Follow Your Dream

Follow Your Dream


By

Tommy Franks, Ph.D.

Washington DC, April 2007

Copyright © 2007 Tommy Franks
All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America.
All rights reserved under International Copyright Law.
International Standard Book Number: 0‑926044‑60‑5

Contents and/or cover may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any form without the express written consent of the Author.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the KINGS JAMES VERSION of the Bible.

Due to the Author's prerogative, some words are in small letters and some are capitalized for clarity and emphasis and not necessarily in accordance with standard grammatical practice.

Whenever pronouns or gender references appear in this book, they refer to both male and female unless otherwise noted.

Second Printing 2007

DEDICATION

I dedicate this book "Follow Your Dream” to my wife Karen, children, family, friends, and all of you who read this book.

Remember, we are all under construction. May warmth and excitement come to you and your families as you get excited about your dream.


CONTENTS

Dedication
Introduction

1. Follow Your Dream
2. Develop a Positive Attitude
3. Believe In Yourself
4. Value Yourself (Self-Esteem)
5. Value Others (Caring)
6. Somebody Loves You Incredibly
7. Develop Good Habits
8. Develop Your Full Potential
9. Teamwork
10. Goals
11. You Can Do It!
12. BE RESPONSIBLE
13. NEVER GIVE UP
14. BE A GIVER
15. Mercy
16. What Then?
17. Leaders Embrace the Impossible
18. What In HELL Do You Want?
19. Radical Change Is Coming!

LAST WORDS
About the Author

INTRODUCTION

Many of you have read my books in the past. To all of you, I say "thanks". This book is a different type of book. It is written not only as a "how to" book about following your dream, but also more specifically as a manual for wholelistic living that leads to a higher quality of life. I talk about radical change coming. I asked the question: “What in hell do you want?” After the discovery of your dream, what do you do then? I talk about leaders embracing the impossible. I write about responsibility and being a giver.

Our Maker God has given us so much in such a short time on Planet Earth. He wants us to enjoy His creation. After all, this Earth was created for us, not the enemy and his crowd. This book is written in an attempt to give personal dignity and self-esteem/self-worth back to the "best product that heaven has ever produced"…people…human beings…namely you.

The Apostles’ Creed says, “I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, And in Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead and buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost. I believe in the holy catholic (universal) church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen."

Great results have been achieved through dreams. We are productive citizens that are indebted with an attitude of gratitude to God in achieving our goals, objectives, purpose, dreams, and destiny! Remember this: "For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which you have shown toward His Name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and (continue to) minister" (Heb:6:10).

First Words:
FOLLOW Your DREAM

Follow your dream. Catch a "falling star". Expect good things to happen to you. Expect SUCCESS. Your dream will come. Have you ever of heard of Wally Amos? Mr. Amos founded "Famous Amos Cookies" several years ago...but not without trials of the greatest magnitude. He had a dream. He wanted to bake cookies. That's right…cookies! People said that his idea about cookies was crazy! Thank God, he didn't listen to them. He followed his dream and became very wealthy baking and selling cookies.

Wally believed in his dream and always said, "Solutions will come. Sometimes you have to reinforce your commitment. Get excited...Believe in yourself." The following is a POEM by Edgar Allen Guest that Wally Amos likes to quote:

"It Couldn't Be Done"

Somebody said that it couldn't be done
But he with a chuckle replied,
That maybe it couldn't, but he would be one who wouldn't say so
Until he had tried. So he buckled right in with a trace of a grin
On his face. If he worried, he hid it.
He started to sing as he tackled
The thing that couldn't be done and he DID IT.
Somebody scoffed, "Nay, you'll never do that.
Nobody has ever done it before."
But he took off his coat and hat and the first thing
That we knew, he had begun it.
With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin...
Without any doubting or quitting, he started to sing
As he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done...AND HE DID IT !
Thousands will tell you that it can't be done.
Thousands will point out to you one by one all the dangers
That await to assail you, BUT just buckle right in
With a bit of a grin. Just take off your coat and go to it.
You'll start to sing as you tackle the thing
That can't be done AND you'll do it.

Wally believed in his dream. He talked about his dream. He accomplished his dream. In today's world, we need to seek out people who have had a dream and then succeeded in accomplishing that dream. Learn what others are doing about their dreams. And then implement your dream. No, it will not be easy, but dare to believe in yourself and you will do it. People with no dreams are like ships without rudders. You must have a game plan. You must clearly define your dream and know your purpose. Write out your dream. Rehearse it. Every successful man or woman has a dream.
Once you have the dream fixed firmly in your mind and heart, the subconscious mind goes to work immediately to bring these things into reality. The problem today is…less than 5% of the people put legs to their dreams. WINNERS follow their dreams. We as human beings are built to have dreams. Dreams give us goals. Goals direct us straight to the target. Dreams give us PURPOSE. Dreams give us direction, focus, and channeled energy. As winners, we must think, talk about, visualize, and write down our dreams.

In a negative environment, sometimes it may not be in your best interest to SHARE your dreams with losers. Losers will try to dissuade you from carrying out your dream. Losers are not interested in your dreams. They are not interested in what is best for you. Furthermore, most people are not interested in what you want to do unless it affects them in some way. Therefore, use a lot of discretion and prudence in discussing your personal dreams with others. If you do share your dreams, try to share them with other dreamers and people who have purpose, goals, and personal aspirations to be successful and change the world.

Remember, dreams of purpose and true meaning come from God. He plants the dream seed in your heart. He made you for dreams. He created you to carry out your dreams. You are the BEST PRODUCT that He ever produced. YOU are SPECIAL to God and to others. As you follow your dream, you will develop qualities of confidence, determination, character, goodness, and self-esteem. God's anointing will assist you as you continue to act on your dream. Your perseverance will prevail. YES, you are SPECIAL indeed!

Will adversity come? Yes, but because you believe in your dream…faith, hope, and love will put you over. You will use adversity as stepping stones. At times in my own life, I have vacillated, oscillated, wavered, equivocated, hesitated, and faltered. Other times, I have been indecisive, evasive, wobbly, swaying back and forth like a pendulum, even shilly‑shallying; however, that only proves my point… Even though I am strong at times, I'm still a member of the human race. That's why I so desperately need to lean on the Lord at all times so that I can be successful in obtaining my dreams. If I were perfect, I would be in heaven. We are all under construction!

Develop a Positive Attitude

The longer I live, the more I realize the importance of having a Positive Attitude. Attitude is more significant than so called facts. Attitude is more meaningful than the past, educational level, money, resources, circumstances, failures, successes, what we think, or what other people think...say...or do. A positive ATTITUDE is golden!

Attitude is more substantial than mere appearances, giftedness, skills, or talents. Look at companies that have folded in the past few years. Attitude will make or break a company...corporation...home...or...church. Or it will make or break you! The remarkable thing is we have a choice. We can "sit around” and be negative or we can embrace a good attitude and go forward. We do not have to be melancholy or despondent. We can change our attitude! No one else can do this for us. Period! This is one responsible thing that the good Lord left with us.

None of us can change the place, date, or circumstances in which we were born into this world. We had no control over who our parents were. We had no control over when we were born. We cannot change our past. People will act or respond in certain ways. We cannot change the inevitable. HOWEVER, we can change our attitudes to be receptive and responsive in a positive manner. Personally, I believe that life is 10% of what happens to us and 90% of how we respond to it. Who is in charge of your life? Who is in charge of your attitude? Is it you? Is it your spouse...your parents...your children? You and I alone are in charge of our attitudes!

Someone once said, "A company may spread itself over the whole world, may employ thousands of men and women, yet the average person will form an opinion of the company THROUGH the CONTACT with ONE INDIVIDUAL. If that person is rude or inefficient, it will require a lot of courtesy and efficiency to overcome the bad impression. EVERY member of an organization is a salesperson. The first impression that is made is an advertisement...good or bad."

So as you can see, ATTITUDE is so very important, consequential, and significant to all of us, especially as we interact, mingle, socialize, and mix with others. The problem many times is that we are surrounded with naysayers…those who say that we cannot succeed, those who ridicule us, those who are perhaps jealous of us, and those who say that we cannot make it. When this is the case, we need to cut ourselves loose from these negative voices. "It is a FACT that you project what you are" (Norman V. Peale).

Someone once said that a pessimist is a person who...regardless of the present...is disappointed in the future. A wise person (John Wooden) said, "Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what YOU CAN DO."

Formerly, I have said a lot about looking in the mirror every morning and talking to yourself. WHY? Because we behave in a manner that is consistent with the way we see ourselves. If you view yourself as a successful individual, your actions will follow through with every effort to make that happen. Eventually, you will see your goals and dreams fulfilled. We make our own destiny. We do. No one can cause us to fail...but us! I cannot blame anyone else for my failures, problems, shortcomings, idiosyncrasies, peculiarities, or inconsistencies... BUT ME. I must take the responsibility for my own life.

A good attitude is not only "getting a life", but it is also being responsible for your life and actions! "Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do" (John Wooden). Take a good look at yourself. What do you see? What do you really see? Do you see a positive individual or negative individual? We BEHAVE in the manner and way in which we see ourselves. Someone once said that quitting is a permanent solution to a temporary problem!

William James said, "The greatest discovery of our generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their minds." This morning I got out of bed on the right side. Sometimes, I get out of bed on the left side. Does it really matter on which side I get up? I personally believe that it is all "in the mind" and attitude! "The greatest MISTAKE a person can make is doing nothing" (John Maxwell).

If you believe you can do something, the chances are...you can. If you BELIEVE that it is impossible, the chances are...you are right. However, if it looks impossible, but you somehow BELIEVE that you can do it anyway, the chances are...you will! An old King Solomon proverb says, "As a man/woman thinks in his/her heart, so is he/she."

Is life fair? No! Is our justice system fair? Do we have inequities in this life on Planet Earth? How do we react to those inequities? Do we sometimes have difficulties with other people? Then pinch yourself because you are very much alive and living a normal life. We are measured by the winds of adversity, the heat of the fire/furnace, the grinding of metal (iron sharpens iron), and the elasticity of our strengths. No one has ever trained to fight a war by sitting around the camp fire on a warm summer night eating bun buns, roasted hot dogs, and homemade ice-cream. A good soldier is a soldier seasoned by adversity.

As we all know, our attitude determines our altitude. Attitude: Its roots are inward. Its fruit is outward. It either draws or repels others. It can be our friend or our enemy. Vince Lombardi said, “It is not whether you get knocked down; it is whether you get up.” Albert Einstein said, “In the middle of difficulty lies an opportunity.”

Attitude is:

1. A position of the body or manner of carrying oneself, to stand in a graceful attitude.
2. A state of mind or a feeling; disposition: an attitude of hospitality.
3. The orientation of an aircraft’s axes relative to a reference line or plane, such as the horizon.
4. A manner of viewing things; an attitude.
5. A position from which something is observed or considered; a standpoint.
6. The attitude or outlook of a narrator or character in a piece of literature, a movie, or another art form.

Volition is: The exercise of the will, voluntary action…conduct. Attitude can be displayed or affected by one or more of the following: Conduct, behavior, bearing, personal bearing, carriage, demeanor, posture, aspect, look in one’s eyes, appearance tone, tone of voice, delivery, voice motion, action, gesture mode of behavior, fashion, style, manner, air poise, savoir faire, dignity, presence graciousness, good manners, courtesy, ungraciousness, rudeness, discourtesy pose, role-playing, affectation, mental attitude, outlook, opinion, mood, feeling, good behavior, virtue, misbehavior, misconduct, democratic behavior, common touch, reward of conduct, way of life, ethos, morals, principles, ideals, customs, mores, manners, lifestyle, habit, proposed conduct, line of action, policy career, course, race, walk of life, vocation, observance, routine, rules of business, practice, procedure, process, method, modus operandi, organization, orchestration, treatment, handling, manipulation, direction, masterminding, management gentle handling, kid gloves, velvet glove, leniency, rough handling, iron hand, severity dealings, transactions, affairs, deeds.

“Being a sex symbol has to do with an attitude, not looks. Most men think it's looks, most women know otherwise,” said Kathleen Turner in 1986.

“Our attitude toward our own culture has recently been characterized by two qualities, braggadocio (bragging all the time) and petulance (having a bad temper). Braggadocio is empty boasting of American power, American virtue, and American know-how which has dominated our foreign relations now for some decades. Here at home within the family, so to speak, our attitude to our culture expresses a superficially different spirit, the spirit of petulance, bad temper, and irritability. Never before, perhaps, has a culture been so fragmented into groups, each full of its own virtue, each annoyed and irritated at the others” (Daniel J. Boorstin 1960).

“Art is the child of Nature; yes, Her darling child, in whom we trace the features of the mother’s face, her aspect and her attitude” (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 1807-82).

Dale Carnegie said, "The successful man (woman) will profit from his mistakes and try again in a different way." Another great person said, "What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us" (Walt Emerson). We all have made mistakes in the past. If you do not believe me, look in the mirror and say, "I may not be able to change the whole world around me, but I CAN CHANGE the WAY I see the world WITHIN me. Yes, I can do that. I will do that."

Furthermore, talk to yourself some more and say, "You are the BEST thing around...since jelly beans. No one is like you. You are unique and very SPECIAL. Out of 6 billion people, you are the only you. Today, I will become an "attitudinizer" for those around me." An attitudinizer is a person who affects change and things. "I will affect change, people, and things...today! I will affect others in a positive way. I will posture myself with a sense of humor, zeal, active performance, smile a lot, and have a great attitude. In general, I choose to like people."

Are you still with me? Do you still have the mirror? Good then, let's talk to ourselves some more. "Self, I have been watching you lately. You need to rest a little. You need to take yourself less seriously. You need to relax a little. Smell the coffee. Smell the roses. Take some time just for you. You are a tremendous person of worth. You have genuine affections, great qualities, intelligent instincts, great passion for living, and feelings of gifted adequacy."

"You can do it. You have character. You have inherited characteristics of strength. This is the way I was made. Today, this moment, I am free from any inferiority, self-consciousness, weakness, and detrimental habits. I am a free moral agent to make good sensible and intelligent decisions that will profit me, this world, others, and my community. Today, I go forward with a greater sense of responsibility and accountability for me and my fellow man. That's it. PERIOD!"

"When and if things go wrong, don't go with them" (Roger Babson). "You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you" (James Allen).

"Winning is not everything...but making the effort to win is" (Vince Lombardi). "You never achieve real success unless you like what you are doing" (Dale Carnegie).

"You and I do not see things as they are. We only see things as we are" (Herb Cohen).

NOW FOR THE REAL KICKER: "Whether you think you can or think you can't...You are right" (Henry Ford).

"In this day and time...with people ever so BUSY, BUSY, we often want to correct the other person's attitude most of the time. We see "them" at fast food restaurants, grocery stores, the mall, church, auto dealerships, traffic jams, schools, home, and especially at our WORK environments. In my five decades of living on Planet Earth, I have found out a very high-level and important secret...that follows: The most expedient way for me to skillfully reduce the tension in the air is to CORRECT my own attitude. Is that easy? Are you kidding me, especially for a "Type-A" individual? No, it is not an easy chore, but it is absolutely necessary for my own welfare...both physically and progressively. In this life, there will always be individuals...who we think are airheads, hotheads, deadheads, buttheads, potheads, prune heads, and complete nincompoops!

That is human nature...whether we vocalize it or not. It's a fact. Hence, it is how we adjust, accommodate, and handle the situation that really matters. We can change our own attitude or "go ahead" and get an ulcer if we want. It is our choice!

John Maxwell said, "God chooses what we go through; we choose how we go through it. >Your attitude determines your actions. Your actions determine >your accomplishments."

Someone has said, “We cannot direct the wind, but we can surely adjust our sails.”

I have personally found out in life that once I say that I am beaten, I am. If I want to win in the game of life, I must have the right attitude and my actions must match that of my speech. If I say that I can’t do a certain thing, then I can’t. The converse of that is: If I say that I can do it, the battle is 95% won. As you have also found out, the victory does not always go to the strongest, most knowledgeable, the most talented...You have found out in life that sooner or later, the man/woman who gains the victory as a winner is the individual who THINKS he/she CAN! Attitude determines altitude!

"A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks that others have thrown at him” (David Brinkley). And people will throw bricks at you...if you are doing anything. The only way that this is not true is: If you are doing nothing with your life...and even then…you will be criticized! Therefore, make life count for something...and don’t worry about what others are saying. Believe in yourself and the victory is half won. Pick your right foot up and place it in front of you toward your goal and the victory is 75% won. Take the left foot and do the same thing and the victory is 95% won. Then continue to focus, take high aim, pull back the string on the bow, and let the arrow go...BULLS EYE. With a great attitude like that, no one can stop you...except you!

The longer I live, the more I realize how important attitude is upon our lives. It is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, education, money, circumstances, failures, successes, and what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearances, giftedness, or skills. We have a choice everyday regarding the attitude that we embrace. We cannot change our past. We cannot change other people! The only thing that we can change is ourselves and our attitude. Life is 90% how we react to it.

A genuine leader always displays a positive attitude and projects this attitude to others. Positive people attract. People will not follow someone who is frustrated, always disappointed, and filled with negatives. There are many individuals that do a lot of things right; however, their negative attitude keeps them from succeeding. The single most IMPORTANT ingredient to success is a Positive Attitude. Negative people drain our batteries. They tend to drag us down. We soon start avoiding them. People are looking for people with a positive outlook on life. The whole world is looking for inspiration, enthusiasm, and a positive force. Positive people excite, motivate, and inspire others.

Attitude is a little thing that makes BIG difference. Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows. If it is to be, then it is up to me. Attitude is the way we think. Our attitude is something that other people can see. They can see it in our voice...the way we move...our facial expressions...and feel it when they are with us. Our attitude expresses itself in everything we do, all the time, wherever we are. Positive attitudes invite positive results. Anything we do with a positive attitude will work for us and not against us. A positive attitude is always looking for ways to solve problems. Attitude makes the difference in everything we do during our entire life. Positive attitudes can be developed by emphasizing the good and by refusing defeat! Bottomline: Develop a Positive Attitude.

We learn something from every single book or article that we read. I believe that every single person on Planet Earth is special and has dignity and great worth. He has intelligence. He is created by the Master Carpenter. He has the five senses, intellect, emotions, desires, ambitions, and initiative. Man/Woman is spirit. The real person is spirit. This is the only way he can communicate with God and our Creator. Even though man lives in a body, he communicates with his soul and spirit. Therefore, this book challenges the individual to look within and begin to communicate with God, His Son, the Holy Spirit, and with other precious living souls throughout Planet Earth.

"…The kingdom of Heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls…Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it" (Mt.13:45-46). We as are that "pearl of great price". One human being is worth more than the entire world or a thousand worlds. You are worth more than all the gold and silver and diamonds in the entire universe. You are God’s child.

Life and abundance is a choice! In brief, it is God's will that you prosper, be in good health, and have healthy emotions in your every day life activities. It is His will that you be free from any dependency that would cause you to miss out on any of His magnificent blessings. It is God's will that you be free indeed and "in charge" of your own faculties. This book will assist you in the area of quality living, freedom living, financial freedom, communicating with others, assist you in self-esteem, and help you in taking back your dignity and destiny from those things that do not and should not control your life.

This book is a platform for people with any type of dependency to have a means to communicate with others on their journey to being free again. We encourage each participant to encourage others along the way, too.

I believe the Lord Jesus Christ is saying to us: "For I was hungry, and you gave me meat. I was thirsty, and you gave me drink. I was a stranger, and you took me in…Naked, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you came and visited me. I was in prison and you came to me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You? or thirsty, and give You drink? When were You a stranger and we took You in? Or naked, and we clothed You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and came unto You? And the King shall answer and say unto you, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, You have done it unto Me" (Mt.25:35-40).

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF

Some things are just NOT good for us. Some things are NOT helpful to us. Some things are NOT profitable for us. They may be lawful and legal, but not profitable. Paul once said, "All things are lawful (legal) unto me, but all things are NOT expedient (profitable, good, helpful): all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any" (1Cor.6:12). He also said, "(Some) things do NOT edify me" (1Cor.10:23). By edify, what does Paul mean? The word "edify" in this Scripture setting means: educate, teach, benefit, give me an advantage, profit, do good to me, have a good effect upon me, improve my life, confirm my good qualities, and strengthen my faith. Believe it or not, it also means to "shame the devil".

Some things do NOT profit, strengthen, or have a good (positive) effect on us. I am still learning in this area myself. One thing that is needed when dealing with others and ourselves is: MERCY. We must have mercy. We must advocate mercy. In recovering from any type of abuse, misuse, and injury by maltreatment or being mishandled in any way, mercy must be activated. We must give mercy to ourselves and to others. We must believe in ourselves.

Today, more than ever, we must NOT vent our anger and frustration “out” on ourselves and others. Our warfare is NOT "against flesh and blood". No, we do NOT need to minimize our sin or man’s depravity, but we must embrace mercy and grace. We must pray for mercy and grace. We must embrace Jesus as never before. What would Jesus do? He was NOT judgmental. He was NOT condemnatory. He saw the depravity of sin. Did He excuse it? No. He forgave man and his sin. He died for all sins. Some individuals are “hell bent” on what is “wrong” with our society and the world! I say, let us maximize the mercy and grace of Christ. The BLOOD will wash all sin away. Believe in yourself.

Mercy will win over judgment (Ja.2:13). Mercy fulfills God’s purpose. Jesus always reached out to people who felt “left out, despised, excluded, and worthless”. Even His dining with sinners offended the “so-called” priests and Pharisees. Jesus ate with the tax-collectors (scum) and sinners. This blew their minds! He responded, “Those who are healthy do NOT need a physician, but those who are sick.” He desires mercy and compassion, not sacrifice (Mat.9:12-13). Believe in yourself.

The world is looking to the Church for answers. Let’s give them the answers that they are searching for. Let’s give them mercy, love, compassion, and hope. Let’s give them Jesus!

Again, let me re-emphasize. We have a choice! Therefore, when we do things that are NOT expedient or profitable for us, the first thing we need to do is have mercy on ourselves and on others. We must forgive ourselves and others. We must embrace our Creator…God Almighty! When we do wrong, we need to run to the Father. This type of choice will lead to a quick recovery! The PURPOSE of this book is to establish a much needed emphasis for not only the "Homeless" in our cities, but also for anyone who has a dependency on any type of abusive behavior or addiction.

This book is a platform for individuals to communicate with others who have similar problems, to develop and maintain Biblical training, fellowship, and scriptural camaraderie. The greatest avenue for an individual who has recovered from any type of abuse is the wholelistic approach (body, soul, and spirit).

My research indicates clearly that this area of recovery is WIDE OPEN and will benefit society as a whole. Currently, there are 1,000,000 homeless on the streets (daily) in many of our cities across America…of which 33% are VETERANS.

Where do these million souls (creations) of God sleep or stay? Answer: Under bridges, benches, bushes, trees, trash heaps, tents, old cars, dumpsters, and on the cold ground.

Why is it that most homeless will not attend our churches? How long has it been since you saw a homeless individual (one, two, or three) come to your church? If they come, how long do they stay? Why don't they come? Why don't they stay? How do we bridge this vast canyon of attitudinal differences? The Church must go out and catch them, feed them, clean them, love them, teach them JESUS, and watch them change into the person that God intended them to be. And what a metamorphosis it is to see! Thank God, the "homeless" are changing...and it's marvelous to behold!

Afterwards...at some point in time, the homeless will be acclimated back into society as productive tax paying Christian citizens! Will it be easy. No! However, it can be and is being done. Thank God!

The MAJOR REQUIREMENT for this to occur is a Heart of LOVE for people. We will need Human Resources to assist…to be monitors. The monitors will need to be trained, committed, consecrated, caring, baptized with love, and anointed for this purpose. This type of program is not for everyone, nor for the faint hearted or weak minded. However, the rewards are tremendous and eternal. Any open meetings that will follow will set pattern of promoting personal growth, personal change, personal development…body, soul, and spirit. Communication exchanges between individuals is key to quality changes in personal effectiveness and growth.

TRAINING will mainly be "on the job" (OJT) training and special classes. The best approach is "doing something" and not just talking about it; however, some initial training will be necessary prior to the meetings. WITHOUT GOD, WE CAN NOT...WITHOUT US, HE WILL NOT!

Value Yourself (Self-Esteem)

God prepared Heaven for YOU from the foundation of the world. God knows you, your ways, your thoughts, your words, and every hair on your head. You are the very best product that the Father God ever produced. You mean more to Him than the whole world. There is nothing that He will NOT do for you…if it's profitable for you and benefits your life.

God made you special! You are the "only you". He formed your inward parts while you were still in your mother's womb. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. God fashioned you, designed you, appointed you, and brought you into this world. You are marvelously and incredibly made. You are the ONLY you that will ever be made or created! You are made of water, fluid, calcium, iron, carbon, lime, fiber, and other tissue. You have 263 bones, 970 miles of blood vessels, 20,000 hairs in your ears alone. You have 10 million nerves and nerve endings, 600 million air cells in your lungs. Your heart beats 4200 times an hour and pumps 24,000 pounds of blood every 24 Hours.

Even when you were only an embryo, you were in the mind of God. You are the "apple" of His eye. You are the BEST product that heaven ever produced. According to the Bible, God has even written a book about you which contains all the days of your life. God planned each of your days before you were born. You are so special!

You were NOT born by accident. Regardless, whether your parents were married or not, you were NOT born illegitimately in His eyes. You were born on PURPOSE! Your mother or father cannot give life. Only God can give life to from a human being and create a baby. God never does anything by accident or carelessly. Everything He does, He plans on purpose…not happenstance. You were created by God on purpose with a plan and with an eternal destiny. God saw you before the existence of the foundation of the world. You were not born by accident. There are no accidents with God. You are here by Divine appointment and providence.

Now, what does all this mean? You must DARE TO BELIEVE in YOURSELF and value yourself. God does. God has confidence in YOU! This may be difficult for you to accept, but it is true. Your POTENTIAL is determined by God, not circumstances or other people. When God created vegetation, He spoke to the earth (dirt) and it was so. When God made the stars, He spoke to the sky (firmament or second heaven) and it was so. When God wanted fish, He spoke to the waters. When He created animals, He spoke to the earth (land, dirt, and soil). But when He created Man (You), He spoke to Himself. He said, "Let Us make man in Our Image."

You are created to be like God...not God, but to be like Him (spirit, soul, and body). You need to use your God given talents, abilities, and the POTENTIAL that God has instilled within you! Dare to believe in yourself. You were created to soar with eagles and to live in abundance. Perhaps, instead of being a teacher, maybe God wants you to open a school. Instead of being a clerk, perhaps He wants you to own the store. Instead of being a doorman, maybe God wants you to buy the hotel.
Sometimes, we as human beings get too busy to really appreciate and value who we are in the eyes of the Maker. We must learn to value ourselves. The more you value yourself, the greater your self-esteem will become. Individuals with great self-esteem will do great things. Greatness can never be achieved unless we value ourselves and feel good about ourselves. As you value yourself, you will find out that you really do have control over your life. Some people believe that "life" is something that just happens to you…that you are powerless to do anything about it. This is NOT true. Life is what we make it. We make choices. We make decisions. We have a will.

One thing that will assist us in developing good self-esteem is: A good work ethic. That's right. Working a plan that will assist us in our livelihood builds self-esteem. We must work our plan and NOT make excuses when things go wrong because if you are still breathing, things will go wrong occasionally. Working and achieving something good with our skills and abilities will directly link our performance to self-esteem. We do have control over our lives!

In order to have high self-esteem, we must learn to change. Change is always possible regardless of an individual's age. It takes discipline to change. We do NOT like change normally, but change will come…whether we like it of not. To obtain the finer things in life, we must change.

Therefore, before another moment passes, begin to value yourself…appreciate truly who you are…A child of the Most High. Do NOT be selfish with yourself. Develop a tender heart toward yourself and others. Take some time to express your love, your concerns, and your gratitude to yourself and to other human beings. Furthermore, your future looks bright ahead because you are one of the children of Light getting brighter and brighter! Your most beautiful and productive years lie ahead of you! Believe it. Believe in yourself. Continue to have a good attitude. Your time is now.

We all need good healthy self-esteem (to feel good about ourselves). The Bible says that we were made in the image of God. What does that mean? We are supposed to have or develop the same attributes as God…loving, able to be creative, choice, forgiving, full of grace, and mercy. We all have the power to be whoever we choose to be. Each and every morning, we have a new day ahead of us in which we can be whatever we choose. We do not have to carry old resentments, grudges, fear, or hate. We can choose to be loving, peaceful, joyous, harmonious, prosperous, and patient with ourselves and others.

Some people fear change, yet we are changing every single moment. You are not the same person you were yesterday. Today, you are a "brand new" you! Feel good about yourself. Allow enthusiasm and joy to fill your life.

Share with someone today by saying something positive and edifying that will motivate them to higher ground! If they are happy, be happy with them. If they are excited, be excited with them. We are not only earthen vessels, but we are also filled with God's abilities and His Spirit. No, we are not perfect...just forgiven!

Look in the mirror and say, "You're a fine piece of work. You're a tremendous person to know! You get sweeter with each passing day. Today, I will ENJOY life. My life is precious. I am a child of the Creator! You will make it and you will make it happen for others."

Value Others (Caring)

The story that you are about to read is a true story about two beggars (Lk.16). Let's call these beggars, Laz and Dives. Dives had all kinds of money. He was RICH…had money coming out his ears. He wore the finest threads that money could buy. He drove the finest luxury cars and trucks. He continued to make more and more long, green, warm, soft, CASH everyday. Dives had gobs of money in all kinds of bank accounts. Dives had it made on Planet Earth. He had everything. He dined and wined and partied every single day! He became a partying fool...

But along comes Laz (Lazarus)...a different kind of beggar…HUNGRY...SICK...COLD ...HOMELESS. He made his bed at rich Dives' gate. All he wanted was to be fed with the crumbs that fell from Dives' table. MOREOVER, the dogs came and licked his sores and old LAZ received no comfort at all. In a little while, LAZ died. The angels grabbed LAZ (the poor beggar) and carried him to Paradise (Abraham's Bosom).

A little later, DIVES (the partying fool) also dies. BUT old DIVES ends up in HELL.

Now DIVES (the rich beggar) realizes he has been involuntarily taken to a Bar‑B‑Q...and before long he starts to realize that he is the Bar‑B‑Q. He is in torment...the flames of the fire begin to burn his backside and fanny. Furthermore, old DIVES is insensitive to heat, especially to an open FLAME. His hide does not take too kindly to this red hot fire!

Suddenly, old Dives begins to beg. He begs for water. He becomes one of many beggars in hell. Low and behold, he looks up and sees Father Abraham in Paradise...and guess who else? That's right…OLD LAZ, the beggar from Planet Earth, but the tides have now changed. Laz is now known as KING LAZ and has it made. Most of his days are spent eating caviar and sipping heavenly wine. He now wears the finest threads from SAX, 5th AV, Planet Heaven. He doesn't have a care about anything...could give a hoot less about anything. King Laz has it made in the heavenly shade.

Beggar DIVES (the one who use to be rich on earth) decides to run a game on Father Abraham. He said, "Father Abraham, have PITY and MERCY on me. My backside is on fire and I'm over cooked already. This flame is tormenting me and turning me to charcoal. Father Abraham, please, I beg of you…have somebody to check out the air conditioning in this place. It doesn't seem to be working! And if you would please, send King LAZ with a cool glass of water so that he can dip his finger in the water and COOL my tongue. My, my, but I'm thirsty.

Father Abraham speaks, "Beggar Dives, don't you remember on Planet Earth when you drove around in your Mercedes Benz and BMW and Alfa Romero...and old LAZ walked...crawled...and hopped everywhere he went? You ate steak...He ate dog food. You drank wine...He drank left over stale tea and three day old coffee. You wore fur, leather, and mink...He wore rags. BUT NOW, times have changed. Your life on Planet Earth has ended. You are in hell with fire and brimstone. King LAZ is in Paradise with me. You will now be Bar‑B‑Qed and fried to a crisp, but old LAZ will continue to wine and dine with me and the Messiah forever. NO, I cannot send LAZ to you. Besides, there is a big gulf or chasm between us. Those that would want to pass from here to you cannot. REALLY, man, who in his right mind would even want to go where you are...GET REAL, FOOL!"

DIVES continues to try to run a game on Old Father Abraham, but Abraham is too smart for him. Dives says, "Since I am now a beggar in hell, I beg of you, please send King Laz to my Daddy's home at 2110 Blue Street, Columbia, SC. I've got 5 brothers there. I beg of you...Please! I don't want them to come here and be Bar‑B‑Qed like me."

Abraham replies, "The Scriptures, God's Holy Word, has warned them time and time again. Your brothers can read the Bible anytime they so desire. They can go to church. They can repent. They can be saved if only they would believe in Jesus Christ.

DIVES starts grabbing at straws. He says, "No, Father Abraham...YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND. One of my brothers is a dope pusher and pothead. Another one is a pimp and butthead. The third one is a crooked banker and dorkhead. My fourth brother is a real estate swindler, lawyer, and infidel. My fifth brother (Shiftless Sam) has never earned an honest dollar in his whole life. Please, Mr. Abraham, you have got to help me! I am desperate. My brothers won't go to church...they won't read the Holy Bible...they won't repent...BUT, IF A GHOST were to visit them, they would REPENT and BELIEVE! Just send Old LAZ back there as a Ghost and then they will believe."

Abraham responds, "If they won't listen to God's people whom they have seen or believe the Word of God which they can see, touch, and read, they certainly won't believe some GHOST or disembodied spirit from the dead."

Now, what is the moral? I believe that if Dives (the rich man) would have cared and helped Lazarus (the beggar) while on earth, his destiny would have been much different. Caring for others…valuing others is a "must" and absolute when recovering from any type of dependency.

The Master once said, "Do unto others as you would have them to do unto you."

SOMEBODY LOVES YOU INCREDIBLY

Somebody loves you MORE than you will ever KNOW.
Somebody is always thinking of you wherever you go.
Somebody really and truly cares.
Somebody loves you beyond compare.
And is concerned about every aspect of your welfare!
Never doubt for a moment that you are in the Lord's prayers.

You are a rare TREASURE and a tremendous FIND.
Do not waste anymore time,
In getting to know Him during this lifetime.
So please believe me when I say,
"Somebody loves you incredibly today."
And that somebody is Jesus Christ ALWAYS!

Develop Good Habits

Some of our habits are good. Some are bad. This is a fact of life. Are our habits leading us toward success or failure? Do they contribute to our financial welfare? To develop good habits is not an easy task. Bad habits die hard!

First, we must become organized. We must see the purpose of our lives. When we begin to organize our minutes, hours, and days, we will begin to focus and achieve what is best for us. Our energy will be channeled in the right direction. We will begin to accomplish our dreams.

We must NOT put things off. Take notes. Write things down on paper. Every day is a new day, but we must have a specific plan for each day. We must have goals. We must have structure.

According to psychologists, it takes 21 days to form a habit…good or bad. Good habits bring success. Bad habits bring just the opposite of success…failure. Bad habits are hard to break. We must admit that we are powerless without good habits to assist us in our achievements. Our lives can become manageable through discipline, structure, and having a purpose for each day.

I have learned that I cannot do it by myself. I have come to realize and believe that God is the only Person Who can truly help me to develop a good habit. Most of the time, my mind is on other things…not "developing a better habit". My body also refuses to cooperate. Therefore, I have to turn my "stinking thinking" over to a Higher Power…The Lord Jesus Christ! I am here to tell you that when you make a decision to improve your life, the enemy will be right there to stop you. He does not want to see you prosper or develop better habits.

However, once you make a decision to turn your will and your life over to the care of Jesus Christ, no devil can stop you. Only "you" can stop "you". Develop Good Habits.

Develop Your Full Potential

Have you ever looked at the seed of a pine cone? Even though it is only a seed, it has the POTENTIAL to be a FOREST. What do you see when you look at this seed? Do you see a forest or only a simple tree? Everything in the whole wide world has POTENTIAL. You have unlimited potential!

What is "Potential"? It is dormant ability, reserved power, un-tapped strength or resources, unused SUCCESS. Potential never retires. Most people die without ever developing their FULL potential. No wonder it has taken us so long to develop our natural resources.

Did you know that some of our forefathers have robbed us? That's right. Some of them have robbed us blind! They died with songs, books, inventions, discoveries, sermons, medical knowledge, and talents…and took them to their graves without giving them to us. They have robbed this generation of their latent ability. A man or woman has no right to die and go to his/her grave without developing those new discoveries or medical cures that were given to them long before they passed away.

Some of them had the potential for great service to humanity, but just simply decided not to do it. They died with these great ideas, inventions, and medical cures locked up on the inside of them. How tragic it is when unused and unreleased ability and potential go to the grave without action and development.

What now? We live and learn from the mistakes of others. Failure is not the absence of success. FAILURE IS THE ABSENCE OF TRYING. The person who says it can't be done is normally the person who is standing in the way of the person who is doing it.

I believe we can maximize our full Potential. We can do it. We win. Why? Because we have "zeal" which means: Eager desire, earnest enthusiasm, provoked, to be moved, heat, passion, energy, drive, indignation, and fervor.

We live and learn from the mistakes of others. Failure is not the absence of success. FAILURE IS THE ABSENCE OF TRYING. The person who says it can't be done is normally the person who is standing in the way of the person who is doing it.

I believe our generation will maximize their full Potential. We will do it. We are created to win! We will win. Why? Because this generation has "zeal" which means: Eager desire, earnest enthusiasm, provoked, to be moved, heat, passion, energy, drive, indignation, and fervent. We also have "fervor" which means: Heat, warmth, hot, boiling, glowing, earnest, zeal, intensity of feeling, fiery, hot‑brained, fervent, fierce, passionate, enthusiasm.

DARE TO BELIEVE in YOURSELF. As a human being, you were wonderfully made in your mother's womb. Did you know that you are 80% water or fluid, 20% calcium, iron, carbon, lime, fiber, and tissue; that you have 263 bones, 970 miles of blood vessels, 20,000 hairs in your ears alone; that you have 10 million nerves and nerve endings, 600 million air cells in the lungs? Did you also know that your heart beats 4200 times an hour and pumps 24,000 pounds of blood every 24 Hours? DARE TO BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!

You were given POTENTIAL at birth. It is not determined by circumstances or people. Its PURPOSE is to grant you the ability to obtain the greatest quality of life possible. Nothing on this green earth can take the place of developed potential. TALENTS, ABILITY and HARD WORK have been released upon this generation. EDUCATION alone will not do it, but a determined commitment in developing your potential through education, hard work, and ability will bring you untold SUCCESS. The only person that can stop you is: "you".

Most men/women only live a fraction of their full, creative potential. Each of us could probably be so much more alive, alert, loving, dynamic, and creative. We have the potential to be so much more! What is the key to full human potential? I believe it is knowing who you are in the Kingdom of God. He has created you in His image.

Deep within each of us lies a field of pure, unlimited, creative potential ability and productive resources. We were created for GREATNESS. We were created for SUCCESS.

Expect SUCCESS. It will come. After all, you are the BEST PRODUCT that heaven has ever produced. YOU are SPECIAL to God and to others. You are special to your children. You are special to your friends and you should feel special to yourself. WHY? Because It's true! You have inside qualities of confidence, determination, character, goodness, and the anointing of God. Your potential will activate your perseverance and determination.

TEAMWORK

We all have different personalities. This is the way God made us. This is what makes America the greatest nation on earth. Think about it. If every one was like you or me, this world would be a boring place to live. That's why we need each other. Personally, I have never met a man or woman in whom I couldn't learn something. We all have our varied gifts and talents. No one person ever knows more than the team or group. That's why we NEED Teamwork daily. We must learn how to continue to work together as a spirited and energetic Team. In teamwork, if we will promote each other, eventually, we will all get promoted! REMEMBER, "The man on the top of the mountain did not fall there."

As a team member, we must autograph our work with quality. Calvin Coolidge once said, "Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men/women with talent. Genius will not; un-rewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts..."

Teamwork is not a one time deal. Success is failure turned inside out. Team players do not want to win once in a while. They want to win all the time. Winning becomes a habit in teamwork. Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision and the ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results. "Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success" (Henry Ford).

TEAMWORK
Communication is the key that unlocks the door.
Through challenging TEAMWORK, our programs will soar.
Our objectives, mission, and forum, we'll explore.
We must set the tone for many improvements and more.
We must work together as never before.
Professional Team Players are like gold ore.
The hotter the fire and the more you pour,
Each one seems to be refined and shouts, "Encore!"
Teamwork takes pride, action, and performance as esprit de corps.

Plans and programs are inevitable, we cannot ignore.
Furthermore, with teamwork and professional respect, we'll make a big score.
Communicating with one another provides tremendous results for the success of Team Camaraderie and more. You may be a janitor or a doctor or an executor in a large company store, But you are still a team player and a tremendous depositor we cannot ignore.
Yes, you have pride, action, performance, and esprit de corps.
But with TEAMWORK and mutual respect, we'll continue to build and restore!
Forevermore! And Remember, "Not one of us is as good as all of us."

GOALS

To follow your dream, you must have goals. A very important person once said, "Once you say you're going to settle for second, that's what happens to you in life." (John F. Kennedy). We never see the target a man aims at in life. We only see the target he hits. Aim High.

Booker T. Washington said, "You measure the size of your accomplishment by the obstacles you had to overcome to reach your goals."

Thomas Alva Edison had several goals. One of them was to invent a light bulb that would actually give off light at night. Did he have struggles? Did he ever think of giving up? Did people think he was a little strange, especially after a thousand failures? Absolutely!

What is a Goal? A goal is the purpose toward which an endeavor is directed; an objective. A goal also means an intention, a course of action that one intends to follow…an aim that guides action.

Without goals, we will flounder around for years or perhaps a lifetime. There will be people who will die today who have never really lived because they had no goals. Listed below are several statements about goals.

The number one priority in life should be to determine what you want in life. This may sound simple, but millions of people in the free world do not KNOW what they truly want. Some go through life not knowing what they really want out of life…and they get very upset with others when things do not turn out favorable for them. I have asked people the question, "Well, what do you want?" And they respond with, "Well, I do not know exactly. I think I may want this, but I am not sure. Sometimes I think I know what I want, but then I change my mind. I don’t know what I want.” Some even give a spooky spiritual answer, like…"Well, whatever God wants for me is what I want. I just want to be in His will." This sounds nice, but it is a cop out. My answer to a person like this is: “Find out what God wants you to have and then pursue it. What does God want for you? What is His will for you?"

The person will normally respond, "Well, I don't know. I haven't asked Him yet. After all, I'm only 52 years old. How should I know?" Hello!

Without goals, it is like nailing Jell-O to the wall. It's very difficult at best!

Next, some individuals want all objections, concerns, problems, and difficulties solidified prior to making goals. That particular person will always be in a rut. A rut is nothing more than a casket with both ends kicked out! They are always making excuses why certain things have happened (or not happened) in their lives. They have no goals!

When you are making goals, do not worry about your feet. As long as your head and heart are going in the right direction, your feet will follow. Do not always tackle your aspirations and ambitions with huge goals. More importantly, start with realistic and obtainable goals...inch by inch. In making goals, always think BIG. Most people think too small. Be reasonable, but do not think too small. Sometimes big goals create a fear of failure. Do not fear. Don’t think in a mediocre fashion. The alternative is to make no goals at all...which guarantees failure! This is what the lazy man does…makes no goals at all. If you start out small and slow, follow up with larger goals as you are successful in achieving the little goals.

Some people want “fast” goals. Mr. Jones will say things like, "I want this done speedily." Mr. Smith laughs and responds, "You want it when?" Goals and forward progress have nothing to do with speed, but everything to do with DIRECTION! Sometimes to attain a goal, you must stay focused for years. The important thing is…to continue to move toward your goal...whether it be a short range goal or long range goal. Remember the experience between the rabbit and the turtle? The rabbit took his eyes off the goal. He waffled, loafed, malingered, lounged, wasted precious time, and eventually napped. He came in second place which was also last place. Sorry, but no cigars!

Aim High! My son is a pilot and knows what it is to aim high. Currently, he is aiming at the moon. Don't laugh. One thing for sure is...he will never shoot himself in the foot by aiming high! Set positive goals and aim high!

Charles Noble said, "You must have long-range goals to keep you from being frustrated by short range failures."

Performance is the name of the game. You can have all the "good intentions" you want; however, people want to see action, results, solutions...and not a bunch of talk. Set goals based on performances, not "what might have been or could have been or would have been."

Goals should be placed under our control if they are our goals. We cannot control our destiny if the goals we have set are under someone else's control, command, or direction. We must be able to see the target and focus on the target...even if it is miles or years away. Once you have located the target in which the goal resides...Aim, focus, zero in, and pull the trigger. Even if you miss the first couple of times, continue to be decisive, tenacious, determined with purpose...And you will hit the target, thus reaching your goal!

"It concerns us to know the purpose we seek in life, for then, like archers aiming at a definite mark, we shall be more likely to attain what we want" (Aristotle).

It is much better to have a goal and fail...than NOT to have a goal at all. Failure is not a crime; however, to aim too low is. Washington Irving once said, “Great minds have purposes. Others have wishes.”

Robert Schuller says, “Goals are not only absolutely necessary to motivate us, but they are also essential to really keep us alive.”

Ralph Emerson once said, “The world makes way for the man/woman who knows where he/she is going.”

Goals are like cars, trucks, wagons, and other valuable vehicles. They will not run by themselves except downhill. Earl Nightingale said this years ago, "To achieve happiness in life, we should make certain that we are NEVER without an important goal." Some individuals do NOT know where they are going. They have very few (if any) goals. My question to this type of person is this: "How do you know when you have arrived?" Without goals, we will miss our destination when we get there.

Prior to following any leader, especially in this day and time, make sure he/she is headed in the right direction. Check out their goals. Some people are always looking backwards because they have no goals. It's easier to look back than to look forward. Goals help us to keep focused on the present and future. Someone always looking backwards will surely run into something ahead unexpectedly.

In this day and time, it is simply not enough to make progress. For example, the football carrier was running ever so fast...with the crowd screaming to the top of their lungs. They were shouting. They were slinging their arms. They were jumping. He could not make out what they were saying until he crossed the goal line. Then he heard, "Stupid, you were running in the wrong direction." When making progress, make sure it is not only forward, but also in the right direction. Keep focused on the right goal while following your dream.

Ask yourself the question, "What would I do today if I knew that it was impossible for me to fail?" Keep your eyes on your goals. Keep focused. Never say, "It's impossible." Remember, you can be your own best friend or your own worst enemy. Say positive things to yourself; i.e., "Yes, Handsome (or Beautiful), you are going to make it today. You will succeed. You are the apple of God's eye. Defeat is not a word in your vocabulary. Today is a brand new day of golden opportunities...just waiting to be fulfilled in your life." PERIOD!

Some people do not make goals because they are afraid of failure. Let me say this; it is better to aim at a good thing and miss it than to aim at nothing or (a bad thing) and hit it! Success is determined by the goals that you finish and NOT by the goals you only attempt. If you determine in your heart and mind that you will achieve a certain goal, you normally will. If you determine in your heart and mind that you will NOT achieve a certain goal, you normally will NOT! The turtle did not have the speed of the hare, but he finished the course. He focused on the goal.

Success also comes from having the right tools or as some may call it...the right stuff or right ammunition. Sometimes, this may mean more (additional) education or training in which to achieve our goals. If an archer takes his bow out to the range and properly aims "dead center" at the target, but has no arrows, success of hitting the bull's eye is about nil. We need to aim high and we need to have the best possible ammunition (tools) in which to reach our target (goal).

Mr. Joel Hawes once said, "Aim at the sun and you may not reach it, but your arrow will fly far higher than if you aimed at an object on a level with yourself."

Over the years, I have found out a great secret. Never just sit back and take what life dishes out to you. MOST of the TIME, you must go after what you want. Some people (even at the age of 65 or 70) are still waiting for their ship to come into the harbor...and for the captain of the ship to call their name and ask, "Where do you want your gold delivered?" This is not going to happen! Remember Abraham Lincoln? He was a great man, orator, and President...not because he was born in a cabin, lived in a cabin, made a fire in a cabin, repaired the cabin, and slept in a cabin. He developed some GOALS and got out of the cabin business. His goals made him a free man and others free as well. Goals have a habit of doing that...setting you free and those around you as well. Lincoln's dreams and goals made him a very prominent man in history...not the fact that he was born and reared in some farm cabin somewhere! That too, is history...But President Lincoln's success came when he decided NOT to just sit back and take what life had dished out to him. And the rest is history!

Know what your goal is. Write it down. Give it some type of timeframe or duration (time limit). A football carrier needs to KNOW where his goal is and get some type of idea of the obstacles along the way. The football receiver can be the best in history, but if he gets confused and forgets which way to carry the ball, he is in trouble. The important thing is to make forward progress!

Aim High. You will seldom hit anything unless you aim at it. Get the goal in your mind. See it with your mind first. Focus on it. Tell yourself that you can do it. Never give up! Never give up!

You have heard this previously, but here it is again...Think BIG! You will never stir men's souls by implementing little plans or tiny goals. For example, let us say that you have often thought about buying a Rolls Royce or Porsche. Maybe you have or maybe you haven't. But for brevity, let us say that you have. If so, you would not think VW, but you would think PORSCHE...a nice shiny red PORSCHE with leather seats, a $3000 stereo system, $500 wheels...Bottomline: Think big.

Someone once said, "The most absurd and reckless aspirations (goals) have sometimes led to extraordinary success." Robert Browning said, "A man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what is heaven for?"

Some people only dream of worthy accomplishments. Others stay awake and do them! Goals are sometimes a little tricky. They do not and will not work...unless we do! Set time limits on your goals.

Teddy Roosevelt once said, "Dare to do mighty things...even though checkered with failures...Rather than to rank with those gray (poor) souls who have known neither VICTORY nor defeat!

Many people have a good aim in life. They aim to turn the world upside down. They aim to make a million dollars some day. They aim to buy a yacht and sail the seven seas. They aim to do all kinds of extravagant things; however, they sit and never pull the trigger!

Look at the following in reference to your goals:

1. Pin-point your goals.
2. Figure out why you are putting things off.
3. If you have problems (and we all do), write them down on paper. Look at them.
4. Use your precious energy for ACTION and not for worry.
5. Learn from others. Get a mentor if necessary. I have several.
6. Establish deadlines.
7. Start each day with a successful experience...even if it is in your mind. Think success!
8. Knowing is NOT the same as DOING! Time is our MOST valuable asset!
9. LEARN TO SAY..."NO".
10. Do things right and do them NOW! Do it once!

The Flounder is an excellent type of fish and is wonderful to bake or deep fry or to keep as a pet. However, a person who has no goals is a person who flounders. The word "flounder" means: a person who blunders, struggles awkwardly as in deep mud; to stumble around going nowhere; to speak or act in a confused manner; the act of floundering. To act as a "Flounder" without goals is to put yourself in a good position to get deep fried by society.

Robert Cook once said, "Many a person who started out to conquer the world in shining armor has ended up just getting by. The horse got tired and the armor got rusty. The GOAL was REMOVED and UNSURE!"

The individual without goals is probably on his way to Nowhere Village or perhaps to Hell, Michigan. You can be sure he will reach his destination. Bet on it! All of us at one time or another had high quality goals. We aimed high. That is always a good personal trait. Aiming too high is commendable. That is not the problem. The enigma is: We aim too low and we reach it. Aim High! Our goal should not only be success, but also service! Excellent service will always bring success!


YOU CAN DO IT!

Don't you dare say "I can't". You can do it!
Never give up. You can do it!
Remember the good times you've had. You can do it!
Don't worry about the small stuff. You can do it!
Life can be so beautiful. Why? Because you are in it!
Especially now…because excitement is in the air!
Life is too short to be sad, uneventful, and boring.
A lovely rainbow always comes after the rain. The sun follows.
Therefore, when you feel like you are defeated,
Think positive. You can do it!
Be persistent. Be tough. Don't you dare give up!
You can be successful. It's up to you. Yes, you can do it!
SPECIAL WORDS TO YOU

It's impossible for the sun to stop shining.
It's impossible for the moon to stop reflecting.
It's impossible for the oceans to dry up.
It's impossible for the wind to stop blowing.
It's impossible for a little baby not to cry.
It's impossible for the singing birds not to fly.
It's just impossible for the world to stop turning.
And it's simply impossible for us to live without God's sweet love, warmth, care, Kindness, and the little things that
He does for us because He loves us!

It's impossible for the time to go backwards.
It's just impossible for Him not to think of us continuously.
It's impossible for us to go on without Him.
It's impossible not to get excited when we hear His tender voice.
It's impossible for us not to love Him.
It's just impossible for us to think of a world without Him.
Why? I wish I could completely explain it,
But that too is just impossible.
All I know is: God loves you and me with all His heart!
It's just impossible for Him to deny His children!

BE RESPONSIBLE

As you follow your dream, be responsible for our own actions. What is Responsibility? What does it mean? Do I need to be responsible? Why? Being responsible is being accountable for our own actions. Every person is responsible for his/her own actions… no exceptions. I cannot blame my wife, mother, father, sister, brother, children, or dog for my behavior. I own my actions. I own my baggage. I own the decisions that I have made…no one else. Period! I cannot blame others or make excuses for my life or the journey that I have traveled. I made the choices.

All of us have an obligation and responsibility to people. People are the product of heaven, not earth. The body is earthy, but not the real person. Being responsible not only helps you to be a better person, but it also helps others to achieve their dreams and personal goals as well. We have a responsibility to bring out the best in others. Being responsible means that we do not have to manipulate, coerce, intimidate, provoke, accuse, dominate, or castigate other people. When we care for others, we become responsible. We become less selfish. We become compassionate.

A responsible person will NOT embarrass others. He will go out of his way to ENCOURAGE people. The whole world is looking for responsible people because they are rare.

Dreams are powerful. Words are POWERFUL. They either bring a positive response or a negative response. Expect the very BEST of others and eventually you will get their best. No, it’s not easy, especially when most people have low expectations of themselves. Life gives us whatever we will accept. If we accept failure, we will have plenty of it. But if we expect SUCCESS, it will come. If we accept mediocrity, we will never be more than average. WHO wants to be average? Life is too short to be unhappy, poor, defeated, and uneventful. People will rise to the standards that we set for them. In following our dreams, we need to be responsible, broaden our horizons, and raise our standards, goals, and aspirations.

There is more to a person than what you see on the outside. You never KNOW what's wrapped up in a piece of hide. Therefore, we must be responsible and treat individuals with dignity and respect. The past is gone. Today is a brand NEW day filled with opportunities. Because you are responsible, you have inside qualities of confidence, determination, character, morals, and good common sense. You realize that inside qualities are more important than outside appearances.

The key to VICTORY and winning in life is being responsible. A responsible person does NOT want something for nothing. He is not looking for a handout. He is looking for opportunities to give and serve others. None of us is born acting responsibly.

A responsible character is formed over time. It is made up of our thoughts, actions, and daily habits associated with our feelings. Responsible people do what is right. They have the courage and self-control to act decently, even when tempted to do otherwise.

We want our children to appreciate the importance of being responsible. We also want them to develop the habits and strength to act responsibly within society. Learning to be responsible includes learning to respect and show compassion for others. It means being honest. It means to show courage in standing up for our principles. Being responsible is learning to develop self-control in acting on our principles. It is also maintaining self-respect for ourselves and respect for others. As part of being responsible, we need to respect and show concern for the well-being of other people. Respect ranges from using basic manners to having compassion for the suffering of others. Compassion is developed by trying to see things from the point of view of others, and learning that their feelings are important.

Being responsible is being honest. Honesty means telling the truth. It means not misleading others for our own benefit. It also means trying to make decisions, especially important ones, on the basis of evidence rather than prejudice. Honesty includes dealing with other people and being honest with ourselves. To understand the importance of being truthful to others, we need to learn that living together depends on trust. Without honesty, trusting each other becomes impossible. Honesty with ourselves involves facing up to our own mistakes and biases, even when we have to admit them to others. It includes self-criticism. The point is to learn from our mistakes, try to correct them, and move forward.

Accepting responsibility takes courage…then, taking a position and doing what is right, even at the risk of some loss. It does NOT mean acting reckless or cowardly, but facing up to our duties and obligations. It includes physical courage, intellectual courage, and moral courage to stand up for our principles.

Responsible people have self-respect. They care for others. They display appropriate behavior. They refuse to put others down. They have learned that responsibility develops a good conscience to help guide them. They have learned to respect themselves and others. Similarly, they do NOT manipulate others. They have patience and tolerance for other people.

To be responsible does not come easy. It is an acquired habit that takes time. Acting responsibly is learning to feel, think, speak, and proceed with respect for ourselves and for other people. We learn to pursue our own well-being, while also being considerate of the needs and feelings of others.

It is easier to train children than to repair adults! Proper attitudes and behavior should be learned early. It is better to learn responsibility when we are young, rather than when we are older…because then, we have to change our bad habits. As we make responsible choices and stick with them, we will find that the rewards are great.

Responsibility brings fairness, respect, courage, honesty, and compassion that responsible people can share.

We are responsible for our own lives. We may not be responsible for everything that happens to us, but we are responsible for how we react to what happens to us. "Life acts. We react." Our reaction is under our control. In any life situation we are always responsible for at least one thing. We are always responsible for the attitude towards the situation in which we find ourselves. Our attitude is our reaction to what life hands us. We can either be positive or negative.

Tommy Franks cannot blame anyone for his failures except himself. He cannot blame his wonderful wife, beautiful children, the butcher, the baker, or the candle stick maker. Tommy Franks can only blame himself for his own shortcomings. Yes, unfortunate circumstances do come our way in life. SWSWSW. What does this mean? Some will. Some won't. So what. Some people will honor the "Golden Rule" and treat you with dignity and respect. Others won't. So what! Life is not fair. This is something that I had to learn early in life. People will do you wrong at times. People will lie to you. People will gossip about you. People will call you names. Welcome to Planet Earth! Everybody has been done wrong at one time or another. Period! Now, we can have a pity party about it or we can be responsible and use the situation as a stepping stone to higher ground. That's our decision. I choose to move forward.

NEVER GIVE UP!

As you follow your dream, never give up. You can make. You can do it. Galileo, the Italian physicist and astronomer, had some weird ideas for his day. He believed that different objects fell at the rate of 32 Feet Per Second because of the law of gravity. He also believed that the earth was round and revolved around the sun. This type of radical thinking in the 17th Century got him into a lot of trouble. They put him in jail for this type of nonsensical thinking. Who would be so bold as to defy the status quo? Didn't everyone KNOW that the earth was flat and that the earth was the center of the universe with all the other planets revolving around it? I mean, who would be so stupid in the 15th century to believe that the earth was round?

After being in jail for awhile, the Church and political leaders of his day decided to let him out. They thought Galileo had learned his lesson. But Galileo knew that he had discovered something that would ultimately change the world. Without the radical thinking of Galileo, there would be no space program today. There would be no aircraft, no satellites, no weather instruments, and no weather reports. Galileo followed his dream and NEVER gave up!

So what about you today? Are you up to the challenge of going against the status quo...the run of the mill mediocrity...following the crowd? Remember: To be a leader, thinking positive and thinking radical at times is part of the responsibility and challenge of being on the cutting edge. Basically, we as human beings DO NOT like change. We like things the way they are now...even if they can be improved upon or more efficient. We are safe in NOT rocking the boat. Peter was safe and secure while in the boat with the other eleven. He did not have to walk on the Word of Jesus and the physical water of the Sea of Galilee. But he did. That story has been written into the annals of history forever!

Peter was a leader. Galileo was a leader. Martin Luther King was a tremendous leader. Winston Churchill was a great leader. I believe you, too, can become another GREAT leader in our time. You have a Dream, Divine Destiny and Purpose! You are a person of greatness, compassion, love, care, and prominence! NEVER GIVE UP! You can make it happen…and happen well.

You are God's lily! YOU are not alone. God is with you. YOU are one of God's Lilies growing in His flower garden. God loves Lilies because they are productive and beautiful. They come back year after year even after the long cold winter of adverse weather. They rise above the ground and blow freely in the gentle breeze with the warm sunshine upon their heads. Lilies are the first to bloom in early spring. Lilies are flowers of character. In short, they are strong. They have an abundance of STRENGTH. They do not wilt or fall down when the tempest comes. They brave the storm and ride it out like an eagle rides out a hurricane.

Do not fear failure. Failures will happen. Failure is one of the keys to SUCCESS. It is impossible to succeed without failing. As a child, you fell many times while learning to walk. It's part of life. All GREAT SUCCESS is preceded by GREAT FAILURE. We must be willing to fail or fall on our face. Every great man/woman on planet earth has failed. The important thing is to learn from our failures. Great success is normally just one tiny step beyond our greatest failure.

Thomas Alva Edison was considered the greatest failure ever in the history of inventions. He failed more times and lost more money in experiments than any other inventor in the world. Mr. Edison failed over 10,000 times with the light bulb invention. However, he is now considered to be the greatest inventor in the world with 1,097 patents to his credit. His inventions have made billions of dollars. Many of his colleagues said that he was out of his mind...nuts. They also said that there was absolutely no future in the electric light. Thomas Edison followed his dream. He never gave up. He proved them wrong, didn't he?

Why do things sometimes go wrong? Sometimes, bad things happen to good people. Once upon a time, there was an old gentleman who was now 88 years old. His father had died when he was five. He quit school at the age of 16. By the time he was 17, he had lost four jobs. He was married at 18 and became a father by the time he was 19. At 20, his wife left him and took their baby daughter with her. At 22, he was working as a railroad conductor, but failed miserably at this job too. He later tried to join the Army, but they kicked him out. Finally, he became a farmer and again failed. He applied for law school and was rejected. He became an insurance salesman and failed. This man...it seemed could do nothing right! Eventually, he became a cook and dishwasher in a little cafe.

He worked long hours and thought a lot about his wife and daughter. He grieved for them and begged his wife to return, but she refused. So he formulated a plan to kidnap his daughter. He waited outside in the bushes for seven days just waiting for the right time. The day came for him to execute his plan; however, that was the one day that she did not come outside. He even FAILED at committing a crime. He was the ultimate loser!

As time went on, he eventually convinced his wife to return home. They both worked in the tiny little restaurant cooking and washing dishes until he retired at the age of 65. He went to the Post Office and picked up his first social security check for the amount of $105.00. He went home feeling dejected, demoralized, discouraged, and completely worthless.

However, he soon came up with another plan: He would commit suicide. This old man went outside behind his house with a pencil and piece of paper to write his "last will and testament" prior to putting his last plan into action. While he was writing, he asked himself a question? What can I do? I have failed at everything. He thought, "I can cook. I have spent my entire life behind a hot stove. I can cook."

He then went to the bank and borrowed $87.00. He bought some empty boxes and several chickens; returned home and cooked the chickens with his special little recipe in which he had perfected over the years. He began selling chicken door to door in his hometown of Corbin, KY. The rest is history. At 65, he was a washed‑out failure headed for the poor house. At the age of 88 this Kentucky Colonel was a multi‑millionaire that could buy anything in the whole world. Even today, Kentucky Fried Chicken is still going strong. If you don't believe me, buy some. It's not over until it’s over...and the sweet slim lady has sung. So, what's the secret? Never give up! Colonel Sanders never gave up. He developed his dream and followed it.

Another time in history, a great war was going on…called the Boers War in which England had lost many of her military leaders. This war was fought in South Africa between Great Britain and the Dutch colonists (1899‑1902). A young military officer returned to England after the war and was honored as a brave and selfless war hero. The people came from miles around to see this heroic and bold soldier. By the time he was 42, he was appointed as the Minister of the Royal Navy, a position that is normally held by British royalty.

After being assigned to this prestigious and prominent position for only a short year, he committed an enormous military blunder, an error in judgment. Consequently, it was blown out of proportion by the media. The people then rejected him. He became an unknown…a “has been”…a man who growing old fast. Isn't it "funny" how one day...you are the best thing since jellybeans...and the next, you are the worst dustball that ever existed? Am I right or wrong?

This man lived in obscurity and loneliness for the next 21 years. Had he merely become a mere footnote on the sands of time? Now, at 65 years old, how could he possibly do anything worthwhile for mankind? Inside his wallet was a yellow stained piece of paper that said, "I shall study, I shall learn, and one day MY TIME WILL COME."

Many times he would say, "I have a dream. I have a vision. I will not die a failure. I have a goal to be somebody...to serve my country in a greater way, even though currently my country has rejected me." He never lost sight of that goal. He was knocked down, but not defeated. He had been humiliated, but was not a failure.

Therefore, at the age of 65, the King of England called him back into service to serve his majesty and all of Great Britain. After five years of service, he became a household word all over the world. People would come from the east, west, north, and south to seek his wisdom and advice. He was no longer a "dust ball". Victory had become ever so SWEET to him. His dream was being fulfilled.

Years later at the famous and prestigious Eton College, he addressed the young, keen, and technical minds who were eagerly awaiting some great fanciful wisdom from this heroic icon. With his Boer hat in one hand and his cane in another, he walked slowly to the podium. Everyone was sitting with great anticipation. With an old stogy cigar between his teeth, he proclaimed these historical and famous words, "NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP!" Then he left the stage. That's all he said. Dreams and goals are so important to us today. Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (1874‑1965), British Statesman, author, Prime Minister, and Nobel Prize winner (1953)…never gave up! He followed his dream.

Winners keep on going in good times, bad times, sad times, hard times, and stormy times. Adversity becomes a challenge. The only thing that can stop you from being a winner is you! Winners are not born. They are made. They come in all shapes and sizes…all kinds of packages...small, large, short, tall, black, white, brown, red, and yellow. Experience, education, intelligence, money, and talent are not prerequisites. Winning is a deliberate decision. It comes from the inside out. As human beings, we are born to win; however, a decision must be made to be a winner. That decision can come early in life or late in life. The Kentucky Colonel of Kentucky Fried Chicken made that decision in his mid sixties. He decided that he would become a winner with what he had in his hands...a receipt for delicious, golden fried chicken. The world has never been the same.

Winston Churchill decided to be a winner. The difference between a loser and a winner is "a will to win" and "a determination to win" regardless of how long it takes. Victory and defeat are sometimes only seconds, minutes, or a few days apart. The turtle continued in the race. No one really expected him to win against the swift rabbit, but he did. He persevered. He continued against all odds. He never gave up! He had a winner's attitude and...a big heart. He kept on going and won.

BE A GIVER

As you follow your dream, be a giver. George Washington Carver was born a SLAVE about 1860 on a farm in Missouri. His mother and father (Mary and Giles) were owned by slave owners. Mary was owned by Moses and Susan Carver (German immigrants). Giles was owned by James Grant. Shortly after young George was born, his father died. Later, he and his mother Mary were kidnapped by night raiders. ONLY young George was recovered when Moses Carver gave a $300 race horse as a ransom to get him back. George was a slave until slavery was abolished in 1865. But George was a giver!

In his early life, he lived in a one room cabin. He walked eight miles (one‑way) to attend school. He graduated from High School in Minneapolis, KS. Later, as a young adult, he was in poor health and for several years wandered around homeless doing odd jobs such as, household and yard work. Later, he became an artist, a singer, and an organist. He studied constantly.

George applied to Highland University and was accepted. This was good news. However, when he showed up for his first day of college, the principal told him to go away because he was black. George was not discouraged. He continued to be a giver!

George drifted for four more years in a homeless condition. In 1890, he entered Simpson College in Iowa. Later, in 1894 he became the first black to graduate from Iowa State College (BS in Agricultural Science) and in 1896, George received his Master's Degree. He became their first black faculty staff member. And did I tell you that George was a giver?

Finally, George was asked by Booker T. Washington to join his staff at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. He accepted and became the head of their Agriculture Department. George wanted to help the southern farmers with soil conservation and crop improvement. He discovered 300 different products from the peanut, such as, cheese, milk, coffee, flour, ink, dyes, plastics, wood stains, soap, linoleum, medicine oils, cosmetics, and Worcestershire Sauce. He also discovered 118 products from the sweet potato, such as, vinegar, molasses, rubber, ink, alcohol, and postage stamp glue.

By 1919 George had catapulted the peanut industry into an $80 Million a year business. Previously, peanuts were not even recognized as a crop. Peanuts were something you fed to farm animals and elephants.

President FDR gave George the Roosevelt medal in 1939. Mr. Carver received honorary doctorate degrees from Simpson College and the University of Rochester. In 1944, Congress passed a law designating 5 JAN of each year as George Washington Carver Day. George was a giver!

Jesus was a Giver! The price for our forgiveness of sins has been paid in full. Jesus paid our bills in full. Jesus has always been a Giver. In God's Kingdom, everything He controls...gives. The apple tree gives apples. The oak tree gives acorns. The strawberry plant gives strawberries. The mountain spring gives water. Every true Christian that God controls...gives. Period. If we are truly controlled by the Holy Spirit, we too, will be givers. And givers never lose. A successful person does more than just talk. He also demonstrates his actions through love. LOVE always means giving!

Laws of God are for our welfare. There is a law of giving that is absolute. "For the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus (the law of our new being), has freed me from the law of sin and death" (Amp. Rom. 8:2). "It is the Spirit that quickens; the flesh profits nothing: the words that I speak to you are spirit and life" (Jn.6:32). The Word of God gives us life.

Jesus said to give (Lk.6:38). He said to give first. THEN..."it shall be given unto you good MEASURE." What was Jesus actually saying? "Your gift will return to you in full and overflowing measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over" (Living Bible Lk.6:38).

MERCY

Mercy rearranged my life.
Mercy took away so much of my strife.
Mercy rewrote my name.
Mercy took away the blame.
Mercy saved my life from hell.
Mercy made me whole and well.

Mercy gave me back my dignity.
Mercy enriched my life significantly.
Mercy, mercy, mercy gave me love
That could only be known from above.
Mercy brought me peace, love, and cheer
That will stand the test throughout the years.

Mercy brings compassion, forgiveness, and kindness.
Mercy brings light instead of blindness.
Mercy eradicates ignorance and brings understanding.
Mercy brings a soft heart that is less demanding.
Mercy gives and brings goodwill.
Mercy is the good life with a thrill.

Mercy rearranged my life.
Mercy took away all my strife.
Mercy wrote my name above.
Mercy and love go together like a glove.
Where would you and I be without mercy and grace?
We would be hopelessly lost in the big rat race!

Because of His mercy, we are very Special. In accordance with God's Word, we are the Apple of God's eye. Mercy follows us around everywhere we go. Mercy brings us the LOVE of God forever!


After The Discovery of Your Dream…What Then?

After the discovery and actualization of your dream, what then? You continue to strive to become a better spiritual leader! As a leader, you are now someone who has the resources and potential of bringing the Good News (God’s promises) to others. Being a true leader, you are now committed to this purpose. You begin to bring a little bit of heaven to earth. You now say what God says. The promises of God are real for you! You have begun to really hate sin, inconsistencies, excuses, and rebellion. You now truly love people. You do NOT despise individuals for their sins. You implement mercy and grace upon them. You have become a LEADER!

Yes, as a spiritual leader, you will be criticized…unjustly most of the time. That is part of being a true leader. You will position yourself between the judgments of God and the mercy of God. God likes this because He, Himself, is a merciful God who will abundantly pardon. Forgiveness is part of His character! Mercy and Grace will follow.

As a leader, you will find a way to change the mind of God; i.e., Moses. The leader will intervene when judgment is at the door. God will change His mind again and again through a true spiritual leader. Will the leader make mistakes? Absolutely! That is why he is a leader because he learns from others as well as his own mistakes. This is part of leadership! None of us are perfect!

Remember, the leader (sent from God) has a mission to bring imperfect individuals to the precious promises of God. The leader will see it through to fulfillment. Yes, there will be setbacks and obstacles; i.e., Moses. But the promises of God will prevail! Sometimes, the wonderful God Whom we serve wants to deliver judgment to certain rebellious individuals; i.e., the golden calf people. But God’s nature is such that He would really rather have mercy and grace upon them…If He could only find a leader to intervene for them.

Sometimes, a leader will be despitefully used by the very ones that he is trying to help. Many times, he will be misunderstood by fellow soldiers of the Cross. Sometimes, a true leader will even get angry; however, he will find a way to allow God’s love to shine through him even during these moments. The leader will persevere to the fulfillment of God’s promises. The leader knows his purpose, dream, mission, assignment, goals, and destiny. He will change the mind of God (Ex.32:14) several times throughout his journey on Planet Earth.

The spiritual leader not only knows the Word, but he lives it. It has become a part of him. It feeds him and gives him fresh life and anointing. God speaks to the leader as He did to Jeremiah (Jer.5:1) and says, “My son, I am seeking you to do justice, to seek truth. Now, that I have found you, I will pardon your whole city. All I need is one man or one woman who will stand in the gap…and I will abundantly pardon your whole neighborhood, city, state, and country.” This is a powerful paradigm (pattern) of God! But this is His standard and model of love and forgiveness. The true spiritual leader sent by God…understands this and lives it.

A true leader is NOT a candy or chocolate soldier who melts under pressure. Years ago, I did a series of articles on "The Chocolate Soldier" on one of my radio programs. Since then, many people have commented on this topic. Personally, I believe that every Christian is a soldier of some type...whether we like it or not. When we joined the Lord's Army, we became genuine soldiers of the cross...not chocolate soldiers that melt in a crisis.

In Christianity today, every TRUE soldier is a hero. If you are a soldier without heroism, you are a Chocolate Soldier Christian. PERIOD! During peace, true soldiers are NOT happy because they get bored and frustrated. They thrive in war! War gives them liberty and freedom. Being in the heat of the battle gives the combat war-fighter life and breath. Peace turns him into mush. War gives him heart, strength, life, energy, and vitality. Every true soldier of Christ is a hero…without exception! We are at war today with the enemy! He wants you dead. God wants you alive!

The Chocolate Soldier melts under the heat of the battle like a Hershey Bar. He is soft and is not accustomed to hardship, disease, hunger, danger, war, or death. He is a Chocolate Soldier Christian! He is use to the sweet life of pleasures, sugar, candy, and milk chocolate. He allows others to fight his battles for him. In reality, he has become far too soft to be any good in the Lord's Army. He will melt at the very smell of gunfire or tank maneuvers. He is not acquainted with the battlefield. He is fearful! He does not follow orders very well because he does not like to take orders from others. He is rebellious and likes to do his own thing. He is an unruly soldier and will either melt under fire or get himself killed in battle!

The Chocolate Soldier Christian likes to be in his own world of superficial peace. The thought of war makes him violently sick. If he hears the trumpet call to battle, he becomes paralyzed with fear.

I must tell you this. God has never made a Chocolate Soldier. Most of you have read the story of the three Hebrew children who wouldn't bow, wouldn't bend, and wouldn't burn. They were heroes and certainly not chocolate soldiers. They were accused by the Chaldeans of not bowing down and worshipping the golden image. Their accusations were accurate and true. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego would not bow down to the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up (Dan.3).

These three true soldiers were told...that unless they fell down and worshipped this stupid, dumb, golden image, they would be cast into the fiery furnace. When they refused to bow, Nebuchadnezzar flew into a rage. He went bananas and cast the three children (heroes) into the fiery furnace. The fire was so hot that it melted the king's chocolate soldiers who threw them into the furnace. All that was left of them was chocolate syrup!

Then Nebuchadnezzar the king asked, "Didn't we cast three men bound into the fire?" They replied, "Yes, O king, that is true. Yes, Yes, we did!

The king answered, "But I see four men down there...loose, walking around in the middle of the fire. They are not melting. They are not chocolate. They are for real. They look like true soldiers. And the fourth soldier looks like the Son of God."

Finally, Nebuchadnezzar came to the edge of the fiery furnace and said, "All right, you servants of the most high God, come up here. You are indeed real soldiers...and not candy soldiers...not chocolate soldiers like the ones who threw you into the furnace.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came forth. Even though this was perhaps one of the hottest fires ever, they were not harmed in any way. They didn't melt. Their hair was not singed. They did not even have the smell of smoke on their clothes or bodies.

The king spoke..."These men are blessed of God. They trusted in their God. They were delivered by their God. Therefore, I make this decree: Every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego...shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God..."

The king then promoted these true heroes (soldiers) who would not bow, bend, burn, or melt. In a word, they were not chocolate soldier Christians. Not a grain of creamy chocolate, white chocolate, dark chocolate, or semi-sweet chocolate was found in them! They were solid soldiers who had weathered the storm (battle).

Therefore, let us go forth charged up with the energy of God and allow the Son of God (Jesus Christ, the Lion of Judah) to make us true heroes and true leaders of the faith. Let us refuse to be chocolate caramels in the sugar chocolate brigade of pleasure, sin, saturated fat, and hot fudge calories. The Bible says, "Therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ" (2Tim.2:3). Being a good soldier of the cross will require self-denial, honor, respect, and obedience to those over us in the Lord, and a will to fight and follow the King (Jesus).

TRUE SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP is the ability of one person to influence another. It has little to do with what you do, but it’s a matter of who you are as an individual. In other words, finding out who you are...then becoming the person that you were made to be. There are people that do great things, but they are not leaders! It is the ability to find out where you are going and then inspire others to go with you.

Leadership is composed of leaders who are ordinary people who accept the responsibility of extraordinary circumstances and still bring forth and develop the potential in themselves and others through confidence, trust, and character. GREAT leaders desire to serve...Leadership is a by‑product of that servitude.

Billions of dollars are spent annually on "want‑a‑be" leaders. Many of them are complete nincompoops as far as leadership. Why? Because leadership courses can only teach skills, not character, dreams, or vision. Leaders are made through character and vision. They are products of initiative, drive, wanting to serve mankind, trust, courage, and goals. Leaders are not born. They are developed…many times through adversity, disappointment, the challenges of life, and a need to serve…in order to make life easier for others.

A true leader is an original...not a copy. Everyone can be a leader if he/she chooses to be. "If it’s to be…It's up to me"!

Effective Leadership makes life increasingly more successful! Effective Leadership is not necessarily doing things right; however, it is doing the right thing. For example: Let's say, one day, I ask my son Thomas II to wash my car while I am away in the big city of Atlanta. However, he decides to mow the lawn instead. Upon my return, the lawn looks superb and beautiful. It is simply wonderful to gaze upon...freshly manicured; the sidewalk looks well trimmed; the plants and young trees look so good in the freshly mowed lawn. It took Thomas a lot of time to mow the lawn. He had done a good thing and he had done it right; nonetheless, he had not done the right thing. As his father, I had asked him to wash my car, not mow the lawn. My car still needed to be washed.

Another thing, the purpose of leadership is not followers, but to lead others into becoming leaders themselves. The ultimate goal of leadership is independence and the development of more leaders.

Everyone is born to lead; however, most people die without ever knowing what they were born to do, what their purpose in life was all about, without knowing who they were, and without knowing true victory and great accomplishments! Many of them never even had a dream. WHY? They did not DARE to be themselves. They tried to be what others told them to be. They did not even attempt to achieve their goals or dreams...because they had none. They tried to be a copy and not an original!

A leader is above all things...himself. God created all of us to rule, govern, control, and influence the earth. We are not to dominate or control man. We are to control the earth, the animal kingdom, the elements, our environment...We are to assist others to reach their maximum potential. We are to inspire and influence others to take their place as leaders, especially in their homes, workplaces, church, community, etc. Neither you nor others were ever created to be dominated but to govern and control your circumstances and destiny. You were created by design and by the Designer to lead. And you can lead by the assistance of the Designer. After all, He manufactured you!

Leadership is the ability to inspire others to heights that they have never known before, to be the best they can be, to reach their goals, destiny, their full potential, and to be pleased with themselves.

Leadership is not necessarily a title or position. Leadership is the ability to motivate, mobilize, move, and activate the gifts and talents within others. Leadership is a vision with purpose that generates passion for accomplishment. There is no room in a leader's life for "average" or "mediocrity". To be average has killed a many of good potential leaders.

Leadership means to inspire others. Inspiration is the direct opposite of intimidation, manipulation, or domination. To motivate another human being is one of the greatest achievements in life. Leaders will draw the best out of others and inspire them to maximize their true potential, talents, gifts, dreams, and abilities.

Everyone has the capacity, potential, and raw material to become a great leader by the design of the Creator. However, most people on Planet Earth will die with the leader trapped within them in the grave of a follower. Most people die without ever knowing who they really are! Why? Because most individuals are products of their mere environment, lacking courage to change, refusing to develop their potential, failing to maximize their gifts, and rejecting who their Master created them to be. This is a tragedy! You and I and millions of others were born to lead.

Let us not become an endangered species or extinct. God made us to be leaders. Let's do it with integrity, vigor, passion, enthusiasm, zeal, and humility! Leadership is ordained by God and usually comes unsought. The person who is faithful is the person who is granted leadership ability. We can only lead others as far as we have gone ourselves. Great leaders are ordinary people who do extraordinary things because circumstances make demands upon them and their potential.

A leader is an innovator. He does things that other people refuse to do or...do not want to do. He makes old things new. His goal is never to become a great leader. His goal is to serve and maximize himself in helping others. Leaders are NOT smarter than other people. They are NOT wiser than others. They are not gifted more than other people; however, they are highly motivated with a sense of purpose, passion, direction, goals, and sense of destiny.

A leader is calm in a crisis and resilient in adversity. As weather shapes a mountain, problems and adversities make great leaders. Leaders will control their anger. ALL LEADERS will be criticized. Period! The moment that you step forward and are counted as a man or woman, you become a target for criticism. And remember, a true leader does not follow the crowd. The crowd follows him/her. WHY? Because he knows where he is going. He knows what's ahead around the bend. He has been there before.
People will follow someone who knows where he is going. The rule is: LEAD, follow, or get out of the way...or stick your head in the sand and make believe that you are an ostrich. For you today, you only have one choice...LEAD as you were born to do!

As a leader, never be guilty of nursing resentments or un-forgiveness. It will kill you and damage those around you. Remember Joseph? He forgave his brothers and even saved their lives from hunger. We do not have time as leaders to harbor resentment. We must decipher the person's behavior from his potential and self‑worth. Just remember, feelings, opinions, and perceptions are NOT facts. That's why we cannot afford to carry grudges against another person. Keep the vision before you. Pamper your dreams, not wrong doings by others! Be optimistic. Try to believe that people will change. Even if they don't, continue to believe that every human being on this planet has potential and has been given talents and abilities.

Above all, be RESPONSIBLE! Stand up and be counted. Get excited about what you are doing. If you are digging a ditch, get excited about it. If you are building a house, get excited. If you are praying for the sick, get excited about it. Expect great things to happen to you and for you and on your behalf. And they will...

Will people do you wrong? Is there snow on MT Fiji? Is there sand in the desert? Have you eaten in five days? Did you comb your hair today? YES, YES, YES. People will do you wrong...if you are a leader. Therefore, do not get annoyed by their weaknesses. Their behavior does not determine your ultimate destiny. No amount of lying or deception can keep you from your goals and destiny. Only YOU can do that. Do not dwell on failures...whether they are yours or someone else's. Failure is only a temporary thing...temporary detour...and should never become a person's permanent address! In every seed there is a forest. In every follower, there is a leader.

WHAT MAKES A LEADER? Please note: As a reminder, when the masculine gender is used in this book, especially on the topic of "Leadership", it applies equally to both the male and female genders." He and she are used interchangeably.

A leader is not born. He is made. He has a sense of purpose for his life. He has a great love for life. He inspires! He has a deep passion for helping others; i.e., servitude. He strives to discover his full potential. He knows who he is and accepts himself as worthy and valuable. Great leaders have a strong spiritual commitment in life.

Today's TRUE leader has integrity. She earns the trust of the people. She is adventuresome, especially with new ideas. She is not afraid to go against the "status quo." She learns from others, but does not become a carbon copy of anyone. She thinks for herself. She becomes herself. She has a dream. She has VISION. A great leader is a "leader" and a "manager". They go hand in hand. A LEADER makes things happen. They do not get caught up in the minutiae and poppycockology of life.

A leader leads people. He is innovative, original, structured, and focused. He does not have tunnel vision. The leader has long range and wide vision. The leader has declared his independence from the expectations of others. He has learned to be true to himself. He has found it necessary to challenge the opinions and ideas of others. He defies the social straight‑jacket that stifles the untapped resources of other human beings. His desire is to help others discover their latent mental resources, abilities, gifts, talents, and reach their goals and dreams.

One more thing...A leader is not "a want‑a‑be". Neither does he try to be. He just is!

PRINCIPLES OF LEADERSHIP: As a Leader, you must know your purpose and unique identity. Your Divine purpose is to produce more leaders…not followers. As you recall, Christ had many followers...but He spent most of His time developing the twelve. They in turn, became dynamic leaders and helped in the foundation of the Church.

Your purpose as a Leader is to INSPIRE every follower to become a Leader and fulfill his/her potential. As a true leader, your success and effectiveness will be measured by the diminishing degree of the dependency of your followers. The less they need you, the more effective you are! What did Jesus do? He left. He departed. He went away for awhile...even though He is coming back again. He simply developed some leaders and then departed from them (physically). The ultimate measure of His success as a Leader was: He left. Did He succeed? Absolutely! Look at the Church today!

After you have developed and inspired others to maximize their full potential, gifts, talents, and abilities, you must allow them to become independent and begin using the knowledge and wisdom that you have taught them. Otherwise, you will never be successful in duplicating yourself (leadership principles) in others. In the New Testament, Paul said, "Follow me...as I follow Christ." Jesus said, "Take up your cross and follow Me."

Leaders are not afraid to tell others to follow. Why? Because they know who they are...where they are going...where they've been...and their ultimate destination. No, this is not arrogance or pride. It is self‑confidence and the assurance that a true leader knows in his/her heart that the journey is going to lead to the great prize and ultimate goal. He wants others to go with him to receive equally in the rewards, bounty, and abundance.



LEADERS EMBRACE THE IMPOSSIBLE

When following their dreams, LEADERS EMBRACE THE IMPOSSIBLE. The more ability you have, the more responsibility you should have. A true leader does not run from hopeless situations. He embraces them. Einstein did not cease and desist because someone said he was crazy as a hoot owl. NO! NO! He was dealing with the impossible. He was also dealing with impossible people. Have you ever dealt with impossible people? Every leader will meet them at one time or another. They will make you grow. They will stretch your parameters of life. Sometimes they will crush you...only to find out that you are a rose in disguise...and that your aroma is sweet.

Einstein had to overcome criticism, lies, threats, harshness, and more lies. How did he do it? He had a purpose and a dream. He knew his purpose. He knew his destiny. He knew that he was indeed alone most of the time in his theories. But was he alone? I think not. Who do you think gave him his sense of direction, goals, commitment, and dream? That's right...God. You are never alone. NEVER! Einstein was willing to die for his cause. Leaders don't give a hoot about their ratings in the polls or what some empty‑headed rascal says about them. They know who they are and where they are going. Period! They keep focused on their dream.

Embrace the impossible. Stretch your imagination. Think BIG! Let's look at a politician for a moment. Most people dislike politicians and lawyers immensely; however, there was a wonderful and highly honest politician described in the Bible. He was one of the greatest leaders that ever lived on this Planet. He was trustworthy and no corruption could ever be found in him. The great king of that day loved him as a brother and promoted him to one of the highest positions in all the land. But some of the lying politicians got jealous of him and schemed to have him killed. They tried to find a way to get rid of him, but they could find no fault in him...NONE! So they cooked up a little lion eating party for him, but this great leader used the lions as pillows for his evening nap. What a leader! His name, of course, is renown today...Daniel. Daniel embraced the impossible. Without God, he knew he was lion food...but he knew his God would deliver him. Leaders are still embracing the impossible today...against all odds and they are winning! Follow your dream. MAKE IT HAPPEN. YOU CAN DO IT. With God, all things are possible.

DOING THE IMPOSSIBLE: In my travels around the globe, I sometimes take time out to visit significant battlefields. A few years ago, I visited a little village just outside of Brussels, Belgium. The Village: Waterloo. The Battle: The Battle of Waterloo. The Time of Battle: 18 Jun 1815. The Generals: Napoleon of France and The Duke of Wellington, England. Question: What actually happened?

Napoleon Bonaparte was one of the most ingenious military leaders who ever lived...and is still highly regarded today as a military genius. He came from a little obscure village of Corsica. He took a bunch of devastated and incompetent soldiers from a bankrupt country (France) and turned them into a war-fighting machine that defeated the most powerful armies on earth... dominating all of Europe. Napoleon was a type of leader that only emerges every few hundred years. What made him different? Well, he was also a political genius. He had a dream. He set the course of history for France for the next two hundred years. Many of his military and political innovations are still with us today in 2007. He was a great leader and great manager. He knew people and he knew his military weapons and equipment (machinery).

Wellington, on the other hand, did not have the experience that Napoleon had; but he was highly intelligent and cunning as a fox. He was also tenacious as a wild dog. He had a dream too…to defeat Napoleon. He never gave up! He had some military victories in India, Portugal, and Spain...so, he wasn't exactly a greenhorn.

Napoleon had about 74,000 troops. Wellington had 67,000 troops. It did not look good for Wellington because he had soldiers in his army that spoke different languages and were constant complainers. Even some of his generals bickered among themselves. Sound familiar?

But Napoleon suddenly got a case of arrogance. He knew he had more troops, better trained troops, better equipment, and greater velocity weapons. Everything was going his way...at least that is what he thought! Therefore, the morning of the battle, Napoleon decided to sleep late. He did not enter the battle until 11:00 AM. This was a strategic mistake that cost him the battle and great defeat. Wellington needed this time to get his troops in place and for Marshal Von Blucher to arrive with his Prussian troops to reinforce and assist him against Napoleon. Remember the phrase, "Pride goes before a fall..."

DOING THE IMPOSSIBLE: Napoleon's previous victories and successes had begun to produce arrogance. This cost him the battle! Napoleon lost 40,000 troops that day. Tragic! These people didn't have to die like that. Many of them, especially Napoleon's Old Guard, were given the option of surrendering. However, the Old Guard replied, "The Old Guard dies, but never surrenders." So they died and Napoleon's power over Europe died with them.

Wellington lost 23,000 troops. Shortly afterwards, Napoleon abdicated the throne as king of France.

What happened? Napoleon allowed pride and arrogance to penetrate his soul. He got slothful in his leadership ability and style. Does history repeat itself? What about General Custer? General MacArthur? President Nixon? These guys were experts in so many areas. The world still remembers them and their achievements. What happened? I believe these men allowed their humility to dissipate.

Leaders must be confident, but humble. They must know their purpose through humility (submission, modesty). Treat others as you would want them to treat you.

WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE: We can achieve much through conceiving and believing. God is using MEN/WOMEN as never before. You are a person of destiny. You are a person that believes. You have a dream. Follow it. You have a purpose. You are valuable. You have a mission. You love God.

The remainder of this chapter is for Men Only; however, you women can read it, if you would like. Let me say this up front... I have asked this so many times..."Why are so many men today broke in the pocketbook?" This is what I believe: As a whole, men have not been properly fathered by the Church. To father someone means: to be a daddy to, to be a progenitor (prototype), papa, to beget (bring about cause and effect), designer, parent, founder, and mentor.

Parent means to nurture, to be a model, propagate, create, produce, and reproduce. What is the Church reproducing today in manhood or more specifically...in our men? Are we teaching them Biblical principles in finances? Are we teaching them the responsibilities of being a FATHER or DADDY? Are we teaching them that it is their responsibility to be the bread winner for their families? Are we the example of fatherhood? Are we the example of a man with Biblical principles? If we are, then good. If we are not, then why not? If not now, then when? If not us, then who or whom?

As a whole, men have been put down for the past 60 years in America. Therefore, what is the solution? We as men of faith must begin by being an example of a Christian father. Our example is God our Father and His Son...Jesus. Find out what they did...and are doing...and replicate THEM.

Did Jesus pay His bills/taxes? Did He provide for those around Him? Did He edify? Did He comfort? Did He exhort? Did He confront when it was needed? When things did not go the way He would have liked for them to have gone, especially in His dealings with the scribes and Pharisees, did He put the blame on His disciples or others? What about when He was in the Garden...just before His crucifixion? Did He blame God? NO!

Yes, the American males (all men) have faced injustices. But the blame rests with us and perhaps the devil…not the people around us. Our real enemy (satan) has perverted the truth about men everywhere. He hates men because Jesus is a MAN as well as God. I believe the Church will once again see the potential and greatness locked up in each and every man and become the dynamic vehicle for implanting Christian manly values back into our men...especially our young men. The only HOPE is Jesus! As men, we are all responsible for the finances in our homes. PERIOD!

WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE: We must own up to our responsibilities as men of Faith. During our current period of Church History, we must not be irresponsible. What is the solution? This may sound overly simple, but what we need to do is: STAND UP and BE A MAN...and stop pretending to be a man! Manhood is honorable. It is ORDAINED of God. It is to be embraced by all men. It is to be duplicated in all males. God anointed men (as well as women) to carry out His plans on Planet Earth. Let us not disappoint Him in fulfilling His Master Plan for us.

As I have said before, Paul talked about this almost 2000 years ago. He said the time would come when we would have an effeminate society. To be effeminate is absolutely marvelous...if you are a woman. But it is a curse...if you are a man acting effeminate and trying to be a woman. Effeminate means: ladylike, dainty, soft, delicate, fragile, petite, finicky, lacy. These are the types of attributes that we men desire to see in our wives, except maybe finicky. But masculinity is much different than the above definitions.

The Army once said, "Join the Army and we will make you a man." The Marine Corps said, "If you're not a man already, we don't want you." Therefore, since you are men already, I'm not going to define the word "masculine."

Remember this: You are the APPLE of God's eye with unlimited potential...dynamic abilities, tremendous values, great worth, goals, aspirations, and a heavenly destiny. Today, as a man of valor, you need to know who you are...a man with a dream and a mission created in the image of your Maker, God. If your MIND CAN CONCEIVE it, you can ACHIEVE it! Period!

HITCH YOUR WAGON TO A STAR: That's right. Ralph W. Emerson said this about a hundred years ago. It is still true today. We need to be a part of something that is bigger than we are. And we are indeed! We are hitched to the Body of Christ, the Nation of God's people, the Kingdom of Heaven. The main attraction is Jesus!

John D. Rockefeller once said, "Our son is indeed a Rockefeller. When we placed him in the sandbox, he started digging for OIL."

Dig for oil today in your environment. It is there. It has always been there...waiting for your discovery. Others could have dug for it, but they didn't. You did. Therefore, you will reap the benefits. And remember this: As you make discoveries and use your creativity for new ideas, you will be criticized. That comes with the territory. You will be misunderstood at times. This is the penalty for greatness...Please understand me...Greatness is locked up within you just wanting to surface. The proof is in the pudding. Continue to focus on your dream.

God has never made any junk...only jewels. And these jewels are in different stages. Some are still diamonds in the rough. Others are bright red rubies. I believe some are now beautiful faceted illustrious…shining bright diamonds of many karats. Some are still pieces of coal under pressure that will one day be as bright as the stars in the heavens. Others are sapphires, etc.

But you are a precious jewel in accordance with Scripture. REMEMBER: You are made in the direct IMAGE of God! He is your Father. You are HIS son today and forever! Nothing can change that...no man...no devil...not even taxes or death. Ain't it GREAT being alive and to know that you are a living miracle filled with God's energy and spirit...and that you will live in Planet Heaven for the next trillion years...and after that forever? God certainly made you a tremendous piece of work, didn't He? Carl Sandburg once said, "Time is the coin of life. It's the only coin you have. Only you can determine how it will be used and spent. Be careful lest you allow other people to spend it for you."

As a true spiritual leader, the will of God will never lead you where the grace of God will not keep you! Sometimes the enemy tries to make you lose it or at least lose control. This is when patience comes on the scene. Patience is the weapon that forces deception or the trial to reveal itself. When you can vividly see the problem, you can deal with it. The light that you have on the inside will expose the darkness on the outside and dissolve the issue. Darkness leaves when the light comes on.

Disappointments, problems, pain, nonsense, discomfort will pass away. Pain or problems are seasonal. They come. They go. However, one thing is for certain...right after they go, PROMOTION comes! WHY? Because it’s the law. The law of God says, "If we suffer with Him, we will reign with Him. Endure temptation and you will receive a crown of life. Forsake brothers, sisters, lands, mother, father, wife, children, and houses for His Name's sake...and you shall receive 100 Fold now in this time on Planet Earth...and in the life to come eternal life."

Battles bring PROMOTION. As a matter of fact, they determine your promotion. Look at Moses. He was demoted from being the next heir to the throne to being a shepherd of sheep in the desert. Afterwards, he was promoted. At 80, he led 3 million Israelites to the promise land. Daniel was thrown into the lions' den. Afterwards, he was promoted. Look at Joseph. He went from the pit to prison. However, afterwards, he was promoted as second only to the king of Egypt.

Job was tried with all kinds of problems. Afterwards, he received twice as much as he had before. Even the great Master Teacher was crucified prior to His resurrection; afterwards, He was promoted to sit with the Father on His throne forever. Look at the great Martin Luther. A price was on his head because he would not recant on what the Lord had told him. He was criticized, ostracized, chastised, minimized, neutralized, scrutinized, and polarized. But today, how does the entire world view him? I would say that he was indeed promoted! Thomas Edison was branded as a lunatic, but afterwards was promoted to one of the highest levels of human genius in the world. George Washington Carver was born a slave, but look what he did for the world...300 uses for the peanut and over 100 uses of the sweet potato. He was homeless for eight long years before he got a chance to prove himself. His promotion party finally came!

Don't run from the battle. Run toward the battle. Stay around for your promotion and rewards. They always come...after the battle. An award ceremony is the next event in your life. Please put it on your calendar.

Our deepest fear and dread is not that we are inadequate or insufficient. Our deepest apprehension is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our Light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be so brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous, and beautiful?

“Actually, who are you NOT to be? You are a created child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world! There is nothing enlightening about shrinking so that others won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is NOT just in some of us; it is in everyone. As we let our own Light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others" (Nelson Mandela).

DON'T BE AFRAID TO BE SUCCESSFUL. THAT'S THE WAY YOU WERE MADE...TO BE GREAT...TO ALLOW THE GREATNESS WITHIN YOU TO COME FORTH AND HELP OTHER PEOPLE!

In search of your dream and success: As a leader, you have heard the expression, "That's life!" Cornering people is one thing, but getting them in your corner is another. In real life, we must shoot for the moon. We may miss it, but we will still be among the stars. You want to know a secret? Success is doing the common thing extremely well...being better than average...doing things that nobody else wants to do or will do.

"I like the dreams of the FUTURE better than the history of the past" (Thomas Jefferson).

"There are times when silence is golden...and other times when it is just plain YELLOW" (Ed Cole).

Success is everywhere. Some men have given up because they have believed a lie. They do not think that there are any more new ideas, inventions, or better technology to be implemented. They think that someone else has already captured the latest craze or latest methodology. They are wrong. Currently, ideas are flowing and being energized even as I speak.

Remember the Creator is the Source. He gives us ideas all the time; however, we must be sensitive enough to grasp them. When God speaks, the wise man listens. God is constantly creating. Why? Because He is the Designer, Architect, and Builder. God is in BIG Business! He never thinks small. Do you know how much His first temple (built by Solomon) cost? Take a guess. Solomon's Temple which was built and supervised by King Solomon cost in excess of $183 Billion. That's right...not millions, but 183 BILLION dollars (today's money value). The problem with too many people including Christians is...WE think too small! There is no ministry of mediocrity or smallness.

One city in God's Kingdom is over 1500 miles long, wide, and high with different levels. That's only one city. Heaven will be filled with many glorious structures, buildings, and beautiful sights...NONE OF THEM will be CHEAP! God is an extravagant God, but He is not wasteful. He loves beauty and bright lights. And He chose us to share it all with Him. Ain't this a trip? It will all unfold soon! I love all of you and I want to see each of you in Heaven some day! You are the Pearl of Great Price!

WHAT IN HELL DO YOU WANT?

"The wicked shall be turned back (headlong into premature death) into hell (the place of the departed spirits of the wicked); even all nations that forget or are forgetful of god" (Amp. Ps.9:17). Sin will not require very much from you in the beginning, but in the end, it will take everything that you have...Everything, including your soul. Sin will take you further than you want to go...Take its toll upon your soul...Keep you longer than you want to stay...Charge you more than you want to pay! The price of sin and hell still remains high. Therefore, hell has nothing down there that you want! Personally, I want nothing that hell has to offer. Do you?

SAY "NO" to sin. Even as I speak, there are a lot of people going to hell. In the past 15 minutes, 1488 people died on Planet Earth. How many of those individuals were saved? Good Question. How many went to hell? I don't know! Therefore, tell me something, what are people looking for in hell? What's down there for them? What do they want down there? Fire and brimstone are non-productive on human beings! It's painful. It hurts. So, what would anyone want in hell? There's nothing down there for you! Absolutely nothing! "Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied" (Pr.27:20).

Potiphar left ALL that he had in Joseph's charge. Joseph was an attractive person and fine looking. After a time, Potipfar's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph. She said, "LIE WITH ME." But he refused and said, "My master, your husband, has put ALL that he has into my care. He has kept back nothing from me except you, his wife. HOW CAN I DO THIS GREAT EVIL and SIN AGAINST (My) GOD?"

But she spoke to Joseph day after day...but he would NOT. (One day) She caught him by his garment and said, "Lie with me," but HE LEFT HIS GARMENT AND FLED..." (Gen.39:6‑12). He refused to go to hell for a woman!

"THEREFORE HELL HAS ENLARGED HERSELF, AND OPENED HER MOUTH WITHOUT MEASURE..." (Isa.5:14). I do not believe that you or anyone actually wants anything in hell. In eternity, the following individuals will be there according to Scripture: satan, the beast, false prophet, the fearful (cowards), unbelieving (faithless), the abominable (depraved and defiled), and murderers, whoremongers, sorcerers (witches and warlords), idolaters, and all liars. Hell will be cast into the lake of fire accompanied with burning brimstone (sulfur). This is the second death. Its residents will be tormented, afflicted, tortured, and harassed day and night forever and ever (Rev.20:10, 21:8).

Hell has nothing down there worth dying for. Hell has nothing down there that you want or need. Hell has nothing down there, but misery, pain, and heartache. So, tell me something, what is it in hell that you want? Hopefully, nothing…and you will choose Planet Heaven instead!

Radical Change Is Coming!

The only thing that will change this world of ours is Radical Change. The only thing that will change us (as individuals) is Radical Change. The problem is: We do not want to be labeled radical in our approach. We are afraid of what someone else of influence may think. We do not want to be branded as "too radical". Yet, the most radical person Whoever lived was Jesus Christ!

· One time He spat in a man's eyes!
· On a different occasion, He reached down and made spittle from clay and rubbed it in another man's eyes.
· In Mt.15, He called a lady a "dog".
· He called the "religious" ones in His day…Hypocrites. He said, "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, you make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves."
· He called them "blind guides, fools, whited sepulchres, generation of vipers."
· He talked about being killed and coming back to earth in three days.
How radical can you get?

So, what am I saying? If we are going to succeed with the propagation of the Gospel to the whole world, we too, must take on the image of Jesus. What does radical mean? "Radical" calls for change…sometimes extreme change of both political and social institutions. Radicals can be revolutionaries, reformers, and at times sensational. They do tend to be proactive with a desire to change NOW.

Do we want to continue to be the "status quo" (holding our own) or "quid pro quo" (an equal exchange or equal substitution for something)? In other words, as Christians, we turn the other way when we see abortions all around us, infanticide, euthanasia, and political wrongdoing. In turn, we will be allowed to continue our church services, prayer meetings, and public display of helping others…Tit for tat. A broken arm needs more than a band aide.

This country needs radical change! We (as Christians) need radical change. What does this mean? It means getting radically saved, healed, and filled with God's love and His Spirit! Think about it. We are ransomed from hell. We are healed. We are restored. We are forgiven. We are the best product that heaven ever produced. We are on our way to heaven. Friend, this is RADICAL indeed! This is good news! No, I am not saying that you or I need to go out and do things like some of the Old Testament prophets did; i.e., Isaiah running around the countryside naked for three years to prove a point (Isa.20). Neither am I saying to go copy Hosea and marry a whore to prove another point.

Christ gave us our marching orders: "All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. You go therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. These signs shall follow you that believe. In my name shall you shall cast out devils; you shall speak with new tongues. You shall take up serpents; and if you drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt you; You shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."

"And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with [them], and confirming the word with signs following. Amen" (Mk.16:20). I gotta tell you. This is radical. In the FUTURE, we are headed for radical change…whether we like it or not. Radical change is coming to America and to the world as we know it now. No one will be able to stop it. Period! God has the last “say”.

Jesus is going to rule this world with a "rod of iron". He will be a world wide dictator (the only Good One ever). His Word will be the rule of law. We want law. We need law. He will be the Law. RADICAL! All people everywhere (under the earth, on the earth, in the heavens) will bow their knees to Jesus. They will confess that He is indeed the Lord of the universe. RADICAL? Absolutely!

With His rule and scepter, we will experience 1000 years of peace, prosperity, harmony, and plenty. During this period of time, there will be no bankruptcies, credit failures, character flaws, wars, famines, lack of food, hurricanes, tornadoes, sickness, accidents, scandalous frauds, crime, meanness, child abuse, lunacy, or whining. RADICAL!

The whole world will be filled with His knowledge and Word. RADICAL! He will set up His physical kingdom on the center of this earth in Jerusalem. We will rule and reign with Him… Forever! RADICAL, dude!

BELIEVE ME. THIS IS COMING TO YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD SOON!

LAST WORDS

Once you achieve your dream, you will be able to help others realize theirs. Today, God needs more Christians in our society who are tax producing citizens who give generously to their churches. In turn, churches need to give to the poor and needy and homeless in a more generous way. Christ said, "Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me" (Mt: 25:37-40).

What is the major REQUIREMENT for assisting others in achieving their dreams? The greatest requirement is a Heart of LOVE for people. Some peripheral considerations are as follows: Getting involved, being committed, consecrated, caring, baptized with love, and knowing that you can make a difference. You are anointed to share with others. The rewards are tremendous and eternal.

Get involved in your church. Be encouraged to take part in church ministries. The results are eternal. Lives will be changed forever! Souls will be restored. Bodies will be healed. Spiritual growth will take place.

We serve a BIG God. I believe that God is our only hope...especially for eternity. God loves us. We can be free. Hope is alive. Hope is real. Faith, Hope, and Love are the answer! All of us are individuals created by God Himself. We need Jesus. Isn't God good? Every person in our society is an influence to another person in our society... good or bad. Hence, we have a responsibility to those around us to assist them in accomplishing their dreams. Hopefully, this book has influenced you. Read it often. Share it with others. Remember who you are...An open book being read every single day!

I want to leave you with this poem entitled: “The Lord of the Dance”.

“The Lord of the Dance”

When the world began,
I danced with joy in the morning.
I danced in the moonlight with the stars.
I even danced in the warm sunshine from afar.
I came down from heaven and danced on Planet Earth.
At Bethlehem, I had My Birth!

Chorus:
DANCE wherever you may be,
I am (in fact) the Lord of the Dance, said He.
I’ll lead everyone of you if you will follow Me.
This Jew will teach you all to Dance…and be free.
If you will only respond to My call, you will see
That you too…will DANCE and have JOY through all eternity!

I danced for the sly Scribe
And the ugly Pharisee,
But they would NOT dance
And would NOT follow Me.
I danced for the fishermen as well as James and John.
They came with Me…for their DANCE had begun!

I danced on the Sabbath. I healed the people and cured the lame.
The “holy” people said, “Ain’t that a shame!”
They then whipped Me…stripped Me…and ripped Me
And hung Me up high. Yeah, they thought they had Me (Ha, Ha)!
They stared at Me with their resentful hearts and left Me on the Cross to die and to depart.
Little did they know that I would later dance with fire and ROAR!

I danced on Friday even when the sky turned black.
I danced and I danced! I knew the outcome, Jack!
But let Me tell you something…It's hard to Dance with the devil on My back.
They buried My Body…and they thought they had Me.
But then I went to hell
And Danced on the devil’s back (Ha, Ha).

Oh, that was a good dance. I thought I had died and
Gone to heaven! I continued to dance all over hell!
I danced on the heads of the little imps.
I danced on the heads of the powerless nincompoop devils.
I said, “Glory! This is fun. I have waited for thousands
Of years for this great moment! I am the Lord of the Dance!”

Chorus:
DANCE wherever you may be,
I am (in fact) the Lord of the Dance, said He.
I’ll lead everyone of you if you will follow Me.
This Jew will teach you all to Dance…and be free.
If you will only respond to My call, you will see
That you too…will DANCE and have JOY through all eternity!

They thought I was gone like a dead bush or tree.
But “I AM…I said, I AM. I AM the Lord of the DANCE…”
And I will be forever FREE…
And I’ll go on LOVING You, My Child so that
You too, My beautiful Bride, can be FREE to DANCE
Throughout all eternity. It is your destiny to DANCE!


They cut Me down and I leaped up to heaven…
To join My Father in a “welcome Home Dance”.
I am the Life that will NOT die. I am the Lord of the Dance!
I’ll love you and will live with you forever…But there is one request that I must make.
You must let me lead you in our personal Dance.
Child, can I have this dance with you?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Dr. Tommy Franks has been writing Christian books and materials for over thirty five years. He and his wife, Karen Franks, live in Lakeland, Florida on a permanent basis; however, currently Tommy (Lieutenant Colonel in the Army Reserves) has been mobilized back into the Army at Ft Belvoir, VA (Washington DC area) to assist with the war effort. Over the years, Tommy and Karen have assisted non‑profit organizations, churches, and missionaries in the areas of food, shelter, clothing, education, counseling, finances, transportation, seminars, conferences, and workshops.

Tommy’s books, articles, and materials have appeared all over the world. He has written for Christian magazines, newspapers, seminars, workshops, United States Army chapels, and produced Christian video materials as well. In addition, he also taught for the Logos Bible College and Graduate School of Fort Worth, Texas (Severn, Maryland campus).

Tommy and Karen are gifted and talented Christians who believe that every person has dignity, purpose, priceless worth, unlimited value, honor, grandeur, and is "the apple of God's Eye". They believe that every individual is born with a specific purpose and Divine Assignment.

As you read some of Tommy's writings, you will learn some important facts about yourself and others. You will learn how to use and develop your talents and gifts. You will learn how to become the dynamic and incredible person that God has called you to be in His Kingdom.