Tag Archives: work

Friday thoughts

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I finally had two job interviews yesterday.  The process for both positions will take some time, so we’ll see where the Lord leads.   I continue to ask Him to clearly show me His direction for my life and the ministry of Simplicity.   Carol and I both believe that this time is more about the process of searching out the heart of God and less about the end result.   We both sense that the answer will once again be something that at this point is out of view and not on our radar screen.   Time will tell.

Carol and Kim attended a woman’s conference last night at Corpus Christi Christian Fellowship, so Mike and I had Organic Group with our kids.   The conversation was not as free flowing as it is when Kim and Carol are with us, but it was still good none the less.   We had studied Mark 13:14-23 on Sunday, so we were discussing these passages on the tribulation.   It was great getting to help my kids better understand a passage that is difficult for adults much less a 7 and 11 year old.

After Organic Group, we went back to Mike’s house and he played a documentary movie for me called The Heart of Texas.  This is one of the most powerful stories I have ever heard.   The movie profiles a community tragedy that displayed God’s love in a powerful way through the response of the family affected.   I don’t tend to get overly emotional, but this was a very emotional movie for me to watch, especially with my two youngest children near by.   To see God’s power moving in a circumstance that few of us could ever imagine.

This weekend we will be handing out water at the central bus terminal again and having our monthly cookout on the parking lot at Simplicity.

What’s whirling around my mind today

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This past Saturday we started our joint ministry venture with Summit Church.   Each Saturday we are going to the central bus transfer station across from City Hall to hand out cold bottles of water.   Handing out cold water has become the simplest, yet single most powerful action we do.

This past Saturday was no exception.   A group of believers ranging in age from 4 months to over 40 handing out cold water with a smile and a simple word of love.   It was beautiful to watch the disbelieving smiles as hot hands grasped ice cold bottles of water.    My favorite was a blind man, who grinned from ear to ear as I touched the back of his hand with the cold bottle I was going to give him.

Kim got to put her ASL skills to use as she ministered to a woman she had met through the deaf center a few years ago.  This woman showed us her severely injured leg, and with Kim interpreting, we laid hands on her and prayed for her healing.

Mike got to speak with another man that he has built a relationship with through the years.  Speaking words of affirmation and encouragement.   It truly was joy for us…our minds filled with ideas for hot coffee in the winter and other ways to make this better.

I will be sending out a request for people to help us with the purchase of bottled water and I hope some will choose to come and join us.

Finances are still a great burden right now, but the Lord has also brought forth some unexpected provisions.   I’ve not been getting any calls for temp work and the Simplicity Solutions businesses are slow at the moment.  I have two interviews on Thursday for a F/T management position for an optical lab and retailer and a P/T position with a government contractor.   I have mixed emotions about both and wonder how these things will further/hinder the ministry in days to come if they come about at all.

I hope to have some clearer direction in the near future as I am getting to the place of needing to get my preparations in order for my upcoming trip to India.

I am simply asking the Lord to give me what I need to faithfully become the man I am called to be.

Pastor Adams gave me a report on the launching of the church in Moi’s Bridge.  I thought I would share it with you:

Greetings.Thank you for your prayers for our students.We had a very successful mission and church planting.Many got saved and gave their lives.We have officially planted the church in Moi’s bridge.I will send you the full report this week.
20 students came from Uganda and other church members from Uganda joined them.We saw the mighty hand of God.
God bless.Pass my regards to all.

In the Presence of Witnesses

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Today, I found myself wrestling with the question of mycall and my role in it.  The Lord has been calling me to focus more attention on the call, but I have been fearful that because of our current difficult circumstances, I was being neglectful in my role as a father and husband.  

This morning I was ministered to by a council of Godly co-laborers.   One dear brother, as he was leaving looked at me and said:  “1 Peter 5:10.”   One of the other men asked, “Why did he say that to you?”  I responded, “We’re about to find out…”

1 Peter 5:10 (NASB)

10 And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.

We then began to talk about our yoking to Jesus and how our burdens are lessened as we work in tandem with Him.   Another man then shared a story of a friend who followed the Lord’s direction, but continued to miss what he thought he was looking for.  It was pointed out that faithfulness and obedience was what the Lord was seeking…not the completion of a task.   Many times the difficult places and circumstances we find ourselves in are not due to bad choices, sin or any other heinous action.   The real reason we find ourselves in that place is because we have simply followed Jesus there.

Over the course of the afternoon, I found my resolve being wishy-washy.   Carol began to speak to me about the refinement process and its preparation of my life for the things ahead, but she emphasized my calling and my work were already clearly defined.   During our Organic Group tonight, I asked “Where do you most need to experience the powerful presence of God in your life tonight?”   Carol’s answer once again returned to the refinement process and call of our previous conversation.   Carol asked the Lord to empower me with a committed Spirit that would not waver under an adversity to the work He has already laid before me.

As we spent a few moments in silence, I was reminded of Elisha:

1 Kings 19:19-21 (NASB)

19 So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, while he was plowing with twelve pairs of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth. And Elijah passed over to him and threw his mantle on him.

20 And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, “Please let me kiss my father and my mother, then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?”

21 So he returned from following him, and took the pair of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the implements of the oxen, and gave it to the people and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah and ministered to him.

It was very clear to me as the old hymn says:  “I have decided to follow Jesus.  No turning back, no turning back.”  With this prompting from the Lord I made a public commitment to throw myself wholeheartedly into the task He has given me and to discontinue asking about other “work.”  The Lord impressed upon me that I needed to have the group annoint my head with oil and pray over me in affirmation of this commitment.
By the way, today’s miraculous provision was the bed of my pickup full of groceries while I was praying with the council of Godly men.

Out of Order

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Tonight I had an awakening in my soul.  I have been wrestling with confusion about who I am supposed to be at this moment in time, knowing the greater call on my life, but trying to decipher it in light of my circumstances.   The Lord turned the lights on for me this evening while my wife and I were talking.

Several months ago the Lord began speaking to me about needing to have my foundation set.   I took that to mean my financial foundation, but I realize now that was only a small piece of that instruction.  My call in life is the planting of churches and raising up of church leaders, but I have neglected laying those foundations, because I have been consumed with trying to get a financial foundation built.

The Lord helped me see tonight that I had taken on the wrong role.  I am to walk alongside those who have been called to marketplace ministry, helping them to maximize the effectiveness of their businesses for the purposes of the Kingdom of God.   It is through these relationships and my “supporting role” that the Lord will support my ongoing work, which is not to run companies, but to plant churches and raise up church leaders.

Commerce is meant to be a tool of support for the ministers that I raise up, but not their primary focus.   The Lord has not delivered me from my circumstances, because my priorities were not squarely in line with His.   Additionally, the Lord has given me the release to shut down my financial advisory practice…a place of trust, a place of putting my focus in order.

Matthew 6:33

Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness…

The Challenge of Silence

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Over the past few days, I took part in the 2nd of a 3 retreat series I began in the fall, called “Longing for His Presence.”  This series of retreats was designed to help ministers draw closer to God by building spiritual disciplines in their lives.  Learning how to use silence and solitude for this formation process is a key part of the retreat series.

For this second retreat 60-70% of our time was spent in silence and solitude.  I look forward to these times and have made this a practice in my life for about the last 6 -7 years.   I look forward to these times, because I am able to clear out the distractions, noise and demands of life for a few days and hear clearly what God wants to say to me.  As you might expect, these times bring about great challenges as well, because the Lord is always interested in shaping me and molding me.

This retreat was no different, and I now find myself beginning an intensive period of drawing close to the Lord that stretches me to the limits, but God is out to show Himself powerful and faithful.   I anticipate that in the weeks to come I will have greater clarity about the things that lie before me.  As I mentioned before the Lord is taking us through some roster changes.  I learned just yesterday that another one of our “team” will be moving in the coming months.

It is important that I remain focused on the one who gives the call and not the call itself.  Right now my greatest desire of the Lord is to find His perfect balance.  I find that as I am having to focus more time on trying to build businesses that I am unable to devote the time I normally have to things like writing.   Both are key aspects of my life, I need the Master’s help in planning out the stewardship of who I am.

From Theory to Reality

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I’ve been talking quite a bit lately about the business model that I call Simplicity Solutions that is meant to run along side the ministry of Simplicity.   One of the 4 purposes of Simplicity Solutions is to create business opportunities for those who are getting back on their feet.

There are currently two people that God has put into my life that fit that description.  Both have overcome difficult odds and by God’s grace have made the choice to move beyond the past.   In both cases finding work has been difficult due to transportation, education, related work experience, etc…

Today the Lord impressed upon me that it was time to move Simplicity Solutions from theory to reality.  So I established dealer relationships for both of them with Fuller Brush Company.  Starting next week we will begin canvassing businesses and neighborhoods with Fuller Catalogs working to build their businesses.   It is my responsibility to help them be successful in this venture, so I will work very closely with them in the early stages to get them moving forward quickly.

It will be interesting to see where this part of the journey takes us, but I believe when all is said and done God intends to leave us all in awe of His work on our behalf.

If you would like to see what Fuller Brush has to offer, we would love to have you as our customer.  Please visit www.fullerbrushsolutions.com to see our product lines.

Exciting Times

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These are certainly exciting times for me.  Tomorrow we will have our first baptism service since launching Simplicity.  I will have the privilege of baptizing 3 who have put their faith in Christ.  We will be conducting the baptisms at Emerald Beach along the Corpus Christi bayfront.

This week, I finally got my dealership materials to begin the primary businesses of Simplicity Solutions.  Simplicity Solutions is the for profit enterprise that will be used to support my family, fund the work of Simplicity Church Network, help church planters develop businesses to support their families and create businesses for those trying to get on their feet.

After much searching I narrowed down my MLM ventures to four companies that offer a wide range of product:

  • Amsoil – Synthetic oils and lubricants for automotive and industrial applications
  • Aggrand – Organic fertilizers and supplements for agriculture (part of the Amsoil family)
  • Amway Global – They’ve moved beyond soap and granola bars and now partner with mainline stores such as Office Depot, Barnes & Noble, etc…
  • Commission River – Primarily focused on telecom and internet technologies, can be operated e-commerce or traditionally marketed.
  • Fuller Brush Company – Based in Great Bend, KS (where I began my investment firm in 2001).  Fuller Brush manufactures commercial/household care and cleaning supplies.

In addition, we are running a number of e-commerce sites through both Commission River and Amazon.   These include:

  • The Fone Store – Cell phones, upgrades and service through all of the major carriers
  • International SIM Cards – Allows you to use your cell phone overseas(144 countries) with high competitive per minute rates
  • Cardparison – Compare current rates, features and offers from multiple credit card issuers
  • Anglerz Supply – Fishing tackle and supplies
  • Luv My Hog – All things Harley Davidson
  • HealthMartXpress – An online health and wellness shop, along the lines of the corner drug store

The latter three e-commerce sites are affiliate stores of Amazon.com.  Sales made through these stores generate a commission for the sale.  Additionally, any product offered on Amazon.com can be purchased through these sites and also generates commission.

Those who are interested in supporting our ministry in an ongoing manner can simply become customers of the products and services we sell.  Carol and I began this business enterprise by seeking the Lord’s guidance for the portion that was immediately His.  We be giving the first 30% of revenue from Simplicity Solutions to the Lord for the furtherance of His work.

Please feel free to contact me if you would like more information on the business model, product catalogs or to place orders.

Partners and Pancakes

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As I shared in my last post, the Lord gave me a business model that does nothing less than make my heart leap with excitement.   There are four main things that this model seeks to address:

  • Providing for missionary pastors
  • Furthering the spread of the gospel
  • Meeting the physical needs of others
  • Giving an opportunity for those getting back on their feet to work

The Lord led me to use network marketing and affiliate marketing as the primary vehicles, because we can help a struggling person move from unemployed to employee (dependent upon a company) to business owner (controlling their own financial future).

I shared this concept with a room full of friends on Friday and everyone got excited, the ideas began flowing and we all agreed that the Lord had just birthed a Kingdom venture.

Today we went to South Bluff Park to make breakfast for the homeless.  South Bluff Park is home to a large transient population and is primarily known for the drug dealing and prostitution that takes place.   Our group had the pleasure of cooking up pancakes and ended up feeding about 20-25 people throughout the morning.  Many quickly grabbed their food and moved on, while others stayed and allowed us to build relationships.

There is a battle going on for the heart of our city.  I am convinced that we will never see Corpus Christi transformed until we see this part of the city transformed.   The sweeping move of the Holy Spirit is necessary for the bondage of addiction to be broken.

T

Simplicity Solutions

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I am developing a for profit business model called Simplicity Solutions that will be used to help fund the church planting, benevolence and other ministries of Simplicity.

Simplicity Solutions is a conglomeration of MLM and Affiliate commerce ventures that will be used to provide an income for new church planters, people getting back on their feet and the lead pastors for the Simplicity network.

Simplicity Solutions…Life Shouldn’t be Complicated

Mission: A for profit corporation that is in business to create financial funding for the furtherance of the Great Commission through Simplicity Church Network and its affiliated ministries.

· Purpose

o Bring Christ into the Marketplace

o Use commerce to fund the work of the Kingdom

o Give the servants of God a means to support themselves

o Give the lowly a tool to improve themselves

· The Model

o A business of businesses

§ Utilizing ecommerce and MLM strategies

· Creates ownership

o Profits used to for:

§ Financial provision for Simplicity Church Network pastors and their church planting efforts

§ Seed money for church plants

§ Ministry projects

§ Reinvestment for further profits

o Creates a tent-making role for church planters

§ Constant contact with the unchurched

o Creates a place of work for those needing a fresh start

· Goals

o A complete support solution for church planters

o Support for Kingdom work worldwide

o Providing employment opportunities for those getting back on their feet

You can join in on the action as well as we will be looking for affiliates for our the different businesses and people to market product. This is also an opportunity for you to make some additional income as well.  The primary thrust of these businesses is marketing, although some of these offer a traditional sales model.

Here are the first few pieces of Simplicity Solutions:

ProMedXHealth

Advantage Nutritionals

Cognigen

Eniva

Reverse Phone Detective

USFreeads

Cash Making Powersites

Unlimited Game Download Website

Homemade Energy