Our God is Big Enough to Care.

The Pale Blue Dot is a photograph of planet Earth taken in 1990 by the Voyager 1 spacecraft from a record distance of about 6 billion kilometers (3.7 billion miles) from Earth, as part of the solar system Family Portrait series of images. In the photograph, Earth is shown as a tiny dot (0.12 pixel in size) against the vastness of space.[2] The Voyager 1 spacecraft, which had completed its primary mission and was leaving the Solar System, was commanded by NASA to turn its camera around and to take a photograph of Earth across a great expanse of space, at the request of Carl Sagan.



And to think that God knows every hair on your head and knitted you together in your mothers womb is truly an Awesome thought. Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus, who was sent by God because He loves us, because we matter to Him. The God who created ALL of this loves you enough to die for you. Merry Christmas. Mark and Jill.

Move TOWARDS Your Resistance

Thomas Edison, American Inventor, said, "Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work."

As humans, we seem to have an almost biological drive towards the path of least resistance. Chalk it up to days when food was scarce and the number of predators were high; if we could conserve energy and make it through the day, we'd do so every single time.

We have a lot of good instincts when it comes to self-preservation. Pain is a hard reminder that something is wrong, or we shouldn't try something again. The "fight or flight" response is always there to spark us into action when we feel our lives are threatened. But at times, it's best (and even necessary) to overcome our natural responses.

Usually when you contemplate a task - be it getting to the gym, calling a client with bad news, or avoiding that second piece of holiday pie - your mind does a quick cost/benefit analysis of the idea. The problem is, our brains usually look at the immediate short-term cost without an adequate assessment of the long-term gains. Or, our brain pushes the short term pleasure (sitting here) versus the projected costs (wind sprints on the treadmill). Pie is delicious. Watching people eat pie is no fun.

Here is a useful exercise to do to try and overcome "the short and easy path". It's called "Move Toward Your Resistance." It goes like this: Every time you think of something you should do, and your brain triggers that lazy little "I'd rather not" response, you immediately tackle some aspect of the task at hand. In other words, when you'd rather not do something, recognize it as something you must do and coax yourself to do it.

Here's the thing: I always feel better AFTER moving towards my resistance. The "good feeling" you desire FOLLOWS the action. By doing so, I break the loop of "I should do this/I'll do it later/I wish this was done/I'll do it later." And if you always wait for the good feeling to happen before you move towards your resistance, then you will NEVER move towards your resistance. This behavior will cost you personal growth and could cost you relationships as well.

As you plan for the year ahead, make a conscious effort to recognize when you feel resistance around an idea or task. Note the resistance and make an effort to move toward that which sounds unpleasant. It's a great way to force yourself to attain higher level of productivity, and the mental boost you'll experience from knocking unpleasant tasks off the list is fantastic.

The only caveat: Don't go walking into fires or wrestling mountain lions. Some instincts are worth obeying . . . . the rest, however, is You avoiding resistance. You're the project!

Paying the Light Bill Syndrome by Ron Simmons

Since my business for the last 25 years has been dealing with money I continually get family and friends asking me about money and for help in thinking about their finances. One of the consistent characteristics with the people that I have talked to, who really want to have a sound financial game plan but can't seem to make any progress, is that they focus almost entirely on "Paying the Light Bill". What I mean by this is that they design (albeit unknowingly) their entire financial actions and decision making process around being able to meet their most basic of needs - like electricity. While it is a give that we must have food, clothing and shelter to survive at any reasonable level, if we design our financial life around those things - that is exactly all we will have - food, clothing and shelter. To go from "Paying the Light Bill" to living at a level of financial security and even abundance, we must organize our lives and our expenses such that our basic needs are met without thinking and that most of our thoughts - and therefore most of our actions - are spent on the long term growth of our financial security and what will be required of us to obtain abundance.

Now don't go all "sanctimonious" on me and tell me I'm materialistic. I happen to Believe that God has put into place many opportunities for people to have abundance financially and that by using our finances wisely, we can and should bring Glory to His Kingdom. However, I've found that people who have not been wise their finances and gifts that would have created more abundance have 2 things on their minds . . . . money AND how do I get more. (I'm not talking about people who have had disaster thrust upon them).

People who have chosen to listen to mentors, follow Biblical financial principles and use their money to make money are not thinking about money anymore. They're more likely helping someone else and teaching that person how to do more than just "Pay the Light Bill."

What it Takes to Make it Happen

In the Second Book of Timothy, chapter two, the Bible describes what it takes to be a leader. As I read this I realized that the qualifications are the same for a great networker.

First, you have to be courageous like a soilder. You must get trained, stay focused, be willing to risk and most importantly, you must be committed.

Second, you need to be like an athlete. Goal oriented, in shape and pushing for the limits, ready to compete. Also, athletes are set aside and must go by the rules of the game. If an athlete cheats they are not allowed to have the crown.

Third is the farmer. Leaders are like farmers in that they prepare the ground, sow the seed, water the fields and be patient. More importanly, a farmer must have faith for the harvest and realized that only a few seeds will mature, but those seeds will produce 100 fold.

Can you see how being a leader requires these attributes? If you find yourself wondering if you can lead, just remember 2 Timothy Chapter 2 and work on these three qualities.

Mark Carlisle

Christmas 2011 -- Birth of a New Tradition

As the holidays approach, the giant Asian factories are kicking into high
gear to provide Americans with monstrous piles of cheaply produced goods --
merchandise that has been produced at the expense of American labor. This
year will be different. This year Americans will give the gift of genuine
concern for other Americans. There is no longer an excuse that, at gift
giving time, nothing can be found that is produced by American hands. Yes
there is!

It's time to think outside the box, people. Who says a gift needs to fit in
a shirt box, wrapped in Chinese produced wrapping paper?
Everyone -- yes EVERYONE gets their hair cut. How about gift certificates
from your local American hair salon or barber?

Gym membership? It's appropriate for all ages who are thinking about some
health improvement.

Who wouldn't appreciate getting their car detailed? Small, American owned
detail shops and car washes would love to sell you a gift certificate or a
book of gift certificates.

Are you one of those extravagant givers who think nothing of plunking down
the Benjamins on a Chinese made flat-screen? Perhaps that grateful gift
receiver would like his driveway sealed, or lawn mowed for the summer, or
driveway plowed all winter, or games at the local golf course.

There are a bazillion owner-run restaurants -- all offering gift
certificates. And, if your intended isn't the fancy eatery sort, what about
a half dozen breakfasts at the local breakfast joint. Remember, folks this
isn't about big National chains -- this is about supporting your home town
Americans with their financial lives on the line to keep their doors open.

How many people couldn't use an oil change for their car, truck or
motorcycle, done at a shop run by the American working guy?

Thinking about a heartfelt gift for mom? Mom would LOVE the services of a
local cleaning lady for a day.

My computer could use a tune-up, and I KNOW I can find some young guy who is
struggling to get his repair business up and running.

OK, you were looking for something more personal. Local crafts people spin
their own wool and knit them into scarves. They make jewelry, and pottery
and beautiful wooden boxes.

Plan your holiday outings at local, owner operated restaurants and leave
your server a nice tip. And, how about going out to see a play or ballet at
your hometown theatre.

Musicians need love too, so find a venue showcasing local bands.

Honestly, people, do you REALLY need to buy another ten thousand Chinese
lights for the house? When you buy a five dollar string of light, about
fifty cents stays in the community. If you have those kinds of bucks to
burn, leave the mailman, trash guy or babysitter a nice BIG tip.

You see, Christmas is no longer about draining American pockets so that
China can build another glittering city. Christmas is now about caring about
US, encouraging American small businesses to keep plugging away to follow
their dreams. And, when we care about other Americans, we care about our
communities, and the benefits come back to us in ways we couldn't imagine.
THIS is the new American Christmas tradition.
Forward this to everyone on your mailing list -- post it to discussion
groups -- throw up a post on Craigslist in the Rants and Raves section in
your city -- send it to the editor of your local paper and radio stations,
and TV news departments. This is a revolution of caring about each other,
and isn't that what Christmas is about?

The Price of Perfection

"A Man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault."

There is nothing quite so costly to our productivity as the idea of perfection.

Do i believe in self-improvement? Of course. Do I advocate learning, testing, and refining our knowledge to help us become better at what we do? Always, every week. But this idea of "perfection" actually comes with an incredible price.

Ask yourself the following:

Have you ever missed a deadline because you were paralyzed by doubt over your decisions? Do your projects slow to a crawl because you feel the final product must be perfect? Would you rather do nothing than do something you know will have some flaws?

If you've had these feelings, you've likely felt the pinch of perfection compromising your productivity. On one hand, the drive for perfection sounds like a noble pursuit, that we are engaged in the search for excellence at every turn. But it could be that our urge for perfection is actually a convenient self-sabotaging strategy.

You see, when we force ourselves to "find perfection," we're more or less giving ourselves an excuse to delay action indefinitely. It's only when we try our ideas and provoke response that we learn, adapt, and invite change. But when we refuse to take those actions, we protect ourselves from change. We remain in a comfort zone of inaction, all in the name of "a better outcome."

Give it your all, but learn to recognize when you've given it. There's a point at which you must let go of perfection in the interest of results, risk, and learning. Pick one thing today and get it out the door, even if it falls short of your ideal. You might just find the process liberating and the results better than you expect.

Don't Get Stuck in a Pyrimid Scheme...

This says it all...

Beyond Fear: Give Yourself the Power to Thrive After Failure

Beyond Fear Give yourself the power to thrive after failure.


"There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure."
--Paulo Coelho (b.1947) Brazilian writer

It is the fear of failing to achieve our dreams which convinces us to play safe. We are not so afraid of falling short as we are the perceived humiliation of failing to succeed. Our brains sometimes seize at the imagined pain of failing, of missing the brass ring, and admitting to our friends, families, and colleagues that, for whatever reason, we were unable to "make it happen."

To conquer this paralyzing fear, it seems to me that we must continue to visualize our lives beyond the moment of failure. We must entertain the idea, vividly, that what we most want will not happen on our first try, and then carry our visualization past failure.

I firmly believe that imagining a return to the ring after a crushing defeat gives us an inner strength to pursue our ambitions. Don't block the idea of failure. Don't say "failure is not an option." Take the sting out of failure by imagining how you will stand up again should you "fail" along the way.

Respect the lessons contained within failure... most notably the character it takes to try again.