The complete title of this book is "Hippo in the Garden: A non religious approach to having a conversation with God."
Scripture reveals 3 significant facts
1) God Does Speak
2) God Speaks In Many Ways
3) God Speaks, Though Man May Not Perceive it.
The real test is learning to listen!! God is looking for those who will be attentive AND obedient. How much grief do we experience simply because we do not listen to what He says. In your next conversation, notice how much of it consists of your actually listening to what the other person has to say. Watch people as they are absorbed in their own conversation. It should not surprise you to find that most people would rather hear themselves than consider what another has to say. To entertain some people all you have to do is LISTEN!
God gave us 2 ears and one mouth so He must have intended us to do 2 times as much listening. HMMM As an experiment, just stop for a moment and just listen. Try to identify the sounds around you. Go for a walk and count how many times you hear a bird chirping. Practice listening. Listen to the sound of the wind. Go to a shopping center, listen to the noise caused by all the voices, try to distinguish the songs played in each of the stores. Can you hear the hum of the heat or the air conditioner. Now do all this while have a meaningful conversation with a friend.
Sensitive listening increases what we are hearing all about us. Selective listening draws our attention to what we consider to be most important. A mother after putting her child to sleep goes to sleep herself, most noises throughout the night don't wake her. As soon as the baby makes a peep she springs to action. Hearing the voice of God should be the same way. The value we put on hearing Him causes us to focus on His speaking, which cultivates our sensitivity for hearing Him when He does speak.
The book says there are 3 other prerequisites
1) A pure heart - we must has the Lord to cleanse our hearts. A wounded heart can distort God's words just like a defective radio receiver distorts a good signal. The signal from the station is perfectly clear, but the message being heard in the living room is garbled and irritating.
2) A hearing ear - a hearing ear is given to each of us when we are born again. The capacity to hear the Lord is present but the ability to do so must be developed. Have you ever seen a classroom full of students waiting for a teacher to speak, pens and paper in hand and eager. This what it means to "listen like one being taught." If we will show this same attentiveness to the Lord, He will awaken us every morning to more revelation of Himself! Wisdom speaks to those who will listen. To develop "a hearing ear" we MUST regard the word of the Lord as a vital feature of our daily lives. Frankly, it must be a matter of life and death!
3) A responsive life - Obedience is a critical factor in hearing the voice of God. Look at the word obedience. Right in the middle of it is "die" and in the middle of that is "i". We have to die to ourselves that we may live in the Lord.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
"Catch Him & Keep Him" by Christian Carter
"Catch Him & Keep Him" by Christian Carter is an insightful book. It is written by a man and really takes you on a journey into how man "really" think. What I learned from this book is priceless. So much so that you can even click on the link of the book cover and purchase this book.
So on to what I learned from this book. Oh first let me tell you some of the chapter names:
Inside the Mind of a Man,
Men and Relationships,
The Biggest Mistakes Women Make With Their Emotions,
How Men and Women are different and What To Do About It, and
How To Attract Men.
The first thing I learned from this book (although too late for my last relationship) is that a man will start feeling "unsure" about a relationship, or not like something a woman is doing, but he doesn't say anything. At least, not until he's already made up in his mind that the relationship isn't working, and he wants to leave. AMEN TO THAT CHRISTIAN!!
Men have been practicing their whole lives to hide their "inner world." They have been conditioned to hide or ignore their emotions for most of their lives.
Most men don't have an idea of what a perfect long-term relationship looks like - at least not one that would make sense to a woman. Most men are literally making it up as they go along.
The rarest man of all is a man who has his act together, know what kid of relationship he wants...and is ready and willing to commit to a relationship or marriage now, in the present moment.
There are some important truths to understand men better (these are also true in life too).
Truth #1 Changing your perspective on someone is the best way to help them change their perspective on you.
Truth #2 Nothing will change in your life until you change YOUR OWN BEHAVIOR
Truth #e The ONLY way to actually change your behavior is a real, authentic, and lasting way is to change your Mindset or Perspective. SEEK TO UNDERSTAND, AND YOU'LL BE UNDERSTOOD. You, and only you, are responsible for getting yourself their first so you can be a great partner. (So it is all about me working on me!!)
For the men who what to better understand women Mr. Carter recommends "The Way Of The Superior Man" by David Deida.
So on to what I learned from this book. Oh first let me tell you some of the chapter names:
Inside the Mind of a Man,
Men and Relationships,
The Biggest Mistakes Women Make With Their Emotions,
How Men and Women are different and What To Do About It, and
How To Attract Men.
The first thing I learned from this book (although too late for my last relationship) is that a man will start feeling "unsure" about a relationship, or not like something a woman is doing, but he doesn't say anything. At least, not until he's already made up in his mind that the relationship isn't working, and he wants to leave. AMEN TO THAT CHRISTIAN!!
Men have been practicing their whole lives to hide their "inner world." They have been conditioned to hide or ignore their emotions for most of their lives.
Most men don't have an idea of what a perfect long-term relationship looks like - at least not one that would make sense to a woman. Most men are literally making it up as they go along.
The rarest man of all is a man who has his act together, know what kid of relationship he wants...and is ready and willing to commit to a relationship or marriage now, in the present moment.
There are some important truths to understand men better (these are also true in life too).
Truth #1 Changing your perspective on someone is the best way to help them change their perspective on you.
Truth #2 Nothing will change in your life until you change YOUR OWN BEHAVIOR
Truth #e The ONLY way to actually change your behavior is a real, authentic, and lasting way is to change your Mindset or Perspective. SEEK TO UNDERSTAND, AND YOU'LL BE UNDERSTOOD. You, and only you, are responsible for getting yourself their first so you can be a great partner. (So it is all about me working on me!!)
There are 3 steps to help you better "connect" with the man you are with. Step 2 is the Understanding Stage so ask yourself 1) what is important to them? 2) What do THEY like and dislike? 3) What do they want from me? For steps 1 and 3... get the book!
Seeking others' approval because you have an intense need for them to understand you and make you think and feel "good enough" or OK is a textbook sign of emotional immaturity (and painfully unattractive)
For the men who what to better understand women Mr. Carter recommends "The Way Of The Superior Man" by David Deida.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
"The Shack" by William P. Young
Oh my goodness, I love this book! My Sissy told me about this book because "The Bishop" said it was a good book. So of course if Bishop Joseph said to read it, I read it.
This book is fiction but there is a tremendous amount of wisdom in this book.
First of all the book is about a man whose youngest daughter is abducted while on a camping trip. They find her body in an old abandoned shack. I was like why do I want to read this? This is awful!! But I pressed on and I am so glad I did.
About 4 years later the man gets a note from, Papa, his wife's name for God, telling him it is time for him to return to the shack. He has a hard time believing that God wants to meet with him, but curiosity causes him to go back and the adventure begins.
I am not going to give away the story, go get the book! But I will tell you that in his experience with, Papa, they have one particular conversation that really intrigued me. They were discussing good and evil in relationship to Adam and Eve eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God asks the question "When something happens to you, how do you determine whether it is good or evil?" Mack, the main character, says, "I guess I would say that something is good when I like it-when it makes me feel good or gives me a sense of security. Conversely, I'd call something evil that causes me pain or costs me something I want." God then asks,"And how confident are you in your ability to discern what indeed is good for you, or what is evil?" Mack then goes into how somethings that seemed good in the beginning turned out to horrible and things that he deemed to be good turn out to be really bad. God then says, how mankind declared their independence from God when eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. We decided we would determine for ourselves what is good and what is evil apart from God. Then talks about now we need to give our right to be independent and to depend on God and believes that He knows what is good for us and what is evil for us.
This spoke volumes to me! I think all the "bad" that has happened to me and I look back and say that was "good" and all the things that seemed "good" and turned out to be "bad." This discussion goes on for like 5 pages and I didn't do it the justice it deserves. Please pick up this book.
This book is fiction but there is a tremendous amount of wisdom in this book.
First of all the book is about a man whose youngest daughter is abducted while on a camping trip. They find her body in an old abandoned shack. I was like why do I want to read this? This is awful!! But I pressed on and I am so glad I did.
About 4 years later the man gets a note from, Papa, his wife's name for God, telling him it is time for him to return to the shack. He has a hard time believing that God wants to meet with him, but curiosity causes him to go back and the adventure begins.
I am not going to give away the story, go get the book! But I will tell you that in his experience with, Papa, they have one particular conversation that really intrigued me. They were discussing good and evil in relationship to Adam and Eve eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God asks the question "When something happens to you, how do you determine whether it is good or evil?" Mack, the main character, says, "I guess I would say that something is good when I like it-when it makes me feel good or gives me a sense of security. Conversely, I'd call something evil that causes me pain or costs me something I want." God then asks,"And how confident are you in your ability to discern what indeed is good for you, or what is evil?" Mack then goes into how somethings that seemed good in the beginning turned out to horrible and things that he deemed to be good turn out to be really bad. God then says, how mankind declared their independence from God when eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. We decided we would determine for ourselves what is good and what is evil apart from God. Then talks about now we need to give our right to be independent and to depend on God and believes that He knows what is good for us and what is evil for us.
This spoke volumes to me! I think all the "bad" that has happened to me and I look back and say that was "good" and all the things that seemed "good" and turned out to be "bad." This discussion goes on for like 5 pages and I didn't do it the justice it deserves. Please pick up this book.
"How to Reomve Your Salary Cap. Starting a Business Without Leaving Your Day Job - Yet" by David E. Carter
This book basically talks about things you can do to earn more money with out quitting your day job. It discusses that most of us have a "salary cap" meaning a limit on the amount of money we can earn.
Simply put, you have a limitation on how much money you can earn because you are selling your time. To remove the salary cap you need to do one of 4 other things
Sell your ideas
Sell results
Sell the time of the people who work for you.
Sell the ideas or results of your employees.
You need to decide what business is right for you. Here is how:
Choose a business that you can afford to enter
Do something you enjoy
Choose a business that you know something about
Choose something that fills a market need
Chapter 11 is about multiplying your income with out multiplying your time on the job
Chapter 12 is about formulating a plan to remove your salary cap.
There are 7 keys to running a small business. (I really like how it says 7 but there are 10)
Sell. Generate cash flow
Always pay your payroll taxes
Keep good records
Protect your image
Plan from the bottom up
Learn from your mistakes
Keep your word
Get a good accountant
Don't spend money until you know where it is coming from.
The book ends with 40 suggestions of business you can start without quitting your day job and without a whole lot of startup costs.
If you are looking for a jump start to thinking about your own business this book is a good starting place. It is a very easy read and only 109 pages!
Simply put, you have a limitation on how much money you can earn because you are selling your time. To remove the salary cap you need to do one of 4 other things
Sell your ideas
Sell results
Sell the time of the people who work for you.
Sell the ideas or results of your employees.
You need to decide what business is right for you. Here is how:
Choose a business that you can afford to enter
Do something you enjoy
Choose a business that you know something about
Choose something that fills a market need
Chapter 11 is about multiplying your income with out multiplying your time on the job
Chapter 12 is about formulating a plan to remove your salary cap.
There are 7 keys to running a small business. (I really like how it says 7 but there are 10)
Sell. Generate cash flow
Always pay your payroll taxes
Keep good records
Protect your image
Plan from the bottom up
Learn from your mistakes
Keep your word
Get a good accountant
Don't spend money until you know where it is coming from.
The book ends with 40 suggestions of business you can start without quitting your day job and without a whole lot of startup costs.
If you are looking for a jump start to thinking about your own business this book is a good starting place. It is a very easy read and only 109 pages!
Friday, May 2, 2008
"The Richest Man Who Ever Lived" by Steven K. Scott
Let me start by saying this is an absolutely fabulous book!
The book is based on the book of the Bible, Proverbs, written by King Solomon after the death of his father King David. When God appeared to Solomon and asked him what he wanted, Solomon only asked for wisdom and understanding to govern God's people. God told Solomon that because he didn't ask for riches, honor, or long life for himself that He would basically make him the greatest king who ever lived in wisdom, riches, honor... everything.
Chapter 2 was the deepest chapter for me. This chapter is all about diligence. Not diligence as we think we know it but true diligence. King Solomon's diligence is defined as follows:
Diligence is a learnable skill that combines: creative persistence, a smart-working effort rightly planned and rightly performed in a timely, efficient and effective manner to attain a result that is pure and of the highest quality of excellence.
Diligence can be used to turn poor marriages into great marriages; good careers into incredible careers; and a failing business into a successful one.
The rewards of becoming truly diligent are:
Gain sure advantage
Be in control of the situation, rather than have the situation control you
Experience true fulfillment
Attain the respect and admiration of those in authority
Needs will be satisfied
Experience ever-increasing success
Efforts will be profitable
There are consequences of not being diligent:
Always be at an insurmountable disadvantage
Will be ruled
Will crave, but will find little solace
Will lack understanding
Wealth and security will dissipate
Efforts will come to nothing
Then it goes into talking about how to bring diligence into your life and how we all have seeds of laziness. Then it goes into the how to recognize the root causes of laziness.
Next it talks about Solomon's steps to bring diligence into your life which are
Wake up to Reality (STOP PROCRASTINATING!!)
Define Your Visions
Effectively Partner and
Pursue Wisdom; Build Your Life Upon It
MORE LATER...
The book is based on the book of the Bible, Proverbs, written by King Solomon after the death of his father King David. When God appeared to Solomon and asked him what he wanted, Solomon only asked for wisdom and understanding to govern God's people. God told Solomon that because he didn't ask for riches, honor, or long life for himself that He would basically make him the greatest king who ever lived in wisdom, riches, honor... everything.
Chapter 2 was the deepest chapter for me. This chapter is all about diligence. Not diligence as we think we know it but true diligence. King Solomon's diligence is defined as follows:
Diligence is a learnable skill that combines: creative persistence, a smart-working effort rightly planned and rightly performed in a timely, efficient and effective manner to attain a result that is pure and of the highest quality of excellence.
Diligence can be used to turn poor marriages into great marriages; good careers into incredible careers; and a failing business into a successful one.
The rewards of becoming truly diligent are:
Gain sure advantage
Be in control of the situation, rather than have the situation control you
Experience true fulfillment
Attain the respect and admiration of those in authority
Needs will be satisfied
Experience ever-increasing success
Efforts will be profitable
There are consequences of not being diligent:
Always be at an insurmountable disadvantage
Will be ruled
Will crave, but will find little solace
Will lack understanding
Wealth and security will dissipate
Efforts will come to nothing
Then it goes into talking about how to bring diligence into your life and how we all have seeds of laziness. Then it goes into the how to recognize the root causes of laziness.
Next it talks about Solomon's steps to bring diligence into your life which are
Wake up to Reality (STOP PROCRASTINATING!!)
Define Your Visions
Effectively Partner and
Pursue Wisdom; Build Your Life Upon It
MORE LATER...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
