Got Power?

According to Target Market News 16th annual report Buying Power of Black America, the expenditures of Blacks rose to $507 billion dollars. The top five expenditures were:

• Housing $203.8 billion
• Food $65.2 billion
• Cars/Trucks $29.1 billion
• Clothing $29.3 billion
• Health Care $23.6 billion

Who or what is being empowered as a result of this Black Buying Power? Is the employment gap among Blacks closing? Are the increasing numbers of disparities within the Black Community decreasing? Is the growing trend of poverty amongst low-income, women-led families being addressed? Is this buying power restoring or strengthening the Black family unit - a foundation in society?

It appears the Buying Power of Blacks is generating economic stability and wealth outside of their communities. Yep! It's helping other Ethnic groups establish businesses in socially and economically disadvantaged communities (i.e., underserved Black Communities) for members of their group. And, this buying power depletes the vitality of Black Communities because their money seldom returns.

If Black Buying Power isn't creating long-lasting, positive impacts within the Black Community; this Black Buying Power isn't powerful at all.

Why Plead the Blood?

Do you pray and ask God to stop your car as you approach a stop sign or red light? We may pray if our brakes feel like they're going out. Why do we plead the blood and rebuke the Devil when the doctor tells us, our smoking will lead to lung cancer, our drinking can lead to cirrhosis of the liver, or our sexual activities will lead to a sexually transmitted disease.

What do you believe is the driving force behind our payment of our own death when God sent Jesus Christ to give us life? Can the Devil or our sin nature simply be the blame? When are we going to take responsibility for our choices?

The next time we're diagnosed with some type ailment, instead of rebuking the Devil and pleading the Blood of Jesus on the symptom, plead the Blood of Jesus Christ on the force that contributes to our emotional, mental, and physical death.

Who's Tooting Your Horn?

Horn Tooting is the normalcy in many business environments. But when and how loud should we toot our horns?

• When we’ve closed the deal on a sale? Toot!
• When we’ve written a book? Toot!
• When we’ve made our first million? Toot!
• Appeared on TV or radio? Toot!
• When we’ve been embraced by an elite or exclusive group? Toot!
• Received a degree from an Ivy League college? Toot!
• Best Business of the Year Award recipient? Toot!

Luke 14:11 states, For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbled himself shall be exalted.

If our clients aren’t tooting our horns, is our horn tooting in vain? Who's tooting yours?

Choices, Choices, Choices!!!

Everything we do in life involves choices. Everyday that God gives us the gift of life, we can decide how to live life. We can choose to be productive or unproductive; get out of or stay in bed; take Metro or drive to work; cook or eat out, wear red instead of blue; send our children to public or private school; eat beef or pork; eat wheat or white bread; drink tap or distilled water; stay single or get married; stay married or get a divorce; choose a new rewarding career, or remain miserable in a monotonous dead end job; serve God or not serve God; pray or not pray, show and give love or show and give hate; be an agnostic, humanist, or monotheistic; become a Muslim, Jehovah’s Witness, or Christian; attend a Baptist, African Methodist Episcopal, Non-Denominational, or a Holiness church; live or die. Hmm, choices, choices, choices!!! Life is full of so many choices.

The choices we make while living on this earth, can result in life’s great gain or destruction. Our eternal destiny is determined by the way we live now! Have you ever pondered the thought of life after death? Do you believe there is life after death? Many of you reading this post may say, “I do believe in life after death”, and may emphatically say, “I know exactly where I’m going”. Do you really believe there is a God? Does your lifestyle exemplify your belief? Where will you spend eternal life? Who or what is your eternal security?

Joshua, Moses’ successor, is an example of a Godly leader who submitted to God, and was successful in being a spiritual influence in leading Israel to remain faithful servants of God. In Joshua’s final message, he stated “Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the Lord your God” (Joshua 23:11), and “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom you will serve...but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).

Living life without God, is like a fish living out of water. In order for the fish to live to its fullest potential, it must remain in water because water is its source of life. In order for us to live to our fullest potential, we need to be connected to God - our source of life.  One of the most important choices you can make this day is to choose eternal life and not eternal damnation. Every time we wake up, it is not a mistake or coincidence, it is the will and purpose of God. God allows opportunities to confess our evildoings, repent and turn from our wicked ways, and turn our hearts toward Him to gain eternal security.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to know that if you were to die this day, that you would spend eternal life with God, where there will be no more sorrows, heartaches, or evil? Some of you may believe that you have time to give your life to God or you have other things you would like to accomplish before solely surrendering to Him. The Apostle Paul wrote to the church of Thessalonica, “For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night” (I Thessalonians 5:2). One of the biggest accomplishments in life, is knowing that your eternal destiny is with God, and God has provided a way of escape from eternal damnation through His Son, Jesus Christ.

We all are travelers of life, and many of us are traveling nowhere fast. But, you can “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few be there that find it (Matthew 7:13-14). The gateway to eternal life is called “strait” and the only way to live eternally with God is to believe in Jesus Christ, because He alone died for our sins and made us righteous before God (Romans 5:19).

Anger

Anger is a colorless emotion that has become a universal definition of today's Black Woman. Why are Black Women angry?

• Are they tired of the negative connotations associated with their identity?
• Did they grow up without an earthly father that never confirmed their God-given beauty when society didn’t embrace their darker hue?
• Are they tired of playing the role of mother and father when they only have the capacity to play one?
• Are they tired of lifting up others, while concurrently being torn down?
• Are they tired of living pretentiously, and have forgotten how to be authentic?
• Are they living in bondage and don’t know how to break free?
• Did their search for love, affection, and acceptance lead them into the arms of Mr. Wrong?
• Did their career pursuits bring them external wealth, while leaving their spirits depleted?

Whew! There are countless reasons for women to be angry, but none can justify sinning as a result of them. Ephesians 4:26 states, Be angry, and do not sin: do not let the sun go down on your wrath. Women, God knows everyone and everything that has caused you harm or heartache and His preference is for you to be angry at the sin, not the offender. When the sun goes down, this signifies stillness in the night – a time to rest your soul. If you’re clinging to anger when your soul needs rest, you can miss the calmness of God’s spirit. God wants to achieve great works through you; don’t allow your anger to block the way. Vengeance belongs to God. He will repay.(Romans 12:19)

Women let it go and let God move on your behalf!

Ten P's of Business Success

1. Prayer – Spiritual guidance from God to ensure your work will bring glory and honor to Him
2. Passion – The enthusiasm to serve others through your business
3. Purpose – Clear business vision, existence, and desired outcomes
4. Perseverance – Determination to achieve success regardless of obstacles or setbacks
5. Patience – Ability to deal with difficult people and tasks
6. Partnership – Business relationships that strengthens your capacity to better serve your clients
7. Publicity – Life-changing services and/or products that create excitement about your business
8. Power – The power of God when you run out of your might to succeed
9. Performance – Criteria to evaluate and measure the effectiveness and impact of your work
10. Purity – Absence of activities and/or people that can taint your business existence or expansion

Can't Find a Job - Create Your Own

Okay, it’s been weeks, months, maybe a few years and you still haven’t found a J.O.B. If your job search strategy has primarily been behind a computer pushing emails and electronic resumes, your resumes are probably being added to thousands of job seekers in a virtual recruitment center being daily purged by the delete button. Which means your livelihood is somewhat in the hands of a virtual recruiter with the power to move your resume forward or prevent it from reaching your desired destination – the decision maker who can hire you.

Let’s face it, unemployment can stink, but it can also be a sweet aroma when you decide to use this experience as fuel to take charge of your life in spite of the economy! You’ve heard the saying If It’s Going to Be, It’s up to Me. That’s right; it’s going to be up to you to create your own path to financial freedom. Not the government, politicians, Mama, Daddy, Pookie – You! Here are a few suggestions to make it happen:

1. Develop a winning attitude and embrace the challenge to take charge of your life.
2. Define and create your dream job description without thinking about your bills or the economy. Just dream big!
3. Make a two-column list and write the required skills/resources needed to fulfill this dream job on the left side and your skills on the right.
4. Create an interim dream job description if you don’t have 80 percent of the required skills for your ultimate dream job.
5. Create a target-list of people/businesses that can benefit from your skills.
6. Identify your working/business relationship (e.g., contractor, W2 employee, consultant)
7. Make a list of people currently working your dream job and define what makes you stand out from them.
8. Write and send a one-page letter to business owners with your knowledge and interest, passion and skills, a value statement, and business quote from someone that has experienced your work. Also, keep a log of businesses you sent letters to.
9. Send a note or post card expressing your gratitude for business owners taking time to read your letter. Do this repeatedly until you receive a response.
10. Network with people that are employed and have winning attitudes.
11. If you’re low on funds consider the library, churches, community colleges, or volunteerism as resources to acquire the needed skills to create the job of your dreams.