Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Faint Not in Well Doing

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."
Galations 6:9 (NIV)


You have been doing the best you can with what you've been given. You give over and beyond what you have and it seems like the harvest is far away. You begin to wonder if you will ever see the promises of God  manifest in your life. You continue to hope and pray and believe that you are not working in vain. 

You put your faith in God knowing he knows best because only he can see and reveal the future. But then you get to a point where you are tired. You feel yourself wanting to give up. The fight between belief and doubt becomes a constant battle.


The Battle Between Good and Evil 

Doubt says that God will not come through and you are wasting time waiting for something to happen that just will not manifest. It tells you that you must have done something wrong, because everyone around you seems to be getting their harvest and you are still stuck in the same place year after year. 

Then here comes belief (Faith). It encourages you that God is not a God that he should lie. Everything he spoke to you and in his word shall come to pass. It encourages you not to give up and keep up the good fight, because in due season you shall reap a harvest. 

Faith begins to remind you of past circumstances God has delivered you and others from. Tells you that it's not in the work that gets you blessed but in BELIEF. Abraham was considered righteous because he believed. He didn't faint in well doing.

We have to remember (as I have told myself this first), that God has perfect timing. Nothing happens overnight. The creation of the world took 6 days to be completed and it was perfect. Everything has its process, and process has its timing. 


You're Covered

There is nothing more frustrating than focusing on time, waiting and not seeing. But when you believe, you rest in knowing that God has you covered. A great power is to see the past, present and future at the same time. So who better to be in control of your life than the one who has that ability.

Stand firm in your faith and know that you have a divine destiny that has been created just for you. No one can do it like you do. Don't allow yourself to get so tired that you give up and totally miss out on what God has done on your behalf. 

Despite what you see on the forefront is totally different than what's going on in the background. We will make it. We WILL receive the promises of God.....but we must NOT GIVE UP.

Friday, December 16, 2011

Not As It Seems


Everyone goes through. We have our ups and downs, ins and outs, but the fact remains....everything is not as it seems.

This has been the hardest month for me all year. It's one thing after another. Something else comes when I think I almost just made it over the other. It is uncomfortable and this season seems tedious. I know that everything works together for our good, but sometimes you need a break. A time when you can just be free of it all.

Why I named this particular blog "Not As It Seems" is because the trial is not as it seems. It is usually a part of a process that strengthens us and matures us in ways that we can't do ourselves. It helps us to become resilient, making us better after the process. 

It seems like a very hard time. A time I really don't want to deal with, but ignoring the problem(s) will not make it go away. There is no better teacher than experience and the Spirit. The wisest of folks have a way of putting things into perspective because they have been through the process. 

'Been through' is an amazing statement when you really look at it. It means that you started in something, became apart of it and overcame (through) it. So when you have gone (past tense) through a process, you should be done with that test. 

There should be no revisiting it and belaboring on what happened. There should be a graduation to the next thing. But if we never go 'through it' (coming out of it), then we are running the risk of not moving forward. It's like this, you can't take algebra if you never completely understood the simple fundamentals of basic math. It is not conducive for you evolving as a person.

Process is where we become refined. It is the movement of transitioning to what we will become. What we see as gold (in jewelry) is not its original state. First it must be extracted from other elements that look very similar to it. Then after a long and tedious process it's mixed, burned and cooled to form solid gold bars. 

"EVERYTHING (does) work together for the good of them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28). So this trial, test, process is not as it seems. It is not us being punished becomes we did something wrong, but it is actually building us into what we were created to be.....Destined Beings of Greatness!!

I know that this time will pass. It does not feel good right now but I believe that God only wants the best for us. He does want us to succeed in every area of our lives. It will be better than ok. Our time here is to learn, give, receive, mature and grow. We will not lack anything after the process is done. Take it for what it is and embrace the PROCESS!


Wednesday, December 14, 2011

The Power of Giving

Tis the season to be GIVING!


We are quickly approaching the holiday season and there is nothing people love to do more than give. But why do we use just this season to give.


There are so many people who's lives have been devastated by the economy, loses and bad choices. We are a community whether we are the same class, breed, race...or not. Let's use this time to start giving back to those who don't have the things we have.


Emptying our closets of the stuff we don't want or can't wear anymore is a start (stop waiting to loose weight to wear it again). Have our children give away the toys they don't use (which is probably half their rooms). 


There is so much in our homes that can be used for the benefit of others. Whether it is to cheer someone up or be used to give a helping hand to push them into an opportunity to move forward in life.


We should be that community where we leave no one behind if they have a willingness to change. Let's not just give to our family members and loved ones only. Let's be the difference that can help change someone's life. 





Here is an organization that is geared towards helping others and inspiring and teaching people to do the same.


Monday, December 12, 2011

Defined Roles Create Effective Progress



When you are involved in any group (ie. ministry, work, volunteering), you want to make sure you know what your specific role is. This is a very important step that is often overlooked or ignored. Assumption only creates confusion. 


A great foundation for having a successful music ministry is by defining roles. Who does what? Normally when a person is paid, like a minister of music, they are usually in charge of making the major decisions, song selection, teaching, and setting goals, etc. They know what their position requires.


If you went to a rehearsal for the first time, you would normally know who the leader is by their actions and leadership ability to create order for that environment. In the worst cases, you don't know because there is so much confusion, and everyone is trying to do the same job. This is proof that roles have not been defined and the main leadership is missing. This causes problems and makes for an unproductive department. 


Before starting any music ministry, it is always best to choose a leader that is accountable, knowledgeable of that area and has actual leadership qualities. Knowledge alone does not make you a leader. People feel confident and secure in leaders that are confident and secure in their abilities to lead and are great at it.






The Hiring Process:


You should never hire from just word of mouth or just because they have been faithful. You want to make sure you choose an effective leader that fits your ministry and can help that department grow and mature. They should be able to make wise decisions, be diligent and goal oriented. Take the initial hiring process seriously and choose wisely. Remember the music ministry is the first impression to your church service.


Once you have chosen the appropriate leader for that department, the next thing to do is to define what their role is. This should be clarified in the interview process, between the pastor (or hiring staff if other than pastor) and the potential minister of music. If this is done in advance, then the applicant will come in knowing their role and responsibilities.




If you know what your role is in life, work, ministry and/or volunteering, then you have already begun a great journey. Define what your tasks are and are not. Doing this important step will help you to not become over-worked on menial task, but to focus on what's important.....things that create effective progress!

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Are You A Professional: Effective Communication

"The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.
- George Bernard Shaw

One of the leading causes for bad relationships, business or personal, is bad communication or non at all. There are so many issues that can be resolved if we just talk to one another and put all the cards on the table. Somethings are better said directly, than through text and email. In this setting, clarity becomes lost in translation. 

In business, it is better to meet or talk to one another at the beginning of the relationship so that you can build a solid foundation. In person, you can hear tone and read body language. This is the most effective way of communicating. It helps you understand a person better; See their needs through expression and improves your business skills.

Text and email can seem like a cop out. It appears as if you are dealing with people at a distance. You don't want to make your client feel less than adequate of your time, and give an image that you are not comfortable with people, business or communicating. You want them to have a clear understanding of you and what you are trying to say and do.

Communicating by talking (on the phone or face to face) helps you to.....
  1. Build a better rapport
  2. Resolves issues quicker
  3. Increases your confidence

You want a client to feel comfortable with you, because if they do, they are more likely to refer you to others and do business with you again. It gives them a better understanding of who they're dealing with.

I'm not saying text and email is a bad thing! But when you are trying to establish a fruitful relationship in any aspect of life, there is no better way than talking. The worst thing you can do is assume, so let's leave that to the wind. Be effective in your communication and build relationships that will excel and multiply simply by this being your foundation. 

Monday, December 5, 2011

Are You A Professional: Time Factor

TIMING is everything! And when we are late, there is a possibility we could miss out on something great.


It is important to be on time to everything. Whether it looks like it or not, being tardy is a sign of bad time management, rebellion or the nonchalant attitude that we just don't care. When we tell people we are professionals, they watch us to see if we perform as such. No one might say anything to you, but they are taking notice and they will talk.


Timing can not only effect us negatively, but also hinders us from walking through open doors. It shows others that we don't care about them either. As we have heard, 'time is money'. Especially in an industry where most things you do now is based on an hourly wage (non corporate).




Story
I knew a great singer that has an awesome gift. She could sing clouds down from heaven. But timeliness for her was non existent. It came to a point that people did not want to work with her simply because of that issue. 


There came along a great opportunity for her to do a music score for a movie. The pay she was to receive would be more than what she made in a month at her regular job (and she was paid well at her day job). 


But because she was 20 minutes late, they decided not to use her and replaced her with a less talented singer (one who was there early and only hired as a back up). After this, her name was mud. No one in that industry wanted to work with her because they thought she didn't care about the opportunity, the project or the schedule.




Now I know that being 20 minutes late may seem drastic to some and less to others. But even if you are 5 minutes late you are wasting time. Don't make excuses for your time-less-ness. Stop saying you should do better.....just DO better. It is your career that is on the line. You want people to know you care about yourself, your line of work and most of all them. This shows a sign of respect and gratitude.


In everything we do, we should try to be early and not just on time. What my husband says all the time is, "To be early is to be on time and to be on time is to be late". People are watching you. Your life is the letter that they read (living epistles). And when you show up late, what does that say about your character and professionalism? Don't let time be your determining factor for failure.

Friday, December 2, 2011

Are You Ready For Change

The one thing that makes it easy to encourage and motivate people is working with those that are open and willing to change. 

Are you used to doing the same thing every single day? We know what our weekdays and week ends will consist of because we never change. We create a life that becomes comfortable, which turns to complacency, if we are not open to some changes. It is easy to cultivate an unconcerned attitude in life and not move forward. 

The danger with being complacent is that it numbs you of the reality of growth (or lack of). It gives the illusion that what you have now is good enough. But it's not good enough. We were created to grow, mature and evolve into something great that would help enrich others. But the only way for these things to materialize is to embrace change.

Could you imagine God only doing the first day of creation over and over again and never moving to the other days? Just think of all the other great manifestation we would miss out on if God did not continue to speak and do something new day after day.

He set the example for us in the beginning showing the importance of moving forward and reaching (or speaking) change around us. When we become idle, it alters our perception and attitude in a negative way. We act out and affect others around us, because in retrospect we are inwardly miserable because we have stopped the natural flow of our own development.

More over, there is a need for change. Change is the conversion of old to new, non existent to living; a dream to reality. It is the very essence of our being and the nature of which we were created. There is no progress with out change.

Don't get comfortable in your present. Instead, think of new ways that can help you grow as an artist, minister, mother or friend, etc. Allow yourself to do things you would not normally do. Keep in mind that you were meant to evolve in every way. Unlock the gifts inside of you and allow them to stretch you in ways that may seem uncomfortable at first..... but in the end it will be a great reward.