Personal behavior will take us far in life as well as in business. Doing unto others as we would have done unto us is a core principle of the Christian Faith and one well listened to. “As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,” as Paul wrote in chapter three of Colossians, we should wake in gods light and let our light so shine before men, giving God the glory.

It will create success in our lives as well as in our businesses, teaching us the value of Christian Business Principles. One of the first things that Paul tells us to clothe ourselves in is compassion. Compassion is defiantly a personal virtue well worth attaining.

Having compassion on others shows wisdom and understanding and this is something that others will always see. It builds character within us and helps keep us on the write track.

Compassion’s core is in empathy and sympathy, standing with others in their time of need provides support and helps to lift burdens when people need it most.

The next thing Paul mentions is kindness and humility. Kindness is easy and works wonders, humility on the other hand is a bit more complex. Humility some would say is a quality of being modest, not arrogant, and not rude. I like to describe humility as lifting others up rather than focusing on bringing yourself down.

Modesty is defiantly a good trait to have and portray, but if we focus on lifting others up, modesty will come, and as we lift others up we will many times be solving some of our problems with out even knowing it.

Paul next writes that we should be meek and have patients. Check back for part two which will continue our discussion on being meek and having patients.

About the Author
Mark Harriman is a Christian husband and father of two. My team and I are teaching others how to absolutely create success online. Visit http://www.g10netprofits2.com for business tools and opportunities. Article Source

Customer Care Capabilities

Outside Advertising Sales- Los Angeles CA

There is so much information on how a Christian can start an online business and how they can get started by taking advantage of Christian business opportunities. Information overload is often the very thing that keeps the newbie that is new to internet marketing from starting their own home business.

If you have been seeking information on the internet for a business opportunity for any amount of time, you most likely have come to the conclusion that there are a lot of opportunities to take advantage of. The internet is full of online business opportunities and it can be very overwhelming for a newbie. There are so many informative programs on the internet that say they can guide the average person into learning how to run a successful business through using their marketing plans.

If you’re a newbie to the internet, don’t wait until after you have spent a lot of money, only to discover that a lot of opportunities on the internet are scams. Scammers are popping up all over the internet. Take the time and do your homework, and make sure it is a legitimate business opportunity with a good marketing plan.

Have you ever seen those business opportunity websites with pictures of cars, boats and a lot of cash, it’s easy to get caught up in the moment of temptation.They say you are going to make an enormous amount of money over night. They even go as far as to say you don’t need any knowledge or understanding of internet marketing, they will take care of every thing for you. Don’t give them your hard earned money only to get nothing in return. There is no such thing as get rich quick programs.

To start an online business and be successful, it is going to take some time and patience, and you have to be willing to learn and work at it in order to make it a successful business. Success does not happen over night, its not the Christian way.

Starting and maintaining an online business means hard work and the ability to learn marketing. You can’t put up a website and just forget it; you need to promote your business to be successful, and this is going to take some effort on your part. The Internet is a powerful marketing tool, if used correctly, and you’re willing to work at it, you will find the reward well worth it.

If your plan was to do a search for Christian business opportunities to find some business ideas to start an online business and you don’t have a lot of money to work with, you will discover that an online business does not require a large amount of money. All you need is a website, a domain name and good way to promote it.

Today, in the world of the internet, we have a lot of options to choose from when it comes to opportunities and business ideas. To start an online business you must understand, you’re going to sell a product or provide a service that can be done online. Let us check out some business ideas for an online business.

1. You can create a digital product and make your knowledge sell. Write a book? A how-to guide? A saleable manual? Your good at cooking and have your recipes that you have been keeping all to yourself, you can create your own e-book to sell online.

Everybody has literally hundreds of starting points! What is it that you love to talk about? A hobby? Golf, fishing, hunting, and so forth? What do you do for fun and games? What do you do day after day, sewing, knitting, making quilts, rugs, without even thinking about it?

Take the time and think about what you tend to do in a typical day, and what you’ve learned from it. What sections of a book store or a magazine shop do you automatically gravitate toward? What kind of TV shows do you tend to like most? Movies? As you can see you have picked up a lot of experience and knowledge and yours is based on what you already know.

2. Start an online business using a drop ship supplier. All you would need is a wholesale supplier who will drop ship products that you want to sell in your internet store, a low cost web site and a merchant account. With an online store you have the opportunity to sell just about anything, computers, DVD movies, small kitchen appliances, jewelry, the list goes on. The wholesale supplier charges you a set price for the products and your profit is the difference between that price and the price you charge your customers in your online store. The wholesale supplier will drop ship the product to your customer with your company name on the package.

3. Start an online business with affiliate programs. There is a lot of companies with Christian business opportunities that try to encourage people to promote their products on their website, blog, or email. In return, the said company will pay you a certain percentage of every sale. You can make anywhere from 5% to 75% profit depending on what company you choose to sign up with.

4. Start your own online auction. If you are into auctions and thinking about starting an online career as an auction seller then you may want to check out eBay. There are millions of people making an income selling on eBay full or part time. You can use eBay to sell just about any item you think of, or you can create your own website. You can sell just about anything on eBay.

5. Start a Christian bookstore. With an online a book store you don’t have the hassles of stocking inventory or shipping and handling products. You will also discover in today’s economy that a lot of people find it convenient to do their shopping online. More and more elderly people are also finding it convenient to do their shopping online so they can enjoy the comfort of their home.

These are just some of the online business ideas for a newbie to keep in mind when you’re doing a search for Christian business opportunities. This will give you a better understanding of what to look for, and help you come up with some good ideas of your own.

Our Christian Site at http://www.christianideas.net helps Christians to start a online business that will enable them with the tools needed to succeed in spreading God’s Word. For more information check out our FREE educational tutorials for Christian Business opportunities. Article Source

Telephonic Case Manager RN

Text Chat Operator

I must admit that I am not always right. Of course, I did not understand the dynamics of this until after entering marital bliss. Sometimes it takes a major change in your life to awaken you to the truth. Although I may not always be right, I’m willing to “fess up” to it when somebody graciously points this out to me.

Fortunately, for me, the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage has made this the supreme priority of her life. And I must say, I am all the better for it. I, on the other hand, have made “fessing up,” the supreme priority of my life. This has made for a wonderful team.

Most people don’t know when they’re wrong. Nobody tells them about it so they just go their way in the wrong direction doing the wrong thing.

I take comfort in the unexpressed fact that I may not always be right, but then, on the other hand, I’m not always wrong either.

I didn’t fully understand how this affected me personally until an incident happened this past week. It’s funny how one little incident can bring your entire world into sharp perspective.

We were going out to a special occasion and just as we were ready to leave my wife turned to me and said, “You’re not going to wear that tie with that jacket, are you?”

I take pride in the fact that I can match a tie to a suit or sport jacket. I’ve been doing this all my life and at the time I was not in the mood having somebody adjust my clothing.

“There is nothing wrong with this tie,” I said rather smartly. When I him right, I am right and I don’t care who knows it.

“All I will say,” she said rather stiffly, “is that you will regret wearing that tie.”

There is nothing more sporting, at least in the husband’s frame of mind, than a good challenge. And, if I say so myself, I was up for it, which only goes to show how wrong a person can be.

I had just bought this tie a few weeks before and I was anxious to show it off to my friends that we were going to meet. And, being the sporting husband that I am, I said as much to her. “This is my favorite tie and I’m going to wear it tonight no matter what you say.”

And can I get all the brothers to give me a loud, “Amen,” for that. We in the brotherhood need to stick together and there’s no thicker brotherhood than husbands.

She gave me one of her looks and then said, “Do what you want to do, but I’m just warning you.”

I might mention that my tie was a nice bright golden was so very decorative silver stars and moons sprinkled on it. The first time I saw it in the men’s clothing store I fell in love with it. Not often do I go gaga over a piece of attire but this one sort of caught my fancy.

When we got at the restaurant all of my friends admired my new tie.

“That’s a terrific tie,” someone said.

“Wordage again a time like that?” Another person chimed in.

I won’t say that I took advantage of the situation, I did, but if I have to say it’s you don’t know me very well. Every once in a while I glanced toward my wife and raise my eyebrows three times, which is a sign of arrogance on my part. I’ve earned this moment and so I was going to cash it in for all it was worth.

But what I didn’t figure on was the fact that we were at a restaurant that was serving all-you-can-eat spaghetti. I love spaghetti, and so I was planning on having a wonderful evening.

All my friends were admiring my tie, and I was pigging out on all the spaghetti I could eat. Plus, and this was the real plus, I had one over on my wife. Husband doesn’t get to this place very often and so when it comes, exploit it.

Then it happened. I will not say whose fault it was, although I have some very deep suspicious ideas. My wife was sitting to my left and somebody on my right ask if we would pass the spaghetti. I was so busy gloating that I did not realize what was developing.

“Here,” my wife said, “pass this on.”

Whether she let go before I grabbed it, or, my left hand went numb, I will never know. I am not one to pass the blame. However, accidents do happen.

The bold the spaghetti sauce slipped out of my hand and attached itself most ferociously to my prized tie. All around the table there was a gasp. Then silence. Then out of nowhere came a very distinct snicker. I have heard this snicker many times before and did not have to turn to see who was the proud owner of that snicker.

In fact, all the way home I heard low-volume editions of that snicker.

Being the man of the house, I drove all the way home in silence but I was thinking of a verse of Scripture in the book of Proverbs. Proverbs 16:18 says: “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”

Can I get an “Amen” for that?

Care Manager II- Concurrent Review

Facets Pricing Configuration Analyst

Granted, there are some questionable resources and programs out there that will have you spinning your wheels without ever seeing results, but this message isn’t about what is being offered, it’s intended to help people focus on what they DO with materials they’ve chosen to try.

Have you ever watched how people tend to communicate on a work at home message forum…without posting yourself…just to glimpse the potential reasons why so many are failing time and again?

In a nutshell, these people who are prone to repetitive failure are STILL believing they will somehow run across “the ultimate formula”, or they will just happen to stumble upon the “one guarded secret” that will bring them HUGE income…FAST.

Make a mental note here: There is NO SUCH THING.

Ok, so in watching some work at home message boards for a while, you happen to notice that every time someone poses an “opportunity” or Internet Marketing “resource”, or previously unheard of “Get Paid to” program, or promising sales pitch for a new “sitebuilder complete with customizable affiliate ads in place”, 43 members of the forum race hastily to be the first to reply….”Me! Me! Me! Here’s my email address, send me the information!! Hurry! I want to be first! I need to make money online! Right now!”

Another mental note: Posting your email address on a message board is like saying, “I want to be a victim, spam me, I want EVERYONE and his brother to show me their opportunities for $49.95!”.

On with the story…ok, so you happen to notice that the same 43 forum members are jumping at everything they see, all over the boards, from cool sounding Business Opportunities to Click and Earn Marketing, and from Get Paid for Surveys to Work at Home Employment Listings.

Third mental note: The definition of “determination” is NOT a hard drive full of purchased products that a person collects without having a clue how to fully utilize any of them. Additionally, something is NOT a SCAM simply because a person got to step three and then gave up in frustration and impatience.

Working from home is just that…”working”. I would venture to guess that we ALL probably start out acting very similarly to the 43 forum members mentioned above. After all, we’ve been conditioned to believe that the Internet is all about delivering what we’re seeking in a fraction of the time it would take to drive to the library, find the geographical maps section, grab the right resource, and help junior look up exactly where Argentina should be listed on his school project.

In summary: When approaching work at home, approach it as “work”. When applying for work at home jobs, use the same professionalism you would use as if you were walking into H&R Block, with resume in hand, in response to their ad published in the Help Wanted section of your local newspaper.

Appearing as if you’re flighty, scattered, anxious, and in need of Ritalin isn’t going to get you anything but a sideways look after you walk out of the building.

Choose ONE thing and learn to do it WELL. Go through each of the steps fully, looking for answers to end your confusion when you get stuck, and follow through until completion. Go back over the steps, make improvements, learn more, and follow through. Then you can look at the NEXT thing and repeat all of the above.

Finally, do NOT expect instantaneous results. Nurture it, give it time to grow, give YOURSELF time to grasp what you’re doing, continue learning, and remain focused on the end result rather than scanning the web for the “next venture” that MIGHT be “easier”.

Final mental note: Whether or not you “reach” your own definition of success is entirely up to you. Sometimes, altering the way you “perceive” working online, or from home, and analyzing yourself, your strengths, and where and why you’ve failed before, will give you valuable (sometimes painful, but useful just the same) insight to help you alter those destructive habits.

You CAN make a promising career and income working from home, rather than making a career out of trying to make a career…and failing repeatedly.

About the Author:
Polly Taskey is the webmaster of WAHcycle ™, the Official Work at Home Swap, Sell, Share Network allowing members to swap, sell, or share work at home job leads, equipment, training, co-promotion, affiliate programs, articles, ebooks, advice, success stories, and much more free. Polly has overcome many difficult obstacles and has been supporting her family alone while working from home since 2003. She has become self-educated in Web Design, Graphic Design, Internet Marketing, and Freelance Writing. This by-line must be included in full with proper credit given when re-posting this article. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Polly_Taskey

Inside Sales

SAP HCM-PY Consultant

God has blessed you with a vision for a business. You research your market, you write up a business plan and you make the leap. So how can Christians in business be successful? The answer is to stay true to your Christian convictions.

Cultivate a sweet and willing spirit. Read and meditate over Galatians 5. Remember the difference between you and unbelievers. God has called you to bear the fruit of the Spirit. Allow those passages to shape your testimony in business.

Guard your virtues. Keep a distance from unbelievers. In business this means work with believers. Unbelieving costumers are one thing, unbelieving coworkers are another. Be cautious about who you bring into your business. Remember that the act of everyone is a testimony about you and your business.

Be vigilant about your testimony. Christians in business are constantly tempted to cut corners or bend the rules. This is the fastest way to the bottom. Whether you are a sole proprietorship or not, your reputation is all that matters. Walk away from situations that will leave you and your testimony tainted.

Provide opportunity for fellowship. Depending on the type of business you run, you may or may not be able to encourage Bible studies or similar activities. However, there is no law about inviting your employees or costumers to your home. Hospitality goes a long way in making an impression. Also, don’t forget the power of fellowship with your current support system. Bounce ideas off other believers. Perspective is key to finding a stray sheep.

Run a Christian business. Run your business as Jesus would. Don’t let people walk all over you, but don’t walk all over others either. Be proactively helpful. Be fair and a model business person.

Finally, remember there is nothing unchristian about providing for your family. If the opportunity dries up and you are forced to move on in order to provide for you family, do it. Whether you are a head of household or not, God has given you a family; take care of them. Never put your business above your family and never put your business above God. The hardest thing about Christians in business is avoiding idols. Don’t worship your business.

About the Author:
Lori Bell is an entrepreneur and creator of the Kingdom Business Success Blueprint, the step-by-step system designed for Christian business owners who want to use their knowledge, experience and talent to start a successful online business that creates passive income, more time and more fun! If you are ready to accelerate your profits and launch your million dollar idea, visit Kingdombusinesssuccess.com for a FREE audio program of “Package Your Passion For Online Profits: How To Transform Your Own Ideas, Knowledge and Experience Into A Money-Making Kingdom Business”. Article Source

Risk Management Consultant

Inside Sales-Cold Calling

In chapter five of the book, Bridges discusses the power that sin has over us. He talks about the “dominion of sin” and reminds readers that once we are saved, sin’s hold us on is broken. Now, I’ve heard this said over the years and while I believe it to be true, I have always wondered what, then, is wrong with me? Why do I still struggle with sin? In fact, I’ve often thought to myself, “I must not be a very good Christian if I’m still struggling with such-and such. I’m sure so-and-so doesn’t struggle like I do.”

Over and over I’ve barraged myself with thoughts like these until I truly believed there was something wrong with me – that somehow sin DID still have power over me.

Thankfully, Bridges shares a story in this book that helped me understand why we still encounter the struggles with sin that we face:

An illustration from warfare can help us see how this is true. In a particular nation two competing factions were fighting for control of the country. Eventually, with the help of an outside army, one faction won the war and assumed control of the nation’s government. But the losing side did not stop fighting. They simply changed their tactics to guerrilla warfare and continued to fight. In fact, they were so successful that they country supplying the outside help could not withdraw its troops.

So it is with us. Our enemy has been defeated, but we continue to fight an unseen war – our enemy now using guerrilla tactics now since sin no longer controls us.

Galatians 5:17 confirms this: “For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want to do.”

But, praise God, there is hope! We can trust that God has truly defeated sin our our behalf and that we are free from sin (Romans 6:18). We can rely on God to work within us (Philippians 2:13). And we can offer ourselves to God to be “used in doing good.” (Romans 6:13b)

I know that I have so much more to learn! Stay tuned for Part 3 coming soon. And please comment and let me know how God is working within you on this topic!

Illustrator

I walked by a summer league baseball field the other day. I noticed a sign on the fence. A huge sign. It read …

MLB players are little league players that never gave up.

I stood there for a moment … watching the little leaguers. They were clumsy. Uncertain and awkward. But they had an interest in
Improving their skills. I knew that some of those little guys would Some day achieve their dreams. They would be winners.

In order to be a winner at Network Marketing, it takes time. Maybe even a very long time.

As a network marketer, you must realize that success doesn’t happen over night.
It happens little by little each day.

Beginning your network marketing journey will be scary and awkward. You will be unsure and uncertain at times.

Allow yourself to make mistakes and learn from those. It will help you in your journey to success. As you learn, your network marketing business will grow and prosper. Everyone makes mistakes. Capitalize on them.

Feeling frustrated? That is okay too. Everyone has a bad day. Even the most successful network marketers get knocked down. However, they choose to get right back up and keep going time and time again.

Spend time on personal development. To truly succeed, you must work on yourself
first! Carve out a few minutes every day to focus on YOU. Apply what you learn to your
network marketing business and your personal life. It might surprise you how the two
mesh together.

Think positive. Believe you can succeed at network marketing. Keep negative thoughts out of your mind. Surround yourself with positive thoughts. You need to believe in yourself before others will believe in you.

Building a business is a journey, not a race. It doesn’t happen over night. Take steps every
day and you will see results.

About the Author
Lisa Willard is a life-time learner and online marketer. Are you interested in learning the secrets of building a business online. You can contact me at lwillard@omega1w.net or visit my personal website at http://www.OnlineCandleTeam.com. Article Source

Art Director/UX Designer

UI Engineer

Oracle BI

Front-End Developer

As a mom you have kids running around the house. Some of them may be yours while others may not be, but that’s ok because your kids will be where you can see them.

If you have kids that want to help mommy with her business or if you have kids that want to make money, then you should allow them to help. It will help them have an understanding of business and it will help them with responsibility.

There are so many things your kids can do to help you with your business. What they can do depends on your business, but there is always something you can come up with. Make sure you give them things that are age appropriate and make sure they understand what you want them to do.

Here are a few suggestions that will work with most businesses.

1. If you like to hand out flyers, consider having your children go door to door placing a flyer in the handle of the screen door. Make sure you explain what the sign no solicitations means so they don’t place a flyer on a door that says that.

2. If you send out packages to your customers, you can have your kids help you pack the boxes. Depending on the age of your children, you may need to check each box before it goes out, but they’ll still feel like they helped.

3. Preparing envelopes to include in your packages is another task your kids can do for you. They can prepare the envelope in its entirety or you can have everything prepared and they can put them in the envelopes for you.

4. If your kids are older and enjoy the computer and the internet, you could train them how to do some of your online tasks. Article marketing, blog posts, and email management are just a few of the tasks they can handle. Step by step instructions will make it easier for them to handle.

You need to remember that your kids want to spend time with you. When you have a business to run that can be a challenge. The best way to make it work is to have them help you run your business.

Depending on the age of your kids, you may be able to find the perfect task for them to handle. When you can work side by side with them you will all have fun and you’ll be able to accomplish what you set out to do each day and still spend that quality time with your kids that you all crave.

About the Author
Corrie Petersen runs several successful businesses. She is a success virtual assistant and she successfully runs a Christian jewelry business with her family. Visit her websites at http://www.virtualfreedom4you.com and http://www.heavenlycrosses.com to see what she has to offer.

Web Developer

On Monday last there was a confusing cacophony swirling all around me. Usually, I’m not one to give vent to the noises around me but this was a little different. I like to pick sides but this time I’m not sure who to root for. Perhaps you can understand the confusion I am facing.

It is like being a Gator fan in Bulldog territory.

This uncertain sound has confused the dickens out of me, and it isn’t even Christmas time.

Looking out our living room window, I spotted the source of all this commotion. It was a yellow school bus filled with children on their way to their first day of school. As I watched the bus turn left and disappear out of sight, I thought about how the same incident can have completely opposite reactions.

First, there was the loud “hurrahs” of parents all through the community rejoicing in the commencement of school. Either, my hearing is getting better or the sound is getting louder, almost deafening. Up and down our street parents were high-fiving each other and smiling like they won the lottery. Even the lady across the street who has no children was out in her bathrobe joining in the celebration.

Then, second, there was the equally loud sound of groaning children commencing their formal education. After about three months of absolute freedom and fun, it was all behind them now and they were walking to their school classroom to set and set and set for the entire day.

The people I pity the most are the teachers who are the recipients of this horde of students who have not yet finished enjoying the fullness of their summer vacation. It seems that summer concludes rather quicker than the young people desire. Why is it good times go so fast and bad times seemed to drag on and on and on.

I am not sure which side of the fence I’m on with this one. I feel deeply towards these young people who after several months of freedom and absolute cavalier activity are now headed back to classrooms and discipline and cafeteria food. The fact that any kid survives cafeteria cuisine is a tribute to the constitutional strength of their stomach and digestive system.

But then I can understand the cheering on the side of the parents. I remember those days when my wife and I loaded up the children onto the bus for the first day of school. We stood together holding hands watching the bus drive out of sight and then we turned and slowly walked back into the house and sat down for a quiet cup of coffee. Let me underscore that word “quiet.”

Don’t get me wrong here, I love children, especially my children but I sure do love a quiet cup of coffee.

That seems to be the story of life. What makes one person happy is a burden to somebody else. What one person looks forward to with a great deal of anticipation, somebody else dreads the blasted thing.

This brings me to the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage and Yours Truly.

We have a few things in common, but mostly, we like different things.

For example, she loves a fresh broccoli salad (yuck). I am not sure how anybody in his or her right mind could eat a broccoli salad let alone eat it on purpose and enjoy it. I, representing the saner half of our marriage equation, love freshly baked apple fritters.

In 39 years of marital bliss we have never been able bring these two things together. Her love for broccoli is equal only to my loathing of it. And when I loathe something I loath it… you know what I mean?

You are not going to believe this, but my wife turns her nose up at my freshly baked Apple fritters. I don’t understand it. All I can figure out is all those years of consuming broccoli has in some way destroyed her ability to taste good things. Just smelling broccoli burns my nose so bad that I can’t smell anything for three weeks. Imagine what it does to your taste buds.

I have an irrevocable contract with my stomach. I will never put into my stomach anything that does not pass the sniff test. Broccoli doesn’t, so I haven’t.

After all these years there is no way that my wife and I will ever agree in this area. Like parents and children on the first day of school, we have a different reaction to the same thing.

What has held us together all these years is simply this; she eats the broccoli and I eat the Apple fritters. She does not force her broccoli on me, and I do not force my Apple fritters on her.

We never encroach on the other’s happiness, which has made both of us quite happy.

One of the things that I have learned at a happily married husband is that there is a time and place for everything. There is a time to speak up… but that is rather rare. Knowing when to shut up is a gem of inestimable worth in a marriage relationship.

The Bible says, “Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding” (Proverbs 17:28).

It is better to keep quiet and let people guess if you are stupid than to say something and remove all doubt.

The Rev. James L. Snyder is pastor of the Family of God Fellowship, 1471 Pine Road, Ocala, FL 34472. He lives with his wife, Martha, in Silver Springs Shores. Call him at 352-687-4240 or e-mail jamessnyder2@att.net. The church web site is www.whatafellowship.com.

Online Job

Customer Service with Convergys

During my high school career I was no thespian, however, I could act the fool when called upon. My friend was the thespian and starred in our senior high school play, “Finian’s Rainbow.” One of the musical numbers was, “When I’m not near the girl I love,
I love the girl I’m near.”

I have altered this title a little to fit my own needs. My version goes, “When I’m not in the season I love, I love the season I’m in.” It is a wonderful motto and has solved quite a few problems down the years. Just don’t ask me to sing it for you. I can, but you do not want to hear it… believe me.

At my age I have learned a thing or two. One of the things I have learned is that you might as well be content where you are at because that is where you are. All these people that are jumpy and nervous because they are not exactly where they want to be, waste a lot of precious time and energy.

I am old enough to appreciate where I am at. I could bemoan the fact that I’m not somewhere else, but what good would that do. I know I’m not at my destination yet, so I am determined to enjoy the journey and not miss one thing along the way.

This is the difference between the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage and Yours Truly.

Just the other day her Majesty was complaining about the weather. “It’s so hot outside, I can hardly stand it.”

Of course, I could not resist saying, “Well, why don’t you sit down.” To which, she treated me to one of her infamous glares. Somehow, in the hot sunshine her glare did not have its normal effect. For one, she was too hot and did not have the energy to follow through on her glare.

But I love the summer. It is a wonderful time of the year and my affection for the season goes all the way back to my days in school.

I enjoy every aspect of summer and when God created summer, he created a masterpiece. Not a summer day goes by that I do not thank him for the summer.

I need to get one thing quite clear. I am not one of those who lay out in the sun to get a suntan. That is not my cup of tea… or rather glass of lemonade. I do not fault those who lay out in the sun to get what they call a suntan. Rather, I feel sorry for those old saps. Why ruin a good day by laying in the sun?

I had one bad sunburn in my life. It happened on our honeymoon. My wife and I were married in August in the year of our Lord 1971. Upon common consent, we chose for our honeymoon location Niagara Falls.

The motel we stayed in had a marvelous swimming pool. At the time, my companion in nuptials and I thought we were living the life of luxury. This was the first time we had been on our own and we were going to enjoy it to the hilt. Too bad we could not afford a Hilton.

Late that morning we walked several blocks down the street and treated ourselves to our first lunch as a “till-death-do-you-part” twosome. I am not sure what we ate all I remember is the company was terrific. After lunch, we decided to spend some time at the poolside.

Being unaccustomed to the life of luxury I did not know what the rules were. So, in my sheer ignorance I decided to sit by the pool and luxuriate in the beautiful August sun. Obviously, I was more tired than I realized and fell into a wonderfully deep sleep.

Finally, I began to hear a voice I recognized and soon began to understand some of the words. “Do you know it’s almost time for supper?”

I opened my eyes and tried to smile. My face would not smile. In fact, my face felt rather hot. Then the rest of my body joined in the fiery chorus informing me that every bit of my body was ablaze. I had a sunburn to beat all sunburns. I could not move. I could not get up from the lounge chair.

A short journey into panic-land brought me into full consciousness. With great care and with the help of my new wife I was able to get into our room. I laid down in the bed with every corpuscle in my body screaming in protest. The more I lay there the hotter I became. I heard of hot bridegrooms on their wedding night but this was how I pictured it.

Fortunately, we had planned to stay in the motel for a week and for a week exactly, I lay in my bed unable to move without excruciating pain.

Ever since that time, I have had a great deal of respect for the summer sun. Even though I had that one bad experience, I have never blamed it on the summer season. Rather, I have reveled in what the Bible teaches. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

It is in the “all things” that I discover God’s love for me.

Senior Speech Engineer

Admin FT/PT- Ohio

Customer Service

Account Manager

This book is full of ideas on things like planning raids, dealing with problem players, and how to handle loot. It can help guild leaders walk through some of the toughest aspects of managing a team. It’s well written, simply organized and easy to use.

- Allen Hart, CWAHD.com

Summer time means we’re usually outside more, away from the computer, and getting some sunshine. That can make it difficult to stick with some of the marketing plans that rely heavily on the internet. Not sure what to do to stay active with your marketing while busy enjoying summer with your family? Here are a few low-tech and off-line ways you can get in some business marketing while you’re off to the beach or park.

Write Thank You Notes: Real, old-fashioned pen and paper note cards are still available at your local stores. Pick up a few packages and some stamps. Then write a few while you’re watching your kiddos play outside in the yard. You could send them to your top customers, the ones who’ve been with you the longest, vendors who make it easy to work with them, or even bloggers who you enjoy following online. A hand written thank you note can go a long way towards building a relationship with key clients or those you want to connect with.

Carry Your Business Cards & Let Them Out of Your Purse: Keep your business cards ready so you can hand them out when you meet someone who could use your products or services, or who knows someone who could. Business cards are a very inexpensive marketing tool. I like Overnight Prints. Vista Print is also very popular.

Advertise on Your Taxi: Do you feel like a taxi driver hauling your kids around to all those summer activities? Get a nice decal or magnet to stick on your vehicle and get some extra benefit from all that extra mileage. Check out the options from Vista Print here.

Use Your Products: If you sell a product, keep it with you and use it creatively while you’re out and about. Sell Tupperware? Use it for the kid’s snacks when you go to the park. Sew your own hand bags, diaper bags, clothing, or baby carriers? Make sure you’ve got a nice visible logo and website URL on the item and then wear it proudly while you’re away from home.

Make Targeted Donations: Keeping in mind who your ideal client is, choose things to donate to that reach that client and involve your children. For example, most little league type summer activities are always open to donations of items or sponsorships.

Wear Your Logo: Websites like Cafe Press make it easy to custom design t-shirts, baseball caps and more with your designs. Create one for you or your kids with your logo or an appropriate slogan, quote or funny line and your website URL.

About the Author:

And now, let me give you access to some great free resources for small businesses including 101 Free/Cheap Ways to Market Your Business, 119 Things You Can Outsource, and more at MichelleShaeffer.com

Michelle Shaeffer has been a work at home mom for more than 10 years and loves to share the tips and strategies she’s learned to help other home based business owners balance, manage, and market their businesses.

Telecommute Technical Support-NE Omaha

Sales-Business Services

Do you ever feel like life is nothing but a roller coaster ride and everything within you just wants to get off? Your joy and peace can be stolen, within moments, by discouragement and despair. We find ourselves with fleeting faith, when the troubles of life come crashing in on us like relentless waves in a stormy sea.

Though we claim to trust in a Shepherd who leads us through valleys . . . we find ourselves “wanting” . . . “fearing evil” . . . wondering if He’s really with us. With each step we take, it seems unlikely that there are any “green pastures” . . . much less “still waters.” We’re not so sure we like His rod or His staff . . . they don’t seem to be so “comforting.” Instead of our “souls being restored,” we’re convinced, with each passing moment, our valley may lead us into a canyon.

It can be difficult to believe that God’s plans are for “good,” when life seems to be unraveling. Yet, without doubt, there would be no need for faith. (God uses ALL things for good . . . even our doubt and disbelief) And faith is where God draws the line. It’s the place where you must make a decision to step over the line. In the words of missionary Helen Roseveare, God’s voice shouts to us in our pain . . . “Can you thank Me for trusting you with this experience, even if I never tell you why?” God’s question cuts to the heart of our faith. He calls us out, and His question begs an answer. He asks us to trust Him, even if He never answers our questions. It’s His way of making us completely dependent upon Him. He’s taking us on a journey, and He’s asking us to make a decision to trust Him at every step.

When we find ourselves in difficult and sometimes seemingly insurmountable situations . . . God draws a line. We stand on the side of questioning His ways, giving into doubt, unsure that we can take even one more step. But, there’s Jesus. He stands on the other side of the line and His outreached hand beckons us like a child learning how to walk. There’s the strength in His eyes that assures us He’s there to help us, and He will not let us fall . . . if we will take that step.

You see, the truth is . . . God has blessed you with the very trials you’re in. Though you can’t understand it or make sense of it all, God has trusted you with the tribulations that threaten to overcome you. He is increasing and strengthening your faith by threatening to destroy it. Never forget: there’s no victory without a battle. The Apostle Paul didn’t call it a “fight of faith” for nothing. This life is an intense battle between the spirit and the flesh and God is asking us, in this life, while we are still in our flesh, to step over the line of faith and live through the Spirit that leads us into victory. He’s asking us to step out of this world, and step over the line of faith, into His.

Our difficulties, our troubles, are not the circumstances that we face, but our internal battle . . . it’s our struggle to believe . . . it’s our conflict between what we “see” and the spirit that urges us to trust God in the midst of everything that contradicts our faith. It comes down to an act of the will . . . it comes down to a decision. Everything you’re facing in life comes down to ONE question, “Do you trust God?” In times of greatest doubt, when you struggle to simply “carry on,” will you make the decision to step over the line? Every obstacle you’re facing is an opportunity, given to you by God, in order to increase your faith. By trusting Him, you’re declaring that your God is bigger than anything you face. Without the resistance to your faith . . . your faith would never grow. God knows what He’s doing. He’s always up to something. It’s always something good. And it’s always something worth cherishing hope for.

By stepping over the line, you’re looking into the face of fear, the dangers that threaten to destroy you, the giant issues you face, the encroaching walls of affliction, the principalities and powers that are out to destroy you . . . and completely casting yourself into the arms of God. By stepping over the line, you’re refusing to rely on your feelings and walk by sight . . . you’re choosing to be led by faith in God alone. By stepping over the line, you’re declaring to God, “I’m tired of being up and down, tossed about, and questioning Your ways . . . You’ve drawn a line, and I’m stepping over the line, by faith. By stepping over the line, you’re ultimately telling God, “I trust you.” And there’s a promise for those who step over the line:

Those who trust in, lean on, and confidently hope in the Lord are like Mount Zion,

which cannot be moved but abides and stands fast forever. (Psalm 125:1 AMP)

Head of Marketing

Kronos Developer

Web Designer/Coder

Auction Lister

My first step into the work-at-home world was as a data extractor for a company in my local area. Believe it or not, I found that job in the Classified Ads section of the newspaper. That, however, was ten years ago. A lot has changed in the last ten years – the internet alone has grown by leaps and bounds. So, what are some of the best ways for people in today’s market to find a telecommuting opportunity?

Classified Ads
One good thing about the technology available to us today is that most Classified Ads are now not only listed in print newspapers, but online as well. Take a look through these to see if there are businesses in your area looking for local at-home workers.

Online Job Sites
Most online job websites now offer telecommuting listings. Use the search term “telecommute” to help give you the best results. There are even websites that cater to the work-at-home crowd such as HireMyMom.com. Remember – always be sure to read the fine print, and research each company/opportunity that interests you.

Freelance
More and more at-home workers are freelancing on a contract basis. Writers, web designers, graphic artists, and more are finding this a viable option to allow them to work from home. There are websites, such as elance.com, that cater specifically to the freelance community and make it easy for freelancers to connect with companies and individuals looking to hire them.

Start A Business
Other trend among telecommuters is heading out on their own. Taking the data entry and executive assistant skills that they’ve gained over the years, these at-home workers are now launching their own Virtual Assistant (VA) services, Copy-writing services and other such businesses.

There are an amazing amount of resources for telecommuters today. These positions are in high demand, so be sure to polish your resume and tailor it to fit the type of work that you’re searching for. Be persistent – it may take a while to locate the right opportunity, but it will be well worth the wait.

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Jill Hart’s entrepreneurial career began in her teens when she spent a summer working with her father who ran his own business. When he put her in charge of a Coke machine and allowed her to keep the profits, she saw the benefits of being her own boss. She is the founder of the popular Christian work-at-home website CWAHM.com and mentors business owners at http://SuccessfulChristianWomen.com. Jill is also the co-author of So You Want To Be a Work-at-Home Mom (Beacon Hill Press, 2009).