Wooly Worm Watch

“Watch out, you hit another one! “

“Another what?”

“Another wooly worm!”

“You can’t see wooly worms driving 50 miles an hour!”

Several minutes later…”STOP!!”

I slam the brakes.  We get out of the car and she shows me…a wooly worm!  Crawling across the road!  Seriously!  After this incident, I can’t NOT see wooly worms crawling across the road while I’m driving!  Now I will swerve to avoid them.

At the Entrepreneur Days event in Atlanta, we had many people tell us that we were encouragers.  In fact, all our lives, people have told us we think differently, we talk differently, we write differently, we have a different perspective… You get the idea.  We have a different way of seeing life, and we believe we have a call to help people open their eyes to new things the Father wants to show them.

“Opening their eyes”, I like that phrase.  It’s a matter of opening eyes to things that are there…things that they’ve not seen before.

Like…wooly worms crawling across the road.

Being Flexible

You just never know how God is going to work.

When we decided to be entrepreneurs -no, let me rephrase that…

When God decided that we were going to become entrepreneurs, one of the words He spoke to us was, “Be flexible”. Hmmm, that sounds a little scary.

One barn that I knew we needed to build (see post from 17 July) was to find a good accountant. Someone who would understand that we have two purposes for our money:

1) Honor God and give generously into the building of His Kingdom

2) Build our family’s future

Oh, and one more thing to understand: Giving to the government does NOT fit in to either of those purposes. I don’t want to do anything illegal, but I want to render unto Caesar ONLY the bare minimum required.

So, I asked several businessmen and tax preparers in our community who they would recommend. One name kept coming up. In fact, when I mentioned that I would be doing a lot of stocks, options and futures, his was the only name that came up, as having the experience that my situation required. So I met with him yesterday.

I was impressed with his knowledge, honesty, and professionalism. One thing that struck me as odd, was that when he needed to call his professional organization to ask them a technical question, we had to leave his office and walk to the shed outside (where he had a desk with a calculator and a phone) to call them.

Odd? Not if you’re Amish.

How many stock traders do you suppose have an Amish accountant?

Think and…Be Blessed

It’s hard not to go through a major change in life, particularly one involving new territory, and not contemplate the life of Abraham. Talk about setting off on an uncharted path in an unknown direction! My situation has nothing on his! It always helps to look to Abraham when our faith falters. If he can hold fast to what he heard, having nothing tangible to back it up, what am I whining about?

The other day, during my prayer walk, I told Father, “I don’t know how to do this! I have no experience being an entrepreneur! On the contrary, I have 25 years experience working for someone else, doing what they tell me, when they tell me, how they tell me.”

I get frustrated sometimes when movies and books get into the thoughts of the character. It’s more fun to deduce the character’s thoughts and motives from their words and actions. The Bible is great for this. I don’t believe Abraham’s faith walk was as easy as this:

God: “Go.”

Abe: “OK.”

But that’s the way it’s frequently portrayed in the church. I certainly don’t want to add to scripture – I’m not willing to take on those curses – but knowing that these people are human, I can imagine how I would feel in similar circumstances and speculate what was going on in their minds.

How many times did Abraham say, “OK, God, I don’t see any evidence here. I’m too old, Sarah’s too old, there is nothing in the flesh that would indicate that any children are in my future. All I have to stand on is Your word. Thus, I will stand.”

It occurred to me on the aforementioned prayer walk, that Abraham had no experience being a father. That may seem obvious, but bear with me. There was nothing in his prior experience to prepare him for what a father should do, how a father should act, what a father should think. God had to change Abraham’s mindset first. God didn’t just say, “I’m going to do this”, and it immediately happened. He allowed several years for Abraham to shift his paradigm.

God allowed Abraham to develop the mind of a father before he became one in the physical. This was a very necessary step.  All we have to do is open the crime section of the newspaper to see the consequences of men boys becoming fathers before they are mentally ready.

If you are frustrated at the slow pace your entrepreneurial journey is taking, don’t be discouraged! Father is actually making things easier for you in the long run. He has blessed the mind with tremendous power. “You are what you think” isn’t just a cheap slogan. It is a universal truth. If you believe you are worthless and a failure, that is what you will experience. If you understand that you are a purchased possession of the Most High God, destined for righteousness, you will lead a blessed life, indeed.

If you think like an employee, an employee you will be. If you develop the mind of an entrepreneur, whole new worlds of wealth creation will open up to you.

Let Father do His work in your mind, and stand firm!  Blessings beyond all your previous experiences are coming!

Barn Building

We in the church are scared of money. I mean that…scared! Scared of having too little; scared of having too much; scared of what God will think of how we use it; scared even more of what people think of how we use it! (Isn’t that sad?)

This morning, on my prayer walk, Father encouraged me to “build my barns”. For those of you that don’t know, we do NOT live on a farm, much to our dismay, and I don’t believe our tiny town lot would support much of a barn…

As Christians, we feel we need to apologize for, or at least excuse, our attempts to increase our wealth. “Look at the Rich Young Ruler!”, we cry. “He was told to sell everything and donate it to the United Way!” Hmmm, good point. But what was Jesus really concerned about when he gave the young man that instruction? Was it his money? Was the Kingdom of God running a deficit for that quarter and needed a last minute boost to meet projections? I kinda think not. Our God is a God of limitless abundance and He has no need. If we fail to give when God says “Give”, the Kingdom doesn’t suffer a loss – we do. We suffer the loss of blessing at participating in providing for someone else. If we don’t obediently give, God has an infinite number of sources from which to replace that gift.

So what was Jesus after? Knowing the character of God, I’m guessing He was more interested in the man’s heart than his money. The young man had wrapped his hopes, his faith and his identity in his money. Jesus wanted to break that before He could use him in His service.

“OK, Jeff, we got that point. The heart’s more important than the wallet. That doesn’t necessarily sanction the accumulation of wealth.” True, but once again, we are looking at the wrong issue. God isn’t impressed or intimidated by how much money we have, or don’t have. He is after our hearts. Are we building wealth to hoard it for our “retirement”? Or are we building it because we’ll need it to hedge against the next disaster right around the corner? If so, I believe we’re relying too much on money as our security.

On the opposite side, do we give away money as fast as it comes in? Doesn’t matter what ministry, just get it out of our house! Or do we tithe 20%, 25%, 30% hoping God is impressed with our sacrifice, while our bills go late and we can’t buy groceries? Now we’re operating out of fear.

Whatever attributes we place on money, they are wrong. Money is simply a tool for God’s purposes. It has no motivation, no agenda. If we try to personify it, we are attributing power to an object that has no power; and power belongs only to God.

Do we desire money? Only God is worthy of our desire. Do we fear money? Only God is worthy of our fear.

So how does all this justify building barns? Isn’t that indicative of hoarding? Well, it depends once again on your heart. Are you going to strut around on your barn roof like Nebuchadnezzar saying, “Look at this glorious barn that I built for my glory!” Living in Amish country as I do, I have seen people glorying in their barns, but I’m pretty certain you’re not Amish (unless your computer is powered by kerosene).

Or, are you thinking like Joseph, storing up God’s provision so when He calls for it, it’s ready? Not out of fear, but out of obedience, knowing that 100% of our wealth belongs to Father and He can call for any percentage of it any time for any purpose He so desires. With this thought in mind, I want to build up as much as possible, so I have a lot of resources for Father to use. I want to participate in all kinds of movements of the Spirit. I want to be used again and again and again for the building of the Kingdom. So, bring it on! Let’s build some wealth!

Oh yeah, gotta have barns to store it in…

…And Freedom Tastes of Reality

(Obscure hippie music reference in the post title!  Can anyone identify it?)

My first real day of freedom!  I say that because today is the first scheduled day of work at my old job that I did not show up for! Real freedom!

The reactions I get from friends, colleagues and acquaintances are interesting.  Many pat me on the back and wish me well.  Some unwittingly speak doom and gloom by expressing their own fears at living without health insurance.

Most, however, when I tell them I’m going home to work, say, “I’ve thought about that…” “I think that would be kind of fun…for awhile.” or “The wife and I have been talking about what we could do…”

One man, who has been trying to build his home business for eight years looked at me with eyes like a caged animal and desperately said, “Man, I wish I could say that…”   Broke my heart…

To some, the Lord has led me to share some details of what we’re doing and ideas that they could use themselves.  The majority say, “Wow, that sounds great…”, as their eyes glaze over.  Very few have come back for a second conversation.

For a brief few seconds,  their eyes light up with the possibilities.  It only lasts for a short time, though, before they drift back into “the system”.  I’m not criticizing them!  This was me, until a few months ago!  Their imagination is sparked for a few seconds until they realize how scary the world looks from that point of view and they crawl back.

Do you remember the Beslan massacre in Chechnya in Sept 2004?  Muslim terrorists took an entire elementary school hostage.  After several days, a group of civilians eventually got tired of the government’s ineffectiveness in ending the situation and took up arms.  They stormed the school, prompting the militants to set off incendiaries inside the building.  Many children, parents and the terrorists themselves were killed.  The most dramatic image that was burned into my mind was a little girl of about 6 who was blown through a window by an explosion out onto the school lawn.  Everyone was expecting her to run for the safety of the police and crowds across the lawn.  To everyone’s shock, she inexplicably crawled back through the window, despite the flames licking up around it.  Later on the evening news, psycho-babbling analysts explained that the little girl responded this way because, despite the trauma and horror inside the school,  she was returning to what was familiar.  For several days, her life consisted of sitting with her friends, no food or water, while men with guns yelled at them.  Horrible, yes, but she was with friends and maybe family; and, in the terror of the moment, in the shock of landing on her behind on the grass, her mind decided the safest place to be was back where she had been a few moments before…at least it was familiar.

Theoretically, if she had run to safety, she could have given information to the authorities that may have saved some lives inside the school.  Instead, she perished with them all, because she confused familiarity for safety.

Is your job safe?  Is it secure?  I thought mine was, but I’ve watched my pay drop over 75% in the last two years.  That’s not a typo…I said 75%!

Are you ready to think outside the box?  Are you ready for Father to show you strange and wondrous things which you cannot imagine in your safe cocoon?  Are you ready for Him to turn your possibilities into reality?

Are you ready to step out of the boat, eyes on Christ, and walk on the waves? (See “She Said” for more exposition on this.)

If you are ready for a whole new version of reality, tell Father!  He’ll take you on the ride of your life.

When He blows you out of the window and sets your feet down on the grass of freedom, don’t get scared and run back.

Unfettered!

Freedom!

 What a strange way to describe this place Father has taken us.  A year ago, I would not have used that word in this context.  A year ago, the Lord was just starting to change my thinking.  A year ago, I had a great job in a great company.  A year ago, I was just beginning to study Internet entrepreneurialism to earn some extra income.

A year ago, I didn’t realize it, but I was in chains.

Here’s one thing we’ve learned: Entrepreneurialism isn’t a goal in itself.  Most people pursue entrepreneurialism for one of two reasons: To become wealthy (Money) or to be in control (Power).  One of the most valuable lessons Father has taught us is that we have become entrepreneurs for a different reason…His reason:  Freedom.

Freedom in our finances.  Freedom in our time.

Here’s a weird truth that we have observed over and over in our spiritual journey: The Kingdom of God operates contrary to worldly wisdom.  This is supported many times in scripture: Many of the last shall be first, the first - last; If you want to save your life, you must lose it; If you want to keep something, you must give it away. 

Today, I experienced another manifestation of that truth.  Paul says that the freest state one can live in is to become a bondservant of Christ.  This is true not only in the spiritual realm, but also in the arena of employment.  I didn’t become unemployed today – I simply switched bosses.  No longer do I answer to a man of flesh and blood.  My employer is now the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe.  I no longer take orders from a sin-filled meat sack.  I take directions from the Author of all Life.

Today I became a slave, so that I might be free.

<More thoughts on this tomorrow…>

I Should Be Scared…I Think

Today I began training my replacement for the job that I have done for most of the last eight years. Training my replacement is not a new occurrence for me…I’ve done it every time I voluntarily left a job. (Yes, that means there were some jobs I left involuntarily!) What’s new about this experience is that I am not leaving to go to another job. Every time I’ve left a place of employment without another one around the corner, I’ve been SCARED. This seems like a logical response – Getting fired is frequently likened to falling off a tightrope without a safety net. Hmm…I guess that means that what I’m doing now is JUMPING off the tightrope! An act of insanity at best!

Imagine the nation of Israel having an expatriate return after 40 years of voluntary exile, perform a bunch of spectacular signs and then declare, “It’s time to go!” How would you react? Indentured servitude is all you and your ancestors have known for 400 years! Life isn’t…terrible here. As long as you play by the rules – don’t make waves – don’t get out of line – do what you’re told – when you’re told – where you’re told – how you’re told. Plenty to eat. Games for the kids to play. A certain job when they get older.

Security.

Here’s life for most of us today (My thanks to Rhea Perry and Javadawn for this): Get up, eat, go to work, come home, eat, watch tv, go to bed. Tomorrow: Get up, eat, go to work, come home, eat, watch tv, go to bed. The next day: Ditto.

Security.

Here’s a day in my factory: A buzzer goes off telling us when to start work, another telling us when to take a break, another telling us when to eat lunch, another telling us when to go home.

Security.

Here’s life at a penitentiary: A buzzer goes off telling the inmates when to wake up, another when to eat, another when to get some exercise, another when to line up for inspection, another when to go to sleep.

Maximum security.

I’d like to think if I heard Moses issuing the clarion call, that I would boldly leap to my feet and rally my family and friends and all within earshot to follow me out of bondage and into the unknown.

Most likely, I would hesitate; remembering the taste of leeks and melons and cucumbers provided by the same bosses who rang the lunch buzzer and told me how many bricks to make today.

Security…. Darn it, I like leeks and melons and cucumbers!

But, no looking back today! Today I have begun the swan dive off the tightrope. No net, no harness, no guy wires.

What’s better than security?

Freedom!

Weird…but good

Yup. Weird is a good word. Of course, things were pretty weird in our house before the Lord introduced us to entrepreneurialism. After all, this is the house where we dance and sing along to Frank Sinatra, but have never even seen American Idol; where we quote obscure movie lines with great regularity (Monty Python and the Holy Grail listed among our favorites); where Dawn and I will come home after a date to find that the kids have filmed their own movie, complete with costumes, sets and hilarious ad-libbed lines providing more quoting fodder. So, as I said, not a normal house to begin with.

The foray into entrepreneurialism has just added new dynamics to our deviation from the norms. For instance, the past two weeks have seen our kitchen table taken up with a marathon Monopoly game. Not an unusual thing to see before, but now we’ve discovered that entrepreneurs make bigger deals and thus require larger sums, so we’ve added the pieces and cash from our Cashflow game. The other day, I walked by the game to hear some unusual discussion. When I inquired as to what was going on, I was informed that the players got tired of just doing houses and hotels, so they’ve made up rules to include eBay. Play imitates life!

God forbid we should ever desire to return to “normal”!

Weird, She Says…

Her turn today, mine tomorrow!

A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste

Those of you that know anything about us know that we have been through quite a transformation in the last nine months. To sum up our forthcoming book “Shaken, Not Stirred” (SHAMELESS PLUG), we have received about a lifetime of education and worldview adjustment in a nine month period (Hmmm…nine months? Gestation? Birthing something new? Cool thought!)

All through our entrepreneurial education, we’ve heard from several sources that the first thing we need to change is our thinking. We have found that to be true. Even now, after all we’ve absorbed, our minds are still being transformed. (Hmmm…transformed by the renewing of our minds? Cool thought!)

Those old bogeys of “Get good grades, go to college, get a good job…with more pay and you’re OK”! (Oops, sorry. Couldn’t pass up the Pink Floyd reference.) are hard to shake! For minds that have been brainwa… um, conditioned to “the System”, it’s difficult to break out of the box all of a sudden. And you know what? “Brainwashed” is the correct word for that sentence. No point in soft-soaping it! It is unnatural to live in the System the way we have been trained to. The opposite of liberty is security. Yet, what are we taught to seek? A “secure” job! If this is the ultimate goal for our work force, this would almost seem to translate into “Albreit Macht Frei”: German for “Work Will Make You Free”. (Hmmm…the slogan that hung above the gate at Auschwitz? Chilling thought…)