I can take in what is going on all around me otherwise I can't see it...it's blurred.  It seems to be such a bother someone of my age that has never worn glasses to now need them to see things up close.  But maybe it's a blessing.  My best sight is distance, is further out.  I can't see up close anymore, so I can't really focus on what's happening up close without help of magnified glass.  I'm in this sweet spot or curious spot of seeing the future more clearly than what is directly in front of me.  I see the urgency of how close I am to needing help with all my sight.  With not being able to do what I've been called to do (not tomorrow but I am half way through life) at least in the way I imagine it.

I also find that it's funny that the glasses or lens that helps me see up close distorts the distance.  I'm sure there is something terribly profound in that.  Like what I see up close doesn't define my future.  My distance is fuzzy through these lenses.  Which is in stark contrast to what my daughter a first year teacher is experiencing, today.  A bad day of kids not being orderly because they have fallen out of routine and she is rethinking her life purpose.  Sometimes what is happening today makes us fret about tomorrow, when it could just be a bad day.

The hope I have in all of it, sight or not.  Is that God knows the plans He has for me.  He knows my past, present and future.  I can rest in Him, even when it's not clear, even when I don't have it all figured out, even when it's going bad and looks bleak.  I don't have to judge it.  God will bring to light when it needs to be brought to light.

Back to Panera, an older retired gentleman just walked past a table of young professionals.  The advice he gave in passing was "I don't know what you working on but I know whatever it is you are working entirely too hard."  They didn't even hear it or let the wisdom of those words soak in.  He may have seen his years of working and striving hard, not worth it.  But from God's perspective, he wants us to rest in Him, pay attention to what we need to pay attention to.  God is really good!  I didn't even intend to blog today and this is what was given to me today, judge it for yourself.

Finding Your Business Purpose

Don't you just love it when you find something that describes the essence of what you do?  Whether it is found in history by someone that preceded you in success or something so profound that you stumble upon or maybe it was your life motto and it's become real. 

I found that in Scripture, rather God gave it to me in Scripture.  This is a verse that I would sing in youth group in the 80's.  Something my youth pastor came up with and I never heard anywhere else.  One day I woke up singing it and it happened to be on a day when I was facilitating a business lunch.  It is perfect for the heart and soul of what MERGE is:

Psalm 1:1-3 (NET)

¹ How blessed is the one who does not follow the advice of the wicked,
or stand in the pathway with sinners,
or sit in the assembly of scoffers!
² Instead he finds pleasure in obeying the Lord’s commands;
he meditates on his commands day and night.
³ He is like a tree planted by flowing streams;
it yields its fruit at the proper time,
and its leaves never fall off.
He succeeds in everything he attempts.

I love it in every version and struggle with which one to use.  But this verse is perfect for MERGE and perfect for business owners/professionals.  In fact, this verse is on a picture hanging in my dad's office that I gave him, it's one where a business man is consulting with Jesus.  When I gave it to him almost 20 years ago, I didn't realize the significance in the verse or in what I would be doing. 

How powerful is this scripture:  

• We are blessed when we don't follow the advice of the wicked (I would even say the world)...that must mean that God has something different planned for us.  
• We can delight in his commands and look to scripture to find our counsel.  When we talk about reading Scripture from a marketplace lens, it applies here.
• Before, I looked at it from the standpoint of not hanging out with wicked people but obeying the Lord's commands.  I missed the grace and promise of verse 3.  If you think about a tree, they aren't doing any work, just soaking in the refreshment of the flowing streams.  Isn't that what a life with knowing Jesus is all about, He did the work, we are to drink it in.  There is rest in this promise. 
• If we ground or plant ourselves by the instruction of Jesus through the Holy Spirit than we will prosper, we will be fruitful.  We will succeed in "Everything we attempt", The Message says "bearing fruit every month, never dropping a leaf, always in blossom", NASB says "whatever he does, he prospers."... Who wants that?  Count me in!  Praise Jesus.

 So MERGE business owners, professionals, leaders if you don't have a business verse, I will share mine.  It's yours until Jesus lays something else on your heart, but take heart, plant yourself in a relationship with Him and be prepared to succeed in everything you attempt.  Much blessing.

Personally, I'm very grateful for what the author of my life put on my heart over thirty years ago.  He did it in such a creative way and keeps showing me my path.  We serve a great and amazing God!

Your 2013 story - Part 2 of 2

A couple of years ago, I was on a retreat and was asked, "what Bible character most reflects your life?"  I'm not sure I have ever been able to answer that question.  It is an interesting thought and I think it helps you identify what God has in store for your life.  What story is He writing for you?  Has He given you glimpses of it through another character in scripture?

Our Bible can be used to help us in so many ways in the business setting.  So many times we believe the stories are for church use and don't realize that most of the stories are in a marketplace setting.  Jesus focused on the marketplace.  According to Os Hillman, in The 9 to 5 Window, "Of His 132 public appearances in the New Testament, all but 10 of them were in the marketplace, and 45 of His 52 parables had a workplace context.  Forty divine encounters listed in Acts, 39 occurred in the workplace."

I've had two business owner friends in the past two months that have told me stories of God showing them that they had Jonah's in their business.  These were Christian employees that God was asking them to throw overboard.  While both of these were hard decisions, the Jonah story gave the picture of the sinking ship.  That if they did not remove these employees there would be serious ramifications to the business (their ship if you will).  Both situations while difficult to administer letting the employees go, resulted in a better situation for both the owner and the employee.  If we understand the truth that God doesn't take away from one to bless another, than we can walk in faith that throwing good people overboard when directed from God will be beneficial.  But the key is they both heard from God and they both clearly heard the story of Jonah.

God uses scripture to show us what is best for us.  We can also see the heart and character of God in all these multitude of situations.  Through this realization that God uses scripture to speak to us about business and not just me as a person or for my family, I feel like I have a brand new book to read in my Bible this year.

Your 2013 story - part 1 of 2

I've been thinking a lot about the power of story or testimonies.  We put stories of people that use our products on our websites.  We love being able to go home in the evening and think about how what we do changed or impacted the life of someone.  I remember my State Farm days and how they used stories to form culture.  Whether we were talking about the founder, G.J. Mecherle, and his story and vision for the company or the numerous stories of lives that were impacted after a major disaster and your neighborhood State Farm Agent was there.  Or how the 1980's AT&T commercials left you crying in less than 60 seconds because it was about people's stories being told across the phone wires.  If AT&T can move us with in 60 seconds to "reach out and touch someone", what is your story doing for you? 

Most recently coming from a church setting we use stories and testimonies to glorify God and for faith to rise up.  This isn't any different than the businessowner that wants faith in a service or product to rise up in their customers or potential customers.  But we don't often think about it as a way to glorify God because it's a business setting.  Your marketplace vocation is your full time ministry.  Creating products and services that meets the needs of people is ministry.  Creating jobs for people to meet the needs of their families is ministry.  Solving problems is ministry.  We glorify God when all these things and more are in motion.  As business leaders we have access to the greatest partner, God.  Are you engaging with Him on your business matters?  Are you co-creating with the greatest creator of all times?  What story are you writing for 2013?