The Power of Focus

I am passionate about living on purpose. I have spent the last several months thinking about what this means in more depth, and rearranging my life to execute "living on purpose." I have learned several important things.


First, I learned that I am propelled by an innate need for goals and progress. Since Spring 2008, I've been dealing with some really tough family difficulties: various health problems; sitting on three pieces of real estate that haven't sold yet due to the market downturn; helping my parents with some tough situations; my dad's cancer diagnosis (from which he has been completely healed--"Thank You, Lord!"); and a lot of other things. From Fall 2009 through June 2010, I was just trying to survive. All sorts of bad things seemed to hit one after the other, and surviving was all I could do.

Somewhere along the way, I noticed that I had lost my focus. I used to be so motivated by goals, but I hadn't written a goal in months. I used to wake up excited about every day, but I was fighting the blues.

I realized that I had lost my focus. I was trying to shoulder the burden for things I can't control, and so I had no power to impact things I can control. So, I took steps to solve this problem.

First, I eliminated things and activities that are nice, but that I'm not called to do.

Second, I made a list of unfinished projects and things I need to get done. I assigned dates to get those projects done.

Then I started working off that list. Except for one thing, I've not picked up a new project in months - I've been finishing lots of old things.

This new focus - concentrating my energy on what God has called me to do, instead of expending my energy on things that seem to be good ideas - has totally turned me around. I'm actually getting things done again, getting my momentum back, overcoming and not getting discouraged.

Thank You, Lord, for the power of focus.
Jamie

Eagles' Group meeting tonight cancelled

The Eagles' Group meeting tonight has been cancelled. We will start up again this fall with a slightly different emphasis. Feel free to email me with any questions or updates on how you are doing. Have a great evening to yourself!

Jamie

Putting Your Toes In The Water

I frequently have people ask me, "How can I tell what is the right thing to do when I have so many different options?" There are many answers to this, but one of the things I always encourage my workshop participants to do is to do something. It's easier to redirect a moving object than one that is sitting still! So, you should listen to what God is saying, evaluate your options, and generally, you should act! Chances are you will be on track, but even if you are slightly off course, I take great comfort in knowing that my God is big enough and strong enough to keep me from getting entangled in something that is not from Him. He opens doors of opportunity and He also shuts doors of opportunity, and a wise person will be sensitive to whether a door is truly open or closed.

I've been living this principle lately. I have had some opportunities come my way that are directly related to my calling and passions in life. However, there were some definite roadblocks - things that would need the definite intervention of God to remove. Well, my God is in the business of definite intervention. I wasn't totally sure whether or not I should walk through these doors of opportunity, so I decided to 'put my toes in the water' and see what would happen.

For those of you that are not familiar with the water reference, it comes from the Bible. When the Jews had left Egypt, spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness, and were finally ready to cross the Jordan River and go into the Promised Land, they needed supernatural help to get their millions of people across the river. God told them to pack up, send the priests ahead, and He would make a way. He did, too - but not until the priests were actually wading into the river and their feet were in the water! They had to start out trusting Him to take care of it - and then He rolled the Jordan River back and made a dry ford all the way across. The water stayed back until all the people got across!

Sometimes when making an important decision, we need to gather all the facts and do a little investigating and probing to see if doors of opportunity are truly open for us. So that's what I've been doing. I've probed and found two opportunities that, although they look great, do not appear to be right for me at this time as the dramatic barriers have not moved. I'm ok with that, though - I've been praying for God to protect me from entering into anything that is not His plan for me, and to help me enter into everything that is His plan for me!

Sometimes life isn't black and white; sometimes it's more fluid. Sometimes you have to "Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and the door shall be opened unto you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks, the door shall be opened." (Matthew 7:7) Sometimes the door that opens is not the same one you thought would open in the beginning, but God will always bring you into His plan for your life if you will ask Him!

Here's to asking, seeking and finding!
Jamie

2nd Eagles' group meeting tonight, 6:30 PM at Abba's House

Our second Eagles' group meeting will be tonight from 6:30 - 8 PM in the Faith building at Abba's House. Abba's House is very near Northgate Mall. Driving directions: From Northgate Mall, get on Hixson Pike northbound; after 2-3 blocks, you will pass the Steak-N-Shake on the right; Abba's House is about one block farther on the right. It's very large; you can't miss it. The Faith building is the first building you see if you are coming from the south side (the Northgate Mall area). It has a little porch that cars can drive under. We will meet in Room 408.

We will be catching up, potentially meeting some new folks, studying marketing and business skills and entrepreneurship, motivating each other and having a great time. I can't wait to see you all there!

Jamie

Encouraging Word for Today

I've been sensing lately that God is doing something big, but I haven't been sure what it is exactly. I get an encouraging word over email from Bill and Marsha Burns every weekday morning - www.spiritofprophecy.com. (If you don't already get it, I would highly recommend that you sign up for their daily bulletin. You'll be amazed.) God has been telling them that He is bringing about change in His kids' lives, and that we'll be taken into a new time of new, awesome opportunities that will help bring about our destiny.

For the last few days, I've been feeling an overwhelming burden to pray. It's been as if I just want to lay down at the feet of Jesus every moment and just weep and pray, not in a bad way, just in an extra-sensitive-to-His-Presence way. And I haven't known why exactly. I've been praying for a lot of my friends and family, but it's bigger than that.

This evening I asked the Lord to tell me what is going on. These are the impressions I got:
1. This is June 2009. In my mind's eye, it was like I saw the numbers - 6/2009. The 6 is made up of 3+3, and the 9 is 3+3+3. Three is the number of the Trinity - God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. I felt like the first "3" meant God has been glorified; the 2nd "3" meant Jesus has been manifested in the character, hearts and actions of His people; and the 3rd "3" meant the Holy Spirit is now moving in ways that only He can do - "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of Hosts" - (Zech. 4:6).

2. I also felt like this is a time of perfecting. I, and all other Christians too, have been praying for God to do certain things for a long time - things that He promised to do, but we just haven't seen happen yet. I read 1 Peter 5:8-10, which says: "Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you." I believe this is a time when God is doing that perfecting in us.

3. I felt impressed to pray for the restoration of God's people a lot. I know many people who have had a lot of things stolen from them in life, and God promises that He will restore everything that was stolen many times over.

4. I read 1 Peter 1:3-4, which states God's mercy is abundant; we have been changed by God so that now we have "a living hope"; and that we have an inheritance from God that is incorruptible.

5. One of the best parts was that I felt like God spoke the following to me. I wrote it down one phrase at a time. It's for you, too, if you read this and feel gripped by it: "I love you. I will bless you. You have waited long. Doors are swinging wide open and I shall cause you to go through. "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)."

I hope this encourages you as it did me. Always remember, God loves you. His heart yearns for you and beats for you.
Love, Jamie

New location for Eagles' group

Hello! For all of you who attend or would like to attend our Eagles' group, we have a permanent location! The group will be hosted at Abba's House in Hixson at 6:30 PM on the 2nd Monday of each month. For those of you who are not already familiar with it, to get to Abba's House from 153 Northbound, you exit at Hixson Pike North, pass the Steak-N-Shake, past a little auto repair garage on the right, and it's the next big complex on the right. I don't know which exact classroom we'll be using yet, but will post it as soon as I do. Our next meeting will be June 8. We'll catch up with one another (or get to know one another for the first time), talk about our individual goals, learn some marketing principles to help us in our businesses, encourage each other and have a great time! Come on down!
Jamie

What an awesome night!

Wow! What an AWESOME NIGHT! Thanks to all of you who came out to the Eagles' group last night. We had an incredible time. First, we just all got caught up on what has been going on in our lives and the progress we're making and want to make. Then we started talking about marketing.

• We talked about the difference between a client and a customer (if you didn't know, you want to have clients, not customers);
• We talked about the three ways to grow a business;
• We discussed our USPs (Unique Selling Propositions) and how to show our clients what is special about our businesses;
• We talked about risk reversal and how to make it risk-free for a new client to try our product or service;
• We talked about add-ons and cross-selling, which are NOT ways to just get a client to buy more;
• We discussed Google Ads and how to use them to monetize informational websites;
• Keri brought brownies (thanks Keri!);
• We talked about some cool marketing ideas for each of us;
• People made some cool connections with one another - strategic contacts to help them with their goals; and
• So much more I just can't begin to describe it all! We had the best time! We laughed! We joked! We got so much education in! We motivated! I'm pumped!

Our next meeting will be June 8, location TBA. Come on out for the get-together - you definitely don't want to miss it, and we can't wait to see you there!
Jamie