It's All About The Stories

This story was from my friend Kyle

Malachi 3:3 says: ‘He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.’ This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.

That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn’t mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining Silver.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: ‘He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.’ She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, ‘How do you know when the silver is fully refined?’ He smiled at her and answered, Oh, that’s easy — when I see my image in it.’

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has his eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you. Pass this on right now. This very moment, someone needs to know that God is watching over them. And, whatever they’re going through, they’ll be a better person in the end. ‘Life is a coin. You can spend it anyway you wish, but you can only spend it once.’

Originally Featured in The Javien Chronicles #16

Oh how I enjoy writing to you all. Believe it or not after writing this article I will be sitting eagerly waiting to write to you again.

Today I want to share with you some business wisdom. As I’ve mentioned before I lost my job earlier this year. As a result of my displacement from the job market I decided to make use of all the books I’ve bought over the years. The books on how to start a business, how to be a trusted adviser, and how to get out of the rat race.

My journey has been far from perfect. There are moments when I feel like I’m doing the right thing. Then other times when I feel like quitting and going out to get a real job.

When I was an employee of a company I worked X amount of hours then made X amount of dollars. I worked my hours and got paid, guaranteed money.

Now as a business owner I have to find my own clients and work. Basically, I need to fish for my own food.

In my journey I’ve learned some great lessons. The lessons are great because they can be used if you own a business or not.

First of all you must DECIDE to change. I’ve had many conversations with people who disliked their lot in life. They are tired of the extra pounds and dissatisfied with their job.

When it comes down to it, you can think about it and you can talk about it. True change will be birthed when you stand up and say, “I’m sick and tired of my situation!” “I will no longer take it anymore!” Say it and say it with purpose.

The next step is to PLAN. You need a plan. Remember, “A man without a plan is like a ship without a sail.” or “If you fail to plan then you plan to fail.”

You need to first write down where your are in life. Next write down where you want to be. Then write out what it will take to get there. Without a clearly defined plan you will just be floating out in the middle of the ocean.

Finally you need to TAKE ACTION. You see you can decide to go to Hawaii. You can plan out your trip. But if you never buy your ticket and get on the boat, you’ll never get there. All you will have is a dream.

All of the above seems easy enough. Your probably thinking I can do all that. I leave you with one more piece of advice. Get a mentor or accountability partner. Share your journey with others and ask for their help. Not only is it more helpful to have a coach, it is also more enjoyable to share your successes with others.

Originally Featured in The Javien Chronicles #15

I recently had a conversation with a dear friend about the effectiveness of silent prayer. It seems like an insignificant issue on the surface but when you dig deep in God’s word you can see that it does matter.

You see God is the great creator of this earth. If God is all powerful then why did He have to say, “Let there be light?” (Genesis 1:3) Couldn’t God just think light or snap his finger? No, He said it to demonstrate to us that there is power in what we say. God said, “Let there be light, and there was light.” (Genesis 1:3) He didn’t think, ponder, or mumble it. He said it with purpose. He said it out loud.

Like I mentioned in a previous article, our words have power. In Proverbs 18:21 it says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue…”

So in order to breathe life into our prayers we must say them out loud and with purpose. You see we are meant to have a relationship with God. A relationship requires a conversation between two people with an expectation that the other will respond.

Some might say that God doesn’t answer prayers. But indeed He does. Sometimes He says yes, sometimes no, and sometimes He says wait.

I look at it this way. I have a relationship with my wife. If I want to keep it growing I must converse with her daily (when I wake up, before meals, before I go to sleep, and any other time that we are together). Just thinking I love her isn’t going to cut it. I must say it and then prove it in my actions.

The same goes for my relationship with God. I must say I love Him and prove it daily activities.

Originally Featured in The Javien Chronicles #13

Last week my wife and I went on a double date with my little brother Joe and his wife Krystal. We were supposed to triple date but the other couple backed out because of a lack of funds.

We both thought that was very responsible on their part. The funny thing is both of us said finances were tight and we went anyways. Our perspective was that we were doing our part to stimulate the economy.

After dinner I watched a sermon from Matthew Hagee of Cornerstone Church, San Antonio, Texas. The message totally convicted me. His message was about the difference between increased seed and a harvest.

He referenced 2 Cor 9:10 “For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.”

In summary, If what I have doesn’t meet my need then I have seed. If it meets my need then it is a harvest. Lets say I have a need of $5,000 but only have $20. In that case my $20 is my seed. Now if God multiplies my $20 to $500 then he increased my seed 25 times. Lets say I take that $500 and take my beautiful wife to a fancy restaurant like Ruth’s Chris. We give thanks to God for the blessings and enjoy our dinner. A couple of days later as I am reviewing my finances I say to God, “Where is the $5,000 I’ve been asking for?” God will reply to me, “You ate your seed.”

Originally Featured in The Javien Chronicles #12

It’s funny how the Holy Spirit works. I already had my article written out but last night in a dark moment of despair an even better story was birthed.

A conversation with a dear friend helped to lift me out of the valley I was in. The words he expressed were very comforting. Friend if you are reading this, Thank You!

Our conversation later turned to religion. He expressed his tarnished views due to an offensive action of a so called Christian.

I have actually encountered many that have fallen away from church for that same reason. I am writing this only because I believe my Jesus was misrepresented.

You see when we profess ourselves as Christians we need to realize that we are representing Jesus Christ. When we receive salvation we are called to repent of our sins (ask for forgiveness of our sins and change our ways to not fall into sin again). We are then called to take up our cross (die to our worldly ways and allow Christ to live through us). Then we are called to be the light of the world (allow God’s light, His grace and mercy to reflect onto others from our being).

So to those who have been offended I hope to convey this message: You will be offended. Luke 17:1 says, “It is impossible that no offenses should come!”

Who more likely to offend you than those that are close to you (church leaders or members, family or friends). Realize this that they may be professing their Christianity but it’s their action that is offensive not the Christ they profess to know.

I pray this that all those offended will forgive their offenders. You see when we withhold forgiveness it is like drinking poison hoping the other person would die.

Remember forgiveness is not forgetting something happened. Forgiveness is saying, “God, I can’t endure this offense. Please take it from me so I can continue to walk in the way of the Lord.”

Originally Featured in The Javien Chronicles #10

I had an awesome weekend! On Sunday I had my preaching debut at Acts 2 Christian Fellowship in Poplar, California. I’d like to thank the church and Pastor Denis for allowing me to share my story.

For the most part I think a did pretty good. Especially for my first time. Was I perfect? Far from it. There are definitely places I need to work on. At least I now have a starting point to which to improve upon.

That brings me to my next issue, planning to succeed. I hear from many people that they want to lose weight or they want to start their own company. 9 times out of 10 those who I spoke to end up quitting before they even begin.

The main reason most people fail is because they didn’t plan to succeed. “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” “A man without a plan is like a ship without a sail.” Seems easy enough but with time always slipping by we tend to just go for the shortcut like diet pills, liposuction, get rich quick schemes, or the lottery.

If we truly desire to lose weight or start a business we must put in the time to plan. 1st write down your desired result (i.e. reduce body fat by 5% or build a business that brings in $10,000 per month). If you don’t write it down how can you measure your progress.

2nd write down what it will take to attain your goal (i.e. exercise, eat well balanced meals, make 20 phone calls per  day, follow up with clients). It is necessary to write down the steps necessary to attain your goal. This is important so that when you fail, yes you will fail, you can determine why you failed, correct the issue and keep moving forward.

Finally create milestones and celebrate your victories. Write down that you will buy yourself a new shirt or an Ipod when you lose 1% of body fat or bring in $1,000/month in income for your business. Make attaining your goal fun. Remember, it’s all about the journey.

Originally Featured in The Javien Chronicles #8

The big day has come and gone. 26.2 miles completed. My knees and shins are sore and my feet are covered with blisters. Despite the wear and tear on my body, I have to say this is the best marathon I have ever completed.

Was it because I surpassed previous times? Far from it, this is actually the slowest I have ever completed a marathon. The reason I will treasure the 7 hours and 7 minutes is because I enjoyed every minute of it.

I started the race with a goal in mind. Take it slow, enjoy the scenery, and Be the Blessing. I trekked along the course talking to strangers and giving words of encouragement. I met local San Diegans and people traveling as far as Louisiana. Everybody had a different story of why they were running and they were all eager to share.

At around mile 9 I had an overwhelming sense of happiness and joy, a feeling that almost brought me to tears. I remembered why I love to run. I love to run because it is the bond between me and my dad. As a kid I would rush to put on my shoes so I could follow him out the door. As I grew older I would join him on runs around Miramar Lake. Even though I’m a little quicker now I would purposely slow down so I could be around him.

Every year on his birthday and Christmas I would give him running shoes, the same brand and size as mine. When I see him I always ask, “How was your run?” That is our bond and that is why I loving running.

Now that I brought some of you tears it’s time to make you laugh. Around mile 13 I conveniently had a cramp in front of Carl’s Jr. Remembering how badly I wanted a burger in past marathons I strolled in and ordered a cheeseburger; a $6 dollar, bacon, guacamole burger, and 2 large fries. I wasn’t that hungry but I knew I would find a few others that would be starving.

I grabbed my food and rejoined the race. Boy a cheeseburger never tasted so delicious! Many runners got a good laugh watching me eat. I offered food to anyone who crossed my path. There was only one runner who actually accepted some fries. I give props to the rest of runners who resisted temptation.

Around mile 15, I encountered a homeless man sitting by the train tracks just enjoying the race. I walked over to him with the food and his eyes lit up like a child in a candy store. I reached in my bag and handed him the $6 burger. His expression of appreciation was enough to make the day perfect.

I continued on my journey and met Joyce, a state legislator; Ester, a distributer of Mickey D’s transponders; and Derrick, a TV producer. Around mile 18 or so the shirt on back served its purpose. A lady named Joyce, a substitute Catholic teacher and caregiver, inquired about it.  For the next 8 miles I was able to share my story and listen to hers. Joyce if you read this, thank you for making the last 8 miles go by so quickly.

So a quarter of a mile left that’s when I decided to jog slowly through the finish line and get my souvenir photo taken. 7 hours and 7 minutes later my mission completed. Many that finished before me may be able to say, “This was the fastest time ever.” But how many will be able to say, “This was my slowest ever and I enjoyed every moment?”

I leave you with this quote, “Life is a journey not a destination.”- Author Unknown

Originally Featured in The Javien Chronicles #7

Originally Featured in The Javien Chronicles #3

By Dr. John C. Maxwell

This story was submitted by my Auntie Trifina

Leadership is about change. If you need no change, you need no leader. In times of change, people seek  out more and better leaders. Those successful sought-out leaders embrace the following thought. “The best reformers the world has ever known are those who began with themselves.”

Mahatma Gandhi said, “We must be the change that we envision.”

Tolstoy said, “Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.”

The following comments are about personal change:

1. One person cannot change another person.

When I started as a young leader, I thought that a leader could change the people; and boy, did I work at it. I said, “All right, I’m going to give them thoughts, ideas, and principles; and I’m going to change people.”

After several years, I awakened to the thought that the only person who can change himself or herself is himself or herself. You can change yourself, but I cannot change you. You see, I am responsible to you but I am not responsible for you; and there is a world of difference between those two. I am responsible for teaching you good leadership, I am responsible for sharing things that can help add value to your life; but you are the only one who can take responsibility to change yourself, and that is what this whole article is about.

2. Most people need to look at the way that they look at change.

How many times have you heard somebody say, “I sure hope things will change.” The only way things will change for me is when I change. It has nothing to do with hope. You can’t just say, “Well, I just hope things will change around me,” and expect results. The only way that things will change for me is when I change.

I have also heard this before, “I don’t know why I’m this way.” Well, you are the way you are because that is the way you want to be. Let’s expose it for what it really is.

3. When you make the right personal changes, other things begin to turn out right.

So when people say, “I’d like things to turn out better for me, I’d like things to turn out right, I’d like things to turn out better in the organization, or in my family,” I say to them, “Start by making personal changes.”

The following are six steps to successful personal change:

1. When you change your thinking you change your beliefs.

2. When you change your beliefs you change your expectations.

3. When you change your expectations you change your attitude.

4. When you change your attitude you change your behavior.

5. When you change your behavior you change your performance.

6. When you change your performance, you change your life!