Building on a Solid Foundation

These past three weeks have been very busy working on my new business. I’ve met with many people but mostly with leaders of non-profit organizations and especially Christian brothers and sisters who devote their lives to serve God by serving people. One day this week, as I was going from one meeting to the next, I said to God, “You know Lord, I’ve been spending a lot of time with Christian leaders and non-profits. Although these meetings are awesome and I feel re-energized spiritually, they are not ‘income producing’ meetings, per say.” The Lord immediately put in my heart this thought: “You are building the spiritual foundation of your business and that comes first.” Wow! I was speechless when I heard those words in my heart.

How do you build a spiritual foundation for a business? It is by associating yourself with like-minded believers who will hold you and your business up in prayer all the time with no self-interest or hidden agenda. It is by sharing your dreams with people who will be your spiritual “pillars” so you can feel supported and loved no matter how your business is doing. You build a spiritual foundation for your business when you base your business beliefs on Scripture. The two Scriptures that come to mind are:

Matthew 7:24-29 (NLT)

24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. 26 But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”

I will build my company on the Solid Foundation, which is Jesus Christ, the Rock. He will give me wisdom, knowledge, and understanding to do the right thing, to do what is right, and to do things right the first time. These are not only Biblical concepts, these are business concepts that create efficiencies throughout the organization and a strong work ethic, which in turn increases shareholder value.

The other Scripture that came to my heart is:

Romans 12: 6-11 (NLT)

6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. 7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. 8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

9 Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. 10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. 11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.

This Scripture reminds us that God gave each one of us certain gifts and talents. When we operate within those gifts everything seems easier because we’re not going against our nature. Even though we will encounter challenges, God will be there for us to get through them but the work itself is easier when we do what we’re good at. God gives us the “ability to do certain things well.” One key to our individual success in business is to know ourselves well so we can recognize what our gifts are and utilize them in business.

I know God gave me the gift of leadership and I feel the incredible sense of responsibility when leading others. I also know God gave me the gift of teaching, which is why I train others and pass along all the knowledge I acquire through the years. Lastly, I know God gave me the gift of encouragement and I use that gift every day. Sometimes I’m not sure if what I just told someone will have an effect in their lives but I do it anyway. A word, one word of encouragement can change someone’s life when said at the right time.

I also believe strongly in working hard and effectively and I sincerely care about people. I stay away from those who are not genuine. Those who say they love you but their actions don’t reflect their words. Working hard and loving others are strong beliefs that will be foundational for my new business.

So friends, today I wanted to share with you the Scriptures and beliefs upon I will build the foundation of my new business venture. I have a ton of ideas on how to give to the community and support my brothers and sisters who are doing the “eternal” work out there, bringing the Good News of the Gospel to the world and helping people. I will do my part in the mission field that God called me to be—Corporate America.

I Didn't Come Here with Nothing

A couple of weeks ago I shared my immigrant story with you. The other day I was talking to my mom and she told me something that I will never forget. She said, “When you came to the U.S. you didn’t come with nothing. You came with your values, your upbringing, your morals, and most importantly, you came with your Christian faith. “My mom is right. I couldn’t stop thinking about what she said for the past week.

I was privileged to have been born to the society of Managua, the capital of Nicaragua. My dad is an attorney and his dad (my grandfather) was also an attorney and author. He was the President of the Supreme Court of Nicaragua for over 25 years and authored several books. My dad is also a composer and was well known in his time (more so for his music than from practicing law). My mom comes from a large family of well-known people as well from Leon, Nicaragua. In the Nicaraguan culture and in many other Latin American countries, it is customary to use your two family last names. So my Nicaraguan maiden name is Marcia Flores Arguello. Flores is my dad’s last name and Arguello is my mom’s last name. When you say your name and two last names, people immediately recognize who you are and there is nothing to prove. In the U.S. we are all a number and most people that are well known come from money. In the U.S. it is easy to make a name for yourself if you are financially successful and it doesn’t matter as much where you came from as far as “class.”

When I came to the U.S. at the age of 19, I had graduated from high school from a private Catholic school in Dominican Republic. I had completed 3 semesters at one of the top Catholic Universities in the country and I had also completed 14 Certificates in self-study courses on computer programming from IBM school. I was the secretary to the President of the University for one year, which gave me administrative experience. I also worked with my mom as her bookeeper in the jewelry business she started in Dominican Republic. My parents sent me to San Francisco, CA at the age of 11 as an exchange student to learn English. Even though it was a traumatic experience being apart from my family during the Christmas season, I did learn the language. I came back at age 12 and continued my English studies through my school and college years so when I came here, I already knew the language.

Moving to the topic of values and morals. Even though I am now simply a non-denominational Christian, I was raised in the Catholic faith. My parents taught me to love God. They used to take my older sister and me to the Charismatic Renewal meetings that their Catholic Church held. Attending these meetings exposed me to hear the Word of God in a different way than a regular Sunday morning mass. I was hearing about deeper concepts and things of God that I wouldn’t have learned otherwise. I gave my life to Christ at one of those meetings and I remember one specific night, how the Holy Spirit filled me and changed my life forever. I felt the warmth of His love run through my entire body and I have never left God since that day when I was about 10 years old.

So you see, I came to the U.S. as an immigrant with the morals and Christian values that my parents instilled in me. I came with my high school diploma and some formal education plus some work experience and knowing English. It was because of the job as a bookkeeper I had with my mom’s business that I got my first job in banking as a teller. Then, because I had experience as a secretary I was able to get promoted from teller to secretary in cash management after one and one half years. God had a plan for me and He used everything I had up to that point in my life.

After the war in 1979, the communist regime took all the material possessions from my family. My father had five homes, land, a couple of cars, and his established law practice. The government took it all. But they didn’t take away our family’s values, our morals, or our faith in God. No one can take away our salvation and our faith in Jesus Christ. That goes with us everywhere we go.

Today, I encourage you to think about all the things that you have that are not material, the things that no one can take away, the things that are eternal. Focus on what has eternal value and make the most of it. Thank you mom for reminding me of where I came from. You are right. I didn’t come here with nothing.

The End of this Road

“The End of this Road” –that is the title of the last chapter I wrote to finish my second book titled Your Gifts. Your Calling. How to Connect the Two.

September 30th, 2014 was the last day at my job at the bank I help start 10 years ago. September 7, 2004, my ex-boss and I decided to start a bank. It was his dream and I was purposed to help him fulfill his dream—that was my mission. I told him, “I’m ready to go back to banking but this time I want to be the CFO and learn to run a bank as a business.” He said, “Deal.” I had been in banking for thirteen years when I decided to leave and moved to the non-profit arena in the technology field as the Y2K Project Manager for a church. I changed careers and industries! I did that mainly for family reasons because I wanted to spend more time with my kids.

Ten years have gone by and now it was time to make the next move again. I told the staff when I announced it at the staff meeting, “My kids at home grew up and my kids at work grew up. I hired the right people. I fired the right people. I built teams. I trained you all. I promoted you several times and helped you get where you are now as leaders of your own departments. All my ducks are in a row. I leave you with a well-oiled machine. My mission here is complete.” I was the first employee of this bank and created the infrastructure of the bank but I didn’t do it alone. I never work alone. I did it with a great team of people and with God’s grace and wisdom. It took 9 months to start the bank back in 2005 and it grew from zero to $300 million in assets in the past 9 years and 3 months. It’s a successful bank.

I was reminiscing yesterday on these past 10 years and realized that so much has happened in my life. My husband and I finished raising our two kids. They graduated from high school. They graduated from college. Our daughter just got married this past July. I finished my college degree in 2011 and graduated from the Graduate School of Banking this past August. My husband and I also started two businesses. One was closed and one got merged with the company he currently works with. I wrote and published my first book while starting the bank… Wow! No wonder I was feeling a little exhausted. Those who know me know that I don’t even drink caffeine because I don’t need it as a source of energy. But after looking back, I realized maybe I needed to stop, take a rest, and start the next chapter in my life.

So now, here I am. The Lord is clearly directing my steps to start a bank consulting practice and also to pursue my public speaking career. I will also finish my second book and hope to finally publish it next year. I will continue serving on both non-profit and for-profit Boards and will help non-profits in any way I can. You see, I am purposed to pursue my dreams—ALL of them!

I live with an awareness and sense of urgency because I simply don’t know how much time I have in this life. The time period that we’re here on earth is so short and I feel the responsibility to use all my gifts and talents to help others be successful. I want to love on people and make them feel important. I want to encourage people every day and inspire those who I come in contact with. Right now, at this time in my life, I have an opportunity to pursue my dreams. God is opening new doors that were not there for me before. I just needed to take the step of faith and jump. The thing is, no one has told me that I’m crazy for doing this. People believe in me. All the seeds of encouragement I have planted in others through the years are coming back to me multiplied. People want to help me and want me to succeed. Wow! I’m overwhelmed with the support I have received from all my friends, family and colleagues. Thank you!

My family, of course, has given me unconditional love and support. They believe in me, pray for me, and love me just the way I am, with my faults and weaknesses. They don’t care what titles I hold or who I am in the business community. They know me from the start and they love me just as I am. Thank you!

I will be busy starting the business but those of you who know me also know that I do stay in touch. I take the time to nurture my relationships because each person that God puts in my path is a treasure to me. Each friend that I make is a gift from heaven. I can never have enough friends!

Let my new adventure begin!

Green Card Voices - A Voice for Immigrant Stories

Two weeks ago I was the keynote speaker for Green Card Voices first anniversary event. When I asked Tea Rozman-Clark, Executive Director, what she wanted me to speak about, she said, “tell them why you decided to share your immigrant story with the world.” So today I want to share with you a summary of my keynote speech.

Green Card Voices’ vision is to give us, immigrants, a voice in the U.S. and to show that we are contributors to society, that we start businesses, employ people, are interesting, fun people (with many funny accents) with various backgrounds, and different flavors and cultures. We bring spice to life and are hard-working people who want to succeed in life.

So why did I want to share my story through Green Card Voices? For four main reasons:

1. To help change the perception of immigrants. Most of the time, the words associated with immigrants are negative: illegal, undocumented, poor, burden, uneducated, factory workers, etc. We need to change that perspective to positive thoughts like: interesting, smart people, educated, hard-working, successful, role models, inspiring, encouraging…

2. To remind Americans that we are all immigrants, unless you are a Native American. Our families came from immigrants from all parts of the world. We just happen to be first generation. The United States of America was formed and created out of immigrants from many countries.

3. To share about our contributions to America. When I first came here, I came with no expectations of anyone helping me with anything yet Americans are generous at heart and they are welcoming people too.

4. The fourth reason why I shared my story is because I want to encourage others to help people, whether they are immigrants or not. We will all have opportunities to help others succeed by believing in them and giving them opportunities to succeed. In my life, I’ve had a couple of people that did that for me. The first one is Reid Evenson, he hired me from the teller line to work with him in Cash Management at Marquette Bank Minneapolis. He gave me the opportunity to flourish, learn, and develop as a banker. Because of a merger, we had to part ways but not for long. He then connected me to Jeanne Crain, who became our boss for the next 7 years at a new formed bank, Marquette Capital Bank. Jeanne Crain gave me several opportunities as well. She believed that I could lead and promoted me to Branch Manager when I had no previous supervisory experience. I will never forget that. She opened new doors of opportunity for me. In 1999, I left banking to work for a non-profit and five years later in 2005 Reid hired me back to start Tradition Capital Bank. He gave me the opportunity of a lifetime –to start a new bank from scratch. That is something that not all bankers get to do. Now, over 9 years later, the bank is doing great and continues to grow.

            During the last five years, the bank helped me financially to finish my 4 year degree through the tuition reimbursement program. (I shared my college degree story that night but it was too long for this blog.) And most recently, I was given the opportunity to attend the Graduate School of Banking in Madison, WI, which I just graduated from on August 15, 2014.

           Last but definitely not least, my beloved husband. I am thankful to him for marrying me. He fell in love with me, the girl from Nicaragua, a foreign girl that came here with nothing. We have been married now for 26 years and I told him the other day that I would still pick him if I met him today. He liked that! He gave me the opportunity to become an American.

I am thankful to God for bringing these people into my life, who believed in me and gave me opportunities to succeed in America.

There are some things that I find all of us immigrants need to succeed:

• We need to be survivors! No matter what life has thrown at us, we get through it. Life is life. It’s not fair and bad things do happen to good people regardless of who we are.

• We need to have a strong faith. I believe in God and it is evident how He cares about me and my family. I owe it all to Him.

• We need to have strong family ties. My family stuck together through the earthquake, the war, the hurricane, the exile, and then moving here to the U.S. as our last stop. If there is one area we can help America is by demonstrating and keeping strong family ties.

• We also need someone who believes in us, regardless of where we’re from.

I find that many of the immigrants, if not all, have these things in their lives and that’s why we are here. We are successful people. We are hard-working, smart, strong people. We are survivors!

I want to leave you with three things to inspire you, motivate you, and encourage you going forward:

1. Be visible: People need to know you. America needs to know that we, immigrants, are valuable, that we contribute to society by making it a better place to live, that we are important because of what we bring to the table, and that we love this country of America. America is still the land of opportunity and we are blessed to be here in this land. I love America!

2. Help others be successful, pay it forward. Mentor the younger generation, connect people to others, open doors of opportunity for others to go through.

3. Share your story. People need to know your story –whether you call it of “success” or “survival” it doesn’t matter, I believe we live our lives and go through experiences so we can share our stories. That is what we pass on from generation to generation. They are part of the legacy we leave behind.

So, I encourage you all to support Green Card Voices and encourage Tea and her team to continue the vision she has in her heart. She has an amazing story of her own. I told her she better get it recorded too and soon! She promised me she would after this event. Her vision is to have all the stories they can so each country of origin is represented and their voices heard throughout the United States of America.

Below are the links to my immigrant story through Green Card Voices and my keynote speech in YouTube. It is 15 minutes but they broke it down into three sections. Enjoy!

Immigrant story:

http://www.greencardvoices.com/speakers/marci-malzahn/

Keynote Speech: (15 minutes broken down in 3 sections) YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKxjjG_czBw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6F1SEZHgIVU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYhyn9wrsC4

Until next time!

Life Is All about Relationships!

Once again, I have not written for three weeks. This time I was attending the Graduate School of Banking in Madison, WI. I graduated on August 15. Even though it feels great to have completed the program, I’m sad that I won’t see my friends again… some of them, I may never see again. Those who know me well know that I do keep in touch with everyone. I try to stay connected via email, lunch or coffee meetings, or a phone call when I can. I don’t let busyness keep me from nurturing my relationships and it has paid off through my life. I have developed deep relationships with many wonderful people and God has blessed me with their friendships.

Because of this recent school experience, I have been reflecting on how much I care and love my friends. Why do I get so attached to people? I believe that family and friends are a gift from God. It’s easy to take for granted those who love us despite our imperfections and mistakes we make in life. Life is all about relationships—relationships we make since we are very young all the way until we die. All the people we touch along the way and throughout our journey here on earth are important and valuable. I think the reason I get so attached to my friends is because I had to flee Nicaragua back when I was 13 years old and had to leave all my friends behind. Then again, when I left Dominican Republic at 19 to move to the U.S. I had to leave all my friends all over again… Now, whenever I make new friends, I hang on to them for the rest of my life! I am thankful for technology these days that allows us to stay connected all the time and as much as we want to.

Today, I encourage you to connect with your friends. Reconnect with some of those friends you used to love to hand out with, the ones that made you laugh, the ones you cried with when you were sad, those who love you regardless of your mood. Reach out to people and spend time nurturing your relationships. It is all worth it. Like the president of my class said the night he received his diploma, “It’s about relationships.”

You can impact somebody else’s life just by a simple phone call or text at the right time in their lives. When you think of somebody, reach out to them. Tell that person how much you care about him or her. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Don’t wait until they don’t even remember your name anymore because it’s been so long… Stay connected. People need to know that somebody cares about them—all the time. You have the power to do that for somebody today.

Let's Share Jesus

It has been a couple of weeks since I wrote last. I’ve been very busy with my daughter’s wedding, which just happened last Saturday. Everything went perfect and I thank God for giving us the opportunity to raise our daughter and see her start her new life together with her husband.

Today, I want to share with you about an event that is going on in our own back yard. Many times we find ourselves asking God for revival in our land… well, it’s happening in the Twin Cities. I invite you to visit www.revivetwincities.org where you can see what God is doing in our land. About 50 churches in the cities got together and provided laborers to go and spread the Gospel. Kyle Martin is the founder of a non-profit organization called Time to Revive (www.timetorevive.org). His vision is to see the Body of Christ revived and making disciples in the United States. He and a small group of people believe that a small group of people can spark change in a nation – and they are doing it! They go to different states within the U.S. wherever they are invited. They work with churches, other non-profits, and with business professionals to get the laborers to go out and spread the Gospel. They also need workers to run the event and sponsors to help pay for everything that it takes to undertake this kind of event.

While I was not able to participate in person this time because of the wedding going on, I was praying for the event and participated financially. But this is only the beginning! Revive Twin Cities has ignited the fire in many people’s hearts and in churches. People will continue to go out in the streets to spread the Gospel and continue the work that started this week. I encourage you to get involved and do the work of God that each of us, as Christians, is called to do – share Him with others.

Sharing My Immigrant Story - Happy 4th of July!

Each year around the 4th of July I reflect on what it means to be an American. As a first generation immigrant, I am thankful and forever will be grateful to God for giving me the opportunity and gift to become an American. I’m sure most of your ancestors came to America looking for freedom and new opportunities. Despite all of our mistakes as Americans and as a nation, I still think God has blessed this country beyond measure. I still believe that this is the land of opportunities where your dreams can come true if you are willing to work hard and dedicate yourself to serve others along the way.

Today, I want to share with you a short video of my story as an immigrant. Green Card Voices is a non-profit organization that creates awareness about the immigrant population in the United States and their contributions to this great country. I invite you to watch it and learn about other immigrants as well.

Here is the link to the video:

http://www.greencardvoices.com/speakers/marci-malzahn/

I pray for America often and invite you to do the same. America needs prayer. Enjoy the 4th of July celebration of independence with your family and loved ones!

Encouragement to Use Your Gifts

Today I was thinking of the many gifts that God gave each one of us and asked myself the question if I’m using all the gifts He gave me. Sometimes I feel I’m doing my best and other times I feel I’m not doing enough…

I would like to share with you a devotional from my book Devotions for Working Women that challenges us to use our gifts. Enjoy!

Are You Managing Your Gifts?

# 170

Matthew 25:15 (NLT)

He gave five bags of gold to one, two bags of gold to another, and one bag of gold to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities—and then left on his trip.

This is the story of a master who entrusted his gold to his servants. In this story Jesus states two things clearly: 1) He gives something to every person to manage on His behalf while He is gone, and 2) He gives these responsibilities according to every person’s individual abilities. Nevertheless, to Him it is equally important that every person manages what He gives to their best of their ability.

The first step you need to do in order to manage God’s gifts in your life is recognize the gifts come from Him. He gives both natural gifts, as well as spiritual gifts, to every person He creates.

The second step is to be grateful for what you have and don’t compare your gifts to anybody else’s. Don’t be proud and ask God why He only gave you this or that or so few while He gave all these other gifts to somebody else. You don’t have the right to ask. He has, however, the right to give whatever He wants to whomever He wants as the Creator.

The third step is to develop each and every gift He gave you. This is “investing” and “growing” His gold.

Finally, we are to live our lives as if He, our Master, is coming back today to ask us how we managed what He entrusted us with. Our goal should be to hear His words: “Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!” (Matthew 25:23 NLT).

Life Balance - A Daily Struggle

Today I want to share about life balance because we keep forgetting about how important it is to keep it on a daily basis. Every time someone asks us to do something new, another meeting, another task or commitment, it could be the one thing that tips us over to be out of balance.

Because I am passionate about helping non-profit organizations –especially those who are doing the God’s work in the world and truly changing people’s lives—I struggle to choose which organizations to work with. In addition to time, I also struggle with the financial part. They all need money to fund their causes and since I have limited resources, how am I to choose? What I've been doing is praying about these choices and asking God to give me direction as to where to spend my time and money. I encourage you to do the same and wait on God to direct your steps.

The devotional I chose to share with you today is from my book, Devotions for Working Women. It reminded me to strive for balance in the three key areas of my life: physical, emotional, and spiritual. I hope it will encourage you to seek God to help you balance your life in all the various aspects.

Balancing Your Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Life Is Crucial

Isaiah 40:29 (NLT)

He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; he offers strength to the weak.

How often do you feel tired, worn out, and weak? This would be a great verse to memorize and repeat on those days. We all experience physical, emotional, and spiritual weariness in our lives. Some days we may just be physically tired, but we move on because we are not mentally or spiritually exhausted. Those times we just need to rest, go to bed earlier that night, take a break from work, or simply change activities.

Dealing with emotional weariness is more difficult because when we are emotionally exhausted, it also affects our physical well-being. In those times, we also need to rest, do some exercise to relieve the stress, and spend time with the Lord. Just being in His presence will refresh our minds.

Spiritual burnout is the most dangerous because when we stop fighting in the spirit, everything else stops and dies away. Remember, we are first of all spiritual beings that live in a human body. Just as our body needs rest and food, our spirit does too. If we are spiritually starving, we will die spiritually.

We must avoid burnout in any area, but most importantly, we must avoid it in these three areas (physical, emotional, and spiritual) at the same time. In order to avoid that situation, we must have balance in our lives. Balance starts with a daily prayer asking the Lord to help us balance that day—one day at a time.

Put God in control of your life—every area and every moment. Spend time with Him. He yearns for that time. You will then be refreshed in every area. “But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint” (v. 31).

How Are You Spending Your Time?

It’s been a few weeks since I wrote the last time. With work and family I only have Saturday mornings to write. The last few weekends I have been away from home on Saturday mornings so I wasn’t able to connect with you. This takes me to the topic I wanted to share with you about today—time.

Time is a very hard concept to explain. We all have the same amount of time yet most of us wish we would have more of it. God created the days to have a certain number of hours, which is what we have decided to call the time intervals that occur during one day. How we choose to spend our time is the key question we each have to answer. Once time passes, we cannot regain it. We cannot reclaim it or reproduce it—ever.  When there are important events in the lives of our loved ones, if we don’t attend, it’s gone. We missed it. We were not there for that person we love.

I have been meditating a lot about the concept of time, how I personally choose to spend my time, and how I can regain some time. I am gaining time by stopping some activities and spending more time with God and the people I love. However, it’s not been easy. For example, I am often asked to serve on non-profit boards and to volunteer to do certain activities. Because of my passion to help non-profits and to help people be successful, I have had to establish a simple process to help me decide which activities to choose. If the non-profit does not align with my personal life’s mission, I gracefully decline the offer. If the non-profit or ministry falls under areas within my personal mission, then the decision is much harder. My next step is to prioritize and only choose one or two at a time. When a board term is over or the volunteer activity is done, then I choose another one.

I also struggle when I have family or friends over at our house. I want to keep up with the cleaning and picking up dishes and putting away food. Then I realize I’m not spending precious time with my family or friends that are at my home visiting. I have decided to set my urge to clean aside and leave it all behind to spend that time with my loved ones. The satisfaction I have experienced by doing this the last few gatherings far exceeds the satisfaction of seeing the house clean and picked up while our guests are still in the house.

I encourage you today to look for opportunities to stop some things you’re doing to regain time and spend it with your loved ones—doing the things that really matter. Make sure you include God in “the people you love and want to spend time with.” He is waiting and longing to spend that time with you too!

Reach Out to Jesus

 It is hard to encourage others when they are going through deep suffering in their lives. But we must not give up in doing so because we may be the only ones reminding them that God does love them even while going through suffering and trials. We need to remind our loved ones that through it all, God is still in control even when we don’t understand why things happen.

This past week, a good friend of mine reminded me that Jesus endured the worst death that any human being has ever endured. It was the worst evil that the enemy could have done to anyone. Three days later, Jesus rose from the dead and conquered death. He defeated evil forever so we could have eternal life with him in heaven. What Jesus did was the biggest good that humanity could ever experience. These two events changed the course of humanity and they were both planned by God in order to save us all from eternal damnation. How can a loving God plan his only Son’s horrific death? Because God sees everything from the eternal perspective and He loves us all. He sacrificed His Son to gain humanity in return. God saw the whole picture at once because He is eternal and because He sees everything as one big plan.

Today, I want to share one of the devotionals from my book, Devotions for Working Women, that will encourage you to reach out to Jesus in your suffering. I also encourage you to reach out to your friends that are there for you during this difficult times.

Jesus Is Ready to Help Us in Our Suffering

# 313

Hebrews 2:18 (NLT)

Since he himself has gone through suffering and temptation, he is able to help us when we are being tempted.

Why is it that sometimes when we go through trials and temptations, we don’t go to God first? Our tendency is to figure things out on our own first. Jesus went through every kind of suffering and temptation anybody could ever go through in their entire lives. He became a human being so he could experience real life, real suffering, and real temptations. He died for us and went to hell for three days to declare His victory over evil. He conquered death and overcame suffering and every kind of temptation. He did it so he could be there for us when we experienced those things.

Jesus is always waiting for you to call on Him and ask for help. If you are going through trials at work, at home, or with your physical body, run to Jesus. He has the answers. He will help you and meet you where you are because He understands and loves you.

Are You Religious or Are You a Christian?

I used to get offended when people would tell me that I was “religious.” I choose to not get offended anymore because I now know that most people don’t know the difference between being religious and simply being a Christian. The dictionary describes the word religious as someone that is concerned with religion, a person exhibiting religion, or someone associated with a religion. Jesus was not happy with the religious leaders because they were proud of knowing religion but in their hearts they didn’t love God. Paul says in Romans 2: 23 (NLT) “You are so proud of knowing the law, but you dishonor God by breaking it.” Paul also says in Romans 5:9 (NLT) “And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s judgment. For since we were restored to friendship with God by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be delivered from eternal punishment by his life. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God—all because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done for us in making us friends of God.”

I am not a religious person, I am simply a Christian. What does that mean? Simply that I am a follower of Jesus Christ. He is my friend and I have a personal relationship with Him. I LOVE Jesus and I will forever (literally – for eternity) be grateful to Him for dying on the cross for my sins so I could have eternal life with Him in heaven. There is nothing that I can do nor will ever be able to do to repay Him or to earn salvation. It is a gift. And we can only obtain it through faith by God’s grace.

Paul says in Romans 10:8-11 (NLT), “Salvation that comes from trusting Christ—which is the message we preach—is already within easy reach. In fact, the Scriptures say, ‘The message is close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart.’ For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.”

So today I encourage you to take that step and invite Jesus into your heart. The letter from Paul to the Romans is one of the best books to understand the message of salvation so I encourage you to read it. Having Jesus as your friend will help you get through the struggles of life. I will leave you today with what Paul said to the Romans in Chapter 5:3 (NLT), “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us—they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation.” When bad things happen to you, remember that God did not cause them nor allowed them, but He will be there for you and help you get through them.

Are You in Pursuit of Your Calling?

I have talked to several people in the past few weeks about finding their calling in life. It seems to me that a lot of people are realizing earlier in their lives that they need to leave a legacy other than just success but of significance. I feel privileged to lead a program called The Master’s Program for Women here in the Twin Cities that addresses the issues of finding and pursuing one’s calling, success and significance. The program was created by Bob Shank about 20 years ago for men business leaders. Then the program was adopted for women about 13 years ago. I love this program because it is a three-year journey that takes into account your whole being and every aspect of your life. You can learn more about it at www.themastersprogramforwomen.org.

God created every person with a unique calling that only that person can do. That calling is separate from our “generic” callings of being a parent, a spouse, a brother or sister. It’s beyond that. It’s unique to each person based on their gifts, talents, and abilities. God uses all of it as a package and has a plan for each person to fulfill their calling.

If you don’t know what your unique calling is, I encourage you to pursue God and find out then do it! The pursuit takes a lot of time and it takes a lot of soul searching in addition to prayer. It’s never too late to start!

Are You All In? Jesus was.

A friend of mine asked me the question: What does it mean to be ALL IN? In other words, how do we know that we are 100% into God, that we are following Jesus daily, and that we are living 100% all in for God? As I pondered for weeks, I was finally able to describe in words what I believe to be “all in” means and then what it means to me.

Being ALL IN is a matter of the heart. It is complete surrender to God in every area of your life. When you are all in, from the heart, God’s love will overflow and be poured out into your life. When you are all in, words are not necessary, people will know. The first sign is the love of God being manifested to others through you. It is you loving on people just because they are children of God. It’s first pursuing the discovery of your calling and then pursuing the calling itself throughout your life.

So, what does it mean to ME to be ALL IN? Because I believe it’s a matter of the heart, I believe I am all in and God knows it because He knows my heart. I have made a commitment to live for God the rest of my life. I have chosen to give my life to Jesus every day. I may not feel like I’m all in some days because my flesh takes over and I don’t behave like a person who’s all in. However, just because that day I don’t feel like I’m all in or I may even feel I’m “out,” God knows my heart and sees my struggle to live for Him despite my flesh that leads me to sin. It’s a daily walk. I am committed to pursue my calling and to use all my gifts for God during my life here on earth. I live with the awareness that today may be my last day and that’s why I have the sense of urgency to fulfill my calling.

Today is Saturday, April 19th, 2014. Yesterday was Good Friday. The day Jesus died on the cross for our sins. Today is a dark day because it represents when Jesus went to hell for us so we didn’t have to. But tomorrow is a new day. We celebrate His resurrection and that He defeated death. It’s the promise that we all hope to receive when we die and go to heaven to be with Him for eternity. Jesus was ALL IN! He came to earth with one mission only—to save us. In order to fulfill His mission, He knew that we would have to endure the death of the cross. But He also knew that after three days He would rise again and His mission would have been fulfilled. We are His reward.

Years ago I read the book The Case for Christ, A Journalist’s Personal Investigation of the Evidence of Jesus, by Lee Strobel. If you haven’t read that book, read it! If you are still skeptical about the reality of Jesus’ death and resurrection or have any doubts or medical questions, read this book! On pages 196-204, Strobel interviewed a doctor who explains step by step the process of the crucifixion and how Jesus died on the cross—all explained in medical terms. For example, did you know that the pain Jesus experienced when they pierced his wrists and feet with the nails had no word so they had to create a new one—excruciating? It literally means “out of the cross.” Did you know that Jesus, in fact, sweat blood the night before of the crucifixion? The medical term is called hematidrosis, which happens when a person is in “extreme psychological stress.” Did you know that Jesus actually died of cardiac arrest? I didn’t. At the end of the interview, Strobel asked the doctor one final question: Why did Jesus go through this? The doctor replied with one word, “love.”

Everything that the Bible says to describe Jesus’ death is true and has a medical term as well as a scientific explanation. I read these pages almost every year to remind myself of what Jesus had to go through for me. Each time I read it I weep in gratitude knowing that Jesus did it for me. And He did it for you too!

So, to end on a happy note, let’s celebrate together that Jesus is indeed alive and He loves us with a love that goes beyond our comprehension. A love that endured the cross.

Understanding Faith

I would like to continue sharing about faith from my post last week. I decided to read the whole book of Hebrews again because it has a lot to say on the subject of faith. There are three things I would like to share with you today.

First, let’s remember what faith is. Hebrews 11 1 says, “What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen.” There are a lot of things that we hope for in this life. I often pray and ask God to help me not to focus on (and thus hope for) the things of this world. I want to hope for the things of His world, the Kingdom of God. Then I can be assured that I will get those things. I hope that all my family is saved and that someday when we are all gone from this earth we will continue our lives together in eternity. I also hope my friends that I love so much choose to have Jesus in their hearts so I can spend eternity with them as well. Having this hope is the only thing that gives me peace when one of my loved ones goes home to be with God before me.

The challenge I see is that every person must choose on their own if they want to follow Christ or not. However, I want to encourage you to never lose hope and to continue to have faith that your loved ones will be saved. I truly believe that God hears our prayers about our loved ones coming closer to Him. Sometimes He arranges situations and allows circumstances to happen so people stop what they’re doing and give their lives to Christ. The time it takes and the timing for every person is different so we need to simply continue to pray.

The second thing I wanted to share is about waiting for those promises and what we hope for. Hebrews 11 lists several men of faith that came before us such as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Further down on Hebrews 11:13 it says that, “All these faithful ones died without receiving what God had promised them, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed the promises of God. They agreed that they were no more than foreigners and nomads here on earth.” When these men of God realized that they were not of this world, then having faith that God was going to come through became easier. Furthermore, they had the revelation that some things they were not going to see during their lifetime here on earth. They knew, however, that they would see them later in eternity when they met God in heaven.

The third thing I want to share with you today is found in Hebrews 11:39, where it says that, “All of these people we have mentioned have received God’s approval because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. For God had far better things in mind for us that would also benefit them, for they can’t receive the prize at the end of the race until we finish the race.” My interpretation of this passage (and I don’t claim to be a Bible scholar) is that what all the people before us started through their faith we have to finish. “We” here means all of us that came after them and those who will come after us until Jesus comes again and the prize for which Jesus died (all of us) will finally be realized.

I hope reading today’s blog will inspire you to continue praying for all your loved ones. Never give up! God is always in control.

A Question of Faith and God's Love

I was recently asked this question: “How is it that you have so much faith in your God?” At first, I wasn’t sure what or how to respond so I prayed before answering since this conversation was happening via text. The only response I received was to love on my friend, to show her the love of God through me loving her. I told her I was going to attempt to answer via text but that the reason was actually simple. I have so much faith in God because I LOVE God. I love God because I know that He loves me and I told her I also know that He loves her too. Because I love God then I trust Him and I trust Him because I know Him.

I basically responded the same way as if the question would have been in regards to a person because it would be the same progression of events. When we get to know a person, we learn to trust them (or not for that matter). Once we trust them we learn to love them and then we have faith in them as a person. We have faith that they will do what they said they would do. We have faith (or believe) that that person also loves us back. We believe that person wants the best for us and we have complete confidence in that person. Of course, we are human beings and thus break that confidence or trust many times in our relationships. God doesn’t. He never breaks His promises to us.

The concepts of faith in God and the love of God for us are difficult to understand for an unbeliever but I thought this was the best way I could respond to my friend. These concepts are a revelation to our hearts that we accept by faith and the best place to start is to learn that God is love and that He loves us. How do we show others that God loves them too? By us loving them – just like Jesus did.

God has been working in my heart lately and showing me how to love others. I feel the love of God in my heart ready to be poured out into the people I come in contact with. It is a feeling I have not had in the past. It is easy to love our family and dear friends but to start loving strangers and people I have not seen or met before, just because, is new to me. I think it’s because when I see people as children of God and not as people I don’t know, the perspective changes and now I can see people through the eyes of God and mercy and compassion flows along with His love.

This experience confirms to me that the main way God loves people is through each one of us. We are the conduits to God’s love to the world. I want to conclude with a Scripture from Hebrews that I read this morning. Hebrews 6: 10-11 (NLT) “For God is not unfair. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other Christians, as you still do. Our great desire is that you will keep right on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true.”

God Cares and Direct Our Steps

Today I was wondering about being in the right place during this time in my life. It is something I often ponder on because I’m always torn between doing my full-time work and also doing full-time work for God’s Kingdom. How can I do both? What is the secret to not feeling guilty for working in the world versus only doing God’s work? Or is the key to finding the balance having a job that perfectly aligns with my calling in life? Would I feel fulfilled and guilt-free then?

Since I don’t know the answers to these questions, I thought of sharing this devotional with you today from my book Devotions for Working Women. This devotional reminded me that God cares and directs every one of my steps, no matter where I am in my life’s journey. I hope it does the same for you. Enjoy!

The Lord Indeed Directs Our Steps

# 319

Proverbs 20:24 (NLT)

How can we understand the road we travel? It is the Lord who directs our steps.

Sometimes we wonder what we are doing on the path we are on. We wonder: why are we in this job? Did we choose the right career? Other times, when we ask God for direction, we are not very happy with His answer. We want Him to agree with our plans instead of us being open to His direction. But we must trust His guidance because He promises us “the steps of the godly are directed by the Lord. He delights in every detail of their lives” (Psalm 37:23 NLT).

God really cares and is interested in every single step we make in our lives. He does plan and orders our steps. He knows the things to come to our lives in the future, so He prepares us and gives us the grace to handle them. When we give Him control of our lives, He prepares the way, opens doors that no man can shut, and closes doors He knows are not for us. There will be times when we will not want to take some of those steps, but we must. We can go through doors and walk on water as Peter did with Him. He is our strong rock and safety. He is our light that illuminates the way we need to go. His Word is the lamp unto our feet. With His Word, He guides us every single step, and we follow by faith, believing in our hearts that He loves us.

It is okay if we don’t understand every step we make. The Lord knows what those steps are, where they will take us, and how many we can handle at a time. There are many things in this life we will not understand until we meet our Creator face to face and spend eternity with Him. There are other things we don’t understand right now, but He will reveal to us later when we are ready.

Don’t worry about understanding the road you are on. If you are with the Lord, He is in charge, and He indeed directs your steps.

Dealing with Your Grief

True friends go through different experiences together. You could say that they “experience life” together in many ways. True friends laugh together and also cry together.

If you recently experienced the loss of a loved one, know that your true and closest friends are suffering with you. You are not alone. Your true friends want into your heart and be there with you while you go through the grief. So I urge you to reach out and share your suffering with your close friends and family—those you know that truly care for you. Just as your true friends want you to share your good news when you get a new job, get engaged, are expecting a baby, receive a promotion or anything else that is good in your life, they also want to be included in your life when something bad happens.

Today I want to encourage you to seek out God and remember that He will get you through your grief and distress. I would like to share a devotional from my book Devotions for Working Women that will encourage you to continue your race while you hang on to God and share your life with your true friends.

Dealing with Grief and Distress

# 94

Psalm 31:9 (NLT)

Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am in distress. My sight is blurred because of my tears. My body and soul are withering away.

During the course of our lives, we experience times of great distress and situations when we feel we are withering away from grief. Losing our job can create great pain for us because our work is a major part of our lives. Yet the loss of a loved one could be much more impacting in our working life. When we lose someone to death like a child, our spouse, a parent, or a close friend, it creates a wound in our heart that only God can heal. Divorce, separation, or a child leaving home prematurely can also be as catastrophic.

These events change our lives forever, and it is in those moments that grief can settle into our hearts. It is normal to go through a grieving period, but we cannot stay there too long because it is deadly for us just as David said in verse 10, “I am dying from grief; my years are shortened by sadness. Misery has drained my strength; I am wasting away from within.”

Even though we never forget tragic or sad events, we need to move on and let go of the grief and pain. We must continue the race God has set for each one of us and finish it. There are two things we need to do. First, just as David never gave up trusting God and kept running to Him for protection and comfort, we have to trust God that He will help us and lift us up. “So be strong and take courage, all you who put your hope in the Lord!” (v. 24). Secondly, we need to do what Paul did. He said to the people of Philippi, “No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven” (Philippians 3:13-14 NLT).

Stay on Your Path

Last weekend, a good friend of mine lost her husband. Today was the funeral and I am heartbroken. There are so many questions unanswered, and why we sometimes lose the people we love, we may never know until our turn comes to join Jesus in heaven.

Today I want to encourage you to follow your own path in life. Despite the circumstances and experiences you go through during your journey here on earth, there is a specific path that God wants you to follow—a unique path He created for you.

It is my prayer that you discover your own path and that you stay on it. God will give you the grace to do it. Today’s devotional from my book, Devotions for Working Women, will remind you to stay on your unique path and will help you reach the Promised Land God has reserved for you.

Stay On Your Path

# 250

Deuteronomy 5:32-33 (NLT)

You must obey all the commands of the Lord your God, following his instructions in every detail. Stay on the path that the Lord your God has commanded you to follow. Then you will live long and prosperous lives in the land you are about to enter and occupy.

I believe the words of encouragement Moses told the people of Israel still apply to us today. If we break down this verse into smaller pieces, we can see the first thing to do is to stay on the path. This means don’t divert to the right or to the left. Don’t look back either, only move forward on the path “that the Lord your God,” not anybody else, not your parents, not your spouse, not your boss, or your friends, has “commanded” you. God commands a path for each one of us that we must follow and obey.

It is also important to know that God is into details, as verse 32 clearly states. His path for each person is very detailed—to our every moment here on earth. The key is for us to know the details of His plan and then to obey and act in faith on every detail and step He asks us to do.

We all miss details on a daily basis because we are human. But, that’s okay. God is merciful, and He helps us through the Holy Spirit and forgives us when we repent from our heart.

Even in this messed up world, there is a Promised Land for you that you can only enter with God’s direction and protection and by your faith and obedience. Your ideal job is part of your Promised Land. Don’t give up. Stay on your path.

Surviving Tragedy

What do you tell a friend who just lost her husband today? How do people recover from losing a loved one? Once someone, who had lost a 14 year old son on his 14th birthday, told me that “You never recover. You simple learn to cope.”

We all go through terrible experiences during the course of our lives and I believe we can share those experiences with others to help them get through these situations. But ultimately, we need Jesus in our hearts in order to survive these life changing and hurtful events.

Today, I want to share a devotional from my book, Devotions for Working Women, that brings hope to you if you are going through one of these situations in your life.

I Will Not Be Shaken!

# 124

Psalm 16:8 (NLT)

I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.

When you know in our heart that the Lord is with you, you have a peace that surpasses all understanding. It is the peace of God working in you so you are not shaken.

There are certain life events that can shake you, such as the death of a loved one, the loss of your job, divorce, or living through a natural disaster. If you find yourself living through any of the above situations, know that God is with you. He is right beside you, walking through it with you. He is holding your hand and lighting the way when it’s dark all around you. He is your comforter, your helper, your hope, and the one who loves you more than anyone on this earth.

The Lord Jesus is your Rock. Building your house on the Rock means you build your life based only on the truth of God’s Word. It is doing always what’s right and knowing the foundation is the love of God. Everything He does in your life is founded on His amazing love. In fact, the whole plan of salvation is based on His eternal love for you and desire to be with you forever.

When you build your life, your house, on Him, you will not be shaken when the storms of life come. Your house will stand. When the storm is over, you will still be standing on Him and His Word. It doesn’t matter what it looks like on the outside or around you. You will know where you stand because of what you believe.

Remember these words when you go through a storm in your life. Hang on to the Lord, and you will not be shaken.