Wisdom Blog

Last night I had the privilege of hearing Pastor Leonardo Diaz from Manzanillo, Cuba speak his passion to a small group at a local Church in Tampa.  I knew in advance that his topic would be about church growth and the things of God that fuel increasing revival on the small island of Cuba. What I was not prepared for was the striking resemblance between the process of discipleship he spoke of, and the network marketing industry, when it is done with honesty and integrity.    No wonder so many people are attracted to network marketing… God is the genius who came up with the plan!

I am sure you are wondering just how I made that connection, so I will take it one step at a time.  Pastor Leo began with his own testimony.  In his early years as a pastor he sought God’s direction for his ministry.  He studied the scriptures diligently as he asked for Gods direction, and God answered his prayer with this passage just as He had answered the wise King Solomon. (more…)

Since the holiday season, I have found myself in several discussions that touched on the concept of prevenient grace.  Several of my readers have asked for more information on this subject, and I have waited patiently for God to give me the inspiration and understanding to address prevenient grace in a manner that will edify and encourage my brothers and sisters.

Many envision God as a god of wrath who punishes those who believe the wrong things and rewards those who believe the right things.  They would have you place more emphasis on doctrine than on works, and more emphasis on works that on relationship.  I do not know their god.  What I do know is that we will never be holy, never have a perfect understanding of the scriptures, and  never accomplish enough good works to be worthy of the love, forgiveness, and eternal life He has promised to His children.  I also know that whatever doctrine you may be hearing from the self proclaimed righteous, they don’t measure up either!

If we are all so badly flawed, then how can we possibly find our way to the presence of His holiness?  That process starts when we stop believing in God, and as a result of the prevenient grace he has shown us, we start BELIEVING GOD!

I learned about prevenient grace when I attended Aldersgate Women’s Walk to Emmaus #99, where I sat at the table of Martha.  If you have not participated in a Walk to Emmaus, Cursillo, or one of the many “three day’s”, I recommend it highly and  would be honored to connect you to a “fourth day” community near you.  If you are on your fourth day journey as I am, De Colores!

Prevenient grace is the activity of God wooing us from the (more…)

There has been an interesting discussion going on in recent weeks about what exactly will qualify a person to inherit eternal life. I have come across as much watered down doctrine as I have over the top legalistic doctrine, which has left me asking why so many people seem to be set on doing “just enough” to get to heaven? While the over the top doctrine pushers would have you believe that you must believe exactly as they do, the watered down faction seems to be seeking the quickest, easiest, cheapest ticket that will be accepted at the pearly gates.

In any endeavor, when you seek to do “just enough” rather than to excel, you may technically succeed, but you are only cheating yourself when you give less than your best. Here is a real world example – French Toast.

If I take the eggs and beat them just a little, then quickly dip the bread in the eggs and fry it on up in a really hot pan, I will technically have French Toast. It will be dry in the middle and have crusty egg white on the edges, and maybe a few charred spots, but it will have about the same nutritional value as it would have if I were more attentive to the details.
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Just the other night, in a committee meeting, a member asked the committee chair to please stop using the words dire and dismal in relation to the committee’s financial challenges. Her point was that the use of those words, especially with the frequency they were being used, gave power to the problem rather than the solution. When we focus on problems, they persist, but when we focus on solutions we overcome.

No matter what kind of challenges we face in our lives overcoming them has everything to do with the manner in which we approach them. Our point of view and attitude are closely related, and are keys to our success. If we have a positive attitude and expect success, then we will approach obstacles from the point of view that there are opportunities to be discovered. Without a clear expectation of success, we are just stuck with the way things are, or worse. (more…)

I just got the announcement – Toms has given away 1 million pairs of shoes!  What an accomplishment that is.  Tom’s unique business model, one for one, has made them a shining example of a giving business with a mission and a responsible corporate world citizen.  More important is the fact that in a few short years, one million needy children have had their lives greatly improved by a gift of shoes.

I must admit that I did not choose marketing. If anything, marketing chose me. I was just doing things I really wanted to do.

As a teenager, I loved music more than anything else. In my junior year of high school, I was fat on credits and had most of my required courses completed. Due to overcrowding, my high school went to a split session. Students with employment were permitted to attend 4 classes daily, and then go to work. With the promise of a 4 hour school day as incentive, I landed a cashier position in a privately owned consumer electronics store at the mall. I never expected this to be the beginning of a journey to greatness. (more…)