Career Quest Sample Budget

Sample Budget

Gross Salary - $24,300.00 Annual Tithe - $2,400.00 Annual Tax - $6,300.00

Net Spendable: Annual Amount - $15,570.00 Monthly Amount - $1,297.50

Housing - 29%           5,916.60           493.05
 Food -       11%            2,179.80            181.65

Auto -       13%            2,179.80            181.65

Insurance - 5%              778.50             64.88

Debt -          5%              778.50             64.88

Ent/Rec -   8%              622.80             51.90

Clothing -  7%               778.50              64.88

Savings -    5%              778.50              64.88

Med/Dental - 4%        778.50              64.88

Other -       8%             778.50              64.88

School/
Childcare - 5%         1,245.60             103.80

Investments - 0%           0.00                 0.00

This is a sample budget similar to the budget calculator on the Crown Ministries web site, www.crown.org. You may log on and use that calculator to determine a base budget and then print it for later use.

You will have to make some adjustments to customize your budget. For instance, if your daycare expenses were $280.00 per month, then you would have to increase the School/Childcare amount by $176.20. This amount would have to come out of another category or bits out of several categories.

You may also have existing car payments and loan or credit card payments that must be figured in and will change the above amounts. The total percentages can never equal more than 100%. If your current obligations exceed what you are currently making, then you are living above your means. You must decrease your expenditures or increase your income. You will quickly see just how much you need to earn each month in order to take care of all the financial needs in your life.
Once you have a monthly or yearly figure, stick to it. Determine what type of employment you will need to meet those financial needs. You may need to break the amount down into an hourly rate if your employment is paid in that manner. Whether it is hourly or salaried, make a budget and stick to it. Believe that God will meet all your needs according to His riches in glory.
God desires to and will meet all your needs. So, determine what those needs are and believe that He will meet them.

Nancy Jackson, daydreamer extraordinaire


DAY JOB LINKS...
Dreams Do Come True
Dragonfly In Amber Designs

Career Quest Determine Financial Needs

Determine Financial Needs

Oddly enough one of the very first things that a person should do when beginning a job search is to determine the amount of money or income they will need each month to provide a living for themselves and for their family.

A budget is a useful tool that, once you have practiced using, will continue to help you prosper. A budget must include anticipation of the unexpected as well as known expenses. It must also incorporate yearly items such as gifts, insurance and taxes.

It is always better to allow a little extra in certain areas that are unknown such as food and gasoline since the cost for those items are not static in nature. Also our need for those items increases and decreases with the seasons.

As I said before, God desires to meet your needs. Phillipians 4-19 KJ But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. By determining what you truly need, you will know what to pray for and believe for and how to set your sights job-wise. I think I am relatively safe saying that if you take a job out of desperation just so that you will have a job, but according to your budget it doesn't meet your needs, it is not likely that it is God's will for you. If you take a job out of panic or fear instead of waiting faithfully on God to provide the job that will meet your needs then you are attempting to rush in and do what you feel God will not do.

If you feel that you are bound and not getting the job you need, then you should go back to the drawing board and talk to God. Are you being obedient in the areas that he has spoken to you about? If there are unresolved issues in your life it would be prudent for you to deal with those issues. I've seen that many times unresolved issues with family members, broken relationships and sin can prevent God from moving someone into the job he has for them.

Sometimes the wait might be a test of your willingness to wait on the Lord. It takes faith to wait patiently, not allowing fear to creep in. This can be difficult when the bills are piling up and debt collectors are calling. Are you willing to wait until you are losing it all, just as Abraham was willing to lose Isaac, for God to act? I didn't say you had to lose it all, but be willing to lose it all in order to receive all that God has for you.

Sometimes the fear of losing material possessions prevents us from being able to be patient. But we are told that we can believe and receive what we believe for. If we are willing to lose it all, be patient and wait, I believe God can bless us far beyond anything we can ever image. He can and will bless us not only with a job or career that will merely meet our needs, but with a job or career that will bring us pleasure and happiness.

Isaiah 64:4 KJ For since the beginning of the world, men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.

Romans 8:25 NCV But we are hoping for something we do not have yet, and we are waiting for it patiently.

Mark 9:23 KJ Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

The budget form provided for you will help you in developing a budget for yourself. You must set aside an amount each month for savings to prepare for yearly items; Christmas gifts, taxes and other things of this nature. Be sure to also include a budget for clothing and entertainment. Even if we say we can do without those things, we will spend money for them and then that money will come out of another budgeted item. So plan ahead to begin with.

Once you have a monthly figure, add approximately 64% on to that to determine the amount you should receive from an employer before taxes. Do not include your tithe in the list of monthly expenses. It is a variable amount based on salary and is figured into the formula. For example:

If your budget shows that you need $1,300 each month then multiply that amount by 1.64. You will get $2,132. This is an approximate amount you should earn each month.

There are other factors that you need to figure into your budget. Those are benefits provided by the employer. If an employer pays for your health, dental and vision insurance and you have no out of pocket expense, then those items can be removed from your budget. However, you will still need to add a small amount to allow for deductibles and co-payments.

Some employers will pay for the cost of the employee's insurance, but require you pay a portion or all of the dependent's coverage. That cost must be figured into your budget. If an employer has a stock option plan, 401k or some other type of retirement plan then you will want to contribute to that, even if only a small amount. Make sure though, that your contribution does not reduce your monthly budget or that you take it from the money budgeted for a savings account.

A savings account is readily accessible for emergencies and is appropriate for saving for yearly expenses and gifts. Retirement funds, stock options and 401k's are not readily accessible and should not be thought of as a savings account.


Nancy Jackson, daydreamer extraordinaire


DAY JOB LINKS...
Dreams Do Come True
Dragonfly In Amber Designs

Cafe 7

Cafe 7

The best pizza place on the planet is Oregano's in Tucson / Phoenix Arizona.  By far!!  BUT, when I ate Cafe 7's chicken and bacon pizza my mouth screemed - Oregano's!!!  Oh my it was yummy!! 

I have not tried other items on the menu and that will be a challenge for me since the item I tried was so good I know I will want it again and again.

The concept, as I know it, for the cafe is a category of four items with 7 selections in each category, $7 and 7 minutes to serve.  If I have that wrong, please forgive me Cafe 7!

My daughter Lacey, who would fly to Phoenix just for a slice of Oregano's pizza, was astounded at the price.  Honestly you can't get a pizza like that from one of the big franchise pizza parlor's.

I must confess -- I ate the whole thing!  Back to the diet today.  But I must say that it was worth every bite!!

Nancy Jackson, daydreamer extraordinaire


DAY JOB LINKS...
Dreams Do Come True
Dragonfly In Amber Designs

The Book of Eli

The Book of Eli

On Valentine's Day Rick took me to a movie.  We passed lines upon lines of people waiting to see Valentine's Day.  Oh, but not us, we weren't going to go see some mushy love story on Valentine's Day, or were we?

I vaguely remembered having seen a movie trailer either on tv or at a previous movie, but couldn't for the life of me remember what it was about.  But I love movies and am game for just about anything.


The setting is about 30 years after the last war.  The land is ravaged and desolate.  The filmographer enhanced the darkness and drearyness of the time.  There were vandals and theives.  But there was one man traveling, on a mission to walk west.


Denzel Washington plays Eli, a lone traveler with peaceful intentions, but determined not to be stopped.  He has a destiny even in this time of lost hopes and dreams and decay of the soul.  He is carrying with him a precious cargo and he will die to protect it.


Of course there is a villain and he wants the 'book'.  He knows it has power and he lusts after the power of the book.


As we watch Eli on his journey we see this is in deed a love story.  A love story of the Word of God and its creator.


There is a lot of violence and bad language in this movie, and certainly not for the faint of heart.  But I fell in love with the theme and cheered him on.  For I understood his love.  I have it too.


Nancy Jackson, daydreamer extraordinaire


DAY JOB LINKS...
Dreams Do Come True
Dragonfly In Amber Designs

Career Quest Pre-Job Search

Pre-Job Search

We spend at a minimum of eight hours a day at our work, career or job. Most of us spend much more than that to meet deadlines and to assure that all our responsibilities are met. It only stands to reason that we should attempt to spend those hours working in a career or job that we enjoy and are good at.


God desires to bless each of his children and help them to prosper. He has promised us in his word that if we are obedient and tithe that he will open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

Let's read the full scripture in Malachi 3:8-4 KJ (8) Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. (9) Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. (10) Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. (11) And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts. (12) And all nations shall call you blessed; for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts.


If we are obedient to his commands then we ready the Lord to act on our behalf. If we are not obedient to the tithe command and to other commands that God has asked from us, we tie his hands and place ourselves under a curse, preventing God from blessing us.


A relationship with God is a two-way street, a communication and a give-and-take that eventually brings you to the place that God would have you to be. It is much as if you are on an old-time railroad handcar with the Lord on one side pumping away and you are on the other. With both of you communicating and working together, you'll get to the place you are destined to be.


If you tie God's hands by your disobedience or lack of communication then a very powerful force that was once pushing mightily forward on the handcar is prevented from working. God is a gentleman and will not force himself upon you or intrude where not wanted. He will wait for your request.


If you are obedient and God wants to move you forward, but you refuse to do your part, or are not equipped to operate the handcar, then the movement slows way down. You will have to work much harder to achieve far less.


God will direct you and show you where to go and what to do. He will also show you where to gain the knowledge necessary to be able to be all that God wants us to be, but we must have a good relationship with him. We must spend time seeking him and his will and communicating to him about our needs, praising and thanking him and listening to his voice so that we do not miss an opportunity.


This book is designed to educate and equip you to be able to determine where your strengths lie and uncover your true heart's desire regarding work and a career. It is also my hope that you will receive confirmation from God concerning where he is directing you and what his desire is for you. If you are able to improve your process of finding a job, then you will find many more options available to you.


It is true that God can supernaturally by divine intervention get us the job we are supposed to be in, but we live in a practical world with practical ways. God set the natural laws into motion by which the world operates.


Would it be wise to say that God has called you to be a physician, yet you just sat back waiting for God to do it all? Wouldn't you say that there was still a part required of you? If God has called you to a career path or ministry path, there will be requirements of you to help fulfill that call on your life. I don't want to go to a doctor that never went to medical school whether God has called him or not.


I believe that it is our responsibility to be all that we can be and to learn and be the best at whatever we do. As a Christian I believe that we have an obligation to be the best at everything we attempt to do. We should stand out in every area of our life. To do that we must learn as much as we can in order to make correct decisions and take advantage of all options available to us.


It may not be realistic to assume that you can just 'jump' into your dream job or career even if it is the job or career that God has called you to, but you can begin to develop a plan on how to get there. You may be thinking that right now you just want a job, any job because you need the money. That's OK. We all have to start somewhere, but that doesn't mean that you have to give up your dream or your goal.


This first chapter is to explore where you are now, what you need now financially and where you want to go in the future with your career. Be open to God's voice. He has placed talents and skills within us. He has also given us dreams and desires. They may be buried deep from years of hearing that you 'can't do it'. I'm here to tell you that you CAN! If God has called you, you can. If God has given you a dream, he can bring it to pass.


Psalm 145:19 KJ He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.


Proverbs 10:24 KJ The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him: but the desire of the righteous shall be granted.


Nancy Jackson, daydreamer extraordinaire


DAY JOB LINKS...
Dreams Do Come True
Dragonfly In Amber Designs

Career Quest Introduction

Many of you may not know that I have written and published a book.  Of course anytime a person does this they have secret hopes that that book will earn something for the writer.  I did.  But my primary goal was to help others learn something that could help them get a job, a good job or a better job.

Because of that I have decided to post pages of my book Career Quest in this blog.  I hope that in this time of downsizing and layoffs, that you will find a nugget that will be usefull to you and will help you get the job you want and derserve.  So here is the introduction to the book, excellent food for though it its own right.

Introduction

Career Quest is designed to educate you on the process of job hunting. Regardless of whether you are a first time job hunter or if you have been in the work force for years, this course will broaden your abilities to be the most effective at seeking out and obtaining a job, that you can be.

The purpose of this book is to educate each of you on the detailed aspects that will push you to the head of the candidacy pool. Each step of the process is geared to hone and sharpen your job seeking skills.

You will explore the possibilities of which career is right for you. This will include an in-depth soul search into your likes and dislikes as well as your skill set. You will also prepare a budget to ensure that the job offer you accept will be adequate for your needs.

From there we will take you to creating the ideal resume. This includes the structure of the resume, what to include and not to include, and how to properly format the text to achieve the greatest impact. We will also cover the aspects of a scanable resume so you will be safe in the electronic marketplace.

From there you will learn how and where to search out potential employers and the proper procedures in doing so. We will explore the new world of electronic job searching and how to incorporate it into your job search.

Interviewing can be the most daunting experience in the life of any person, however you will learn just how to act and what to do, to stand out in the process. You will learn what an employer is looking for, typical questions asked in an interview, how to answer those questions. You will also learn how to deal with difficult interviewers.

Don't breathe a sigh of relief yet, you will need to know the importance of follow-up and follow-through. You will learn a solid standard in appropriately following up on all interviews.

Next you will learn how to determine which of the many job offers to accept by determining which one is right for your needs. You will learn how to compare benefits and salary to see which offer really is the best package for you.

For the grand finale we will go beyond where most classes end. We will discover what to expect during the honeymoon period of your new job. This will include an in-depth look at how to appropriately fill out the lengthy forms and new employee paperwork that you will be inundated with.

Even if you think you know everything there is to know about interviewing and job searching, I promise that you will be surprised at how much you will learn. The job marketplace is constantly changing and with the strong trend toward electronic job posting there is always something new to learn.

Finding a job is a job and this course is designed to help you be the best you can possibly be at this short term, temporary job which will successfully result in you achieving the ultimate career that you deserve!


Nancy Jackson, daydreamer extraordinaire


DAY JOB LINKS...
Dreams Do Come True
Dragonfly In Amber Designs

Amelia

Last night Rick and I watched Amelia on Pay Per View.  He promptly fell asleep on the couch which left me alone to be drawn into the life of Amelia Earhart.  In the quietness of our living room I was transfixed to the movie.  If you have yet to see the movie you may not want to read this blog, but first go watch the movie and then return.


Before doing this blog I read reviews of the movie which were harsh.  But movie critics have their opinions and I have mine.  I loved the movie and would easily give it a 9 out of 10.  I don't need to know all the complexities of their lives and I believe this is a sweet remembrance of a dynamic woman.


Maybe sitting there in our living room I was not so engaged with the movie itself, but the person and life of Amelia Earhart and her relationship with her husband.  A woman so driven by her dreams that she was not going to be enticed away by the promise of love.


Knowing that Amelia was a rare creature, her husband George Putnam, held her with a loose grip to love her, but not crush her.  He entered into her dream with a fierce love for her and was determined to make her dream their dream.  Not only did he support her, but endeavored to make sure her dreams came true.


Her brief affair with Gene Vidal was just that, brief.  I believe Amelia loved her husband and his gentle grip drew her back.  I am convinced that had he held her tightly, so tightly as to suffocate her dream, he would have most assuredly lost her.


He took risks for her. No amount of time, money or work was too much.  Whatever it took, he was determined to make her dreams come true.  He was also willing to turn on a moments notice to allow failure and ruin to enter their lives should she decide to never fly again after her first failed world flight.


What kind of love is this that he would set aside his life for the joy and pleasure of his wife's?  A love that understands the joy and pleasure of giving. And one that understands that the old adage, 'tis better to give than receive, was an over simplification of the ecstasy of giving out of love. 

I dare say very few ever experience that level of fearless, selfless love for their mate.  Even the constant risk of losing her, not only to others but also to death, could not prevent him from giving her the dream, the life she yearned for.


I loved that the movie painted her as a woman, feminine and gentle, but fierce when pursuing her dreams.  She had determination, but didn't need to be masculine in order to do that very thing.  The two traits can coincide, gentle femininity and fierce determination.


She made it to all the places she had dreamed as a little girl.  She saw the wonders of the world.  Even though she did not make it all the way around, she went further than anyone before her.  She died doing what she loved and was born to do. Can we say the same?  Can we be brave enough to break beyond the mundane and answer the call of our dreams?


In the final lines of the movie we hear Amelia say, "Everyone has oceans to fly as long as you have the heart to do it.  Is it reckless?  Maybe.  But what do dreams know of boundaries?"


I want to challenge us all to fly our oceans, reckless or not and to live our dreams without bounds.  I want to challenge the men in our lives to love us fiercely and to hold us gently, allowing us to pursue our dreams regardless of the cost.

Nancy Jackson, daydreamer extraordinaire


DAY JOB LINKS...
Dreams Do Come True
Dragonfly In Amber Designs

Patience

In John 1:10, 31 and 33 John the Apostle declared that when Jesus came into the world, the world, even John himself, would not recognize Jesus as the Messiah, as the deliverer, as the Word made flesh.

John 1:10 He came into the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him (did not know Him). John 1:31 And I did not know Him and did not recognize him [myself] … John 1:33 And I did not know Him nor recognize Him … Amplified

Pondering on this for sometime, curious at how some most assuredly knew and some could not have known or recognized the deity of Jesus as the Messiah. 

John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin and his mother Elizabeth knew and believed when Mary came to her to share the news of Jesus’ conception.  For John the Baptist recognized Jesus even from the womb and leapt for joy.

To imagine what directives must have taken place regarding sharing this revelation with others can only be measured by other happenings and statutes in the word.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 To everything there is a season, and a time for every matter or purpose under heaven. Amplified

Because there was a specific purpose for the Son of Man to be revealed at a designated time, those who knew could not take it upon themselves to reveal it.

What self control and discipline must have been exercised by these men and women of God, certainly a standard by which to gage our own discipline.

We get so excited over each little new word or revelation or event, immediately seeking out someone to share it with. We feel an instant urge to act on it, to proceed forward accordingly.

I have to ask myself, could I have kept this glorious revelation to myself until the appointed hour, sharing it only with the single person that God chose for it to be shared with?

We frequently ask God in prayer over and over for knowledge about our future, our call and our purpose. We ask Him to show us what is ahead for us, usually out of a zealous heart which is willing to follow God’s designated path for us.

But can we be trusted with future revelations? Do we posses the discipline and self control to ‘wait on the Lord’ until His appointed time? Are we content to patiently wait, only preparing for that time and not rushing ahead?

Since He created us, God knows our human nature well. He will give us only what we can be trusted with.  Beyond that we must simply wait, trusting Him. Waiting develops trust and when full trust is achieved, the fruit of the Spirit flourishes, particularly self control.

True trust is abiding in Him, waiting.  II John 1:9 says that anyone who runs on ahead of God, not abiding in the doctrine of Christ, does not have God.

II John 1:9 Anyone who runs on ahead [of God] and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ [who is not content with what He taught] does not have God … Amplified

God’s purpose for our lives consists of a plan and a time for that plan. When He shows us the plan, we must wait patiently for the time. Attempting to bring to pass the plan in our own time  and in our own way, removes the plan out of the will of God. When that happens, the plan is no longer God’s plan because the timing is wrong.

In our fast paced world, I believe it is much more difficult to wait patiently. God and His purpose for our lives are not instant. By rushing ahead of God we expend unnecessary energy. By waiting on God, we gain strength as it says in Isaiah 40:31. 

Isaiah 40:31 But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired. Amplified

But a day will come for the appointed hour.

John 2:1-5 1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus also was invited with His disciples to the wedding. 3 And when the wine was all gone, the mother of Jesus said to Him, They have no more wine! 4 Jesus said to her, [Dear] woman, what is that to you are to Me? [What have we in common? Leave it to Me.] My time (hour to act) has not yet come. 5 His mother said to the servants, Whatever He says to you, do it. Amplified

How precious it was that when it was time for Jesus to begin His ministry, the one who knew first, the one who had kept the secret the longest was the one to declare that the time had come. Oh my, what patience.

 Nancy Jackson, daydreamer extraordinaire


DAY JOB LINKS...
Dreams Do Come True
Dragonfly In Amber Designs

Ecclesiastes 3:1 reminds us that for everything there is a time and a purpose for that time.

Green Thumb

I used to think that certain people were born with a green thumb. I had hoped that I was one of those lucky few.

I can remember as a child that my mom worked in the yard and vegetable garden and provided a bounty for our table; one of the benefits of living on a farm. She was also a school teacher which provided her the luxury of the entire summer to garden. She didn’t spend much time with the few flower gardens. She said she would much rather spend time in the vegetable garden which produced something worthwhile.

Looking back I remember I see that without realizing it that I formed an opinion that it was way too much work. Jokingly I used to comment, “That is why God created Del Monte”.

I have never grown a vegetable of any kind, that I remember. I have however spent at least a part of every summer attempting to grow flowers. I am sure there is a lesson here on parental rebellion, but I won’t venture there at this point.

My current garden is one that any magazine would be proud to publish. Thankfully the previous owners spent much time and money long before I ever took over. This is my second summer here and I have spent a considerable amount of time and money myself.

Today as I was out planting even more, it occurred to me that people who see my garden assume that I have a ‘green thumb’. That thought sent me on a tumble of thoughts regarding what a ‘green thumb’ really is.

In my 20’s the thought of a garden was overwhelming. I didn’t know where to start or what to plant. My finances were limited as well so many times I just gave up. I knew I couldn’t have the full lush garden that I wanted because I couldn’t afford it. It never occurred to me that I needed to develop a plan or a goal of how I wanted it to look and start out taking it a step at a time. Instead of spending years with nothing, I would have seen a progressive garden until after the eight years of living in that house and still not having the flower garden of my dreams, I would have had a garden with eight years of additions and growth.

Many times we do that in our personal lives as well. We feel that the goal is so overwhelming that we don’t even attempt it because we can’t have it all right now. So, we do nothing until many years down the road we look back and see that if we had just moved forward, we would have been done by now. One analogy is going to college. When you are 18 the thought of 4 additional years of going to school, seems like such a long time. When my daughter was 23 she looked back one day and said, “If I had only stayed in school, I would be finished by now.”

The few attempts I did make when I was in my 20’s to plant things met with marginal results. Some things grew. Some things did not. It was frustrating. I would loose interest. If they grew, they grew. If they didn’t, they didn’t.

As I got older, in my 30’s, I put much more effort toward my gardening. I would walk miles of aisles in the garden centers and picked what I thought would be pretty. I would take them home and plant them. Again I was met with marginal results. Some grew, a lot did not. But each year I would try again.

Finally I really wanted to know why my plants were not growing. So, I began to read the package instructions and books. I began to consider the planting conditions where I was planting them. In the arrogance of youth I just planted them and assumed they would grow, that they should grow without effort from me.

Once I realized more attention and determination from me was warranted, I still was arrogant enough to believe that I could plant whatever I wanted, wherever I wanted and that it would grow.

Once I found that if I followed the rules and tended them regularly, my success rate in gardening was miraculous. I was never one to follow the rules in anything when I was young. I suppose we have a choice to follow the rules or not, but will we receive the outcome that we desire? Do you want a garden that others exclaim, “What a green thumb you have,” then you must follow the rules and you must put forth the work that the garden requires.

My garden gives me back far more than I ever put into it. Yes, I do work for hours on end, pulling weeds, planting, watering, feeding, pruning and just tending it. But the joy and peace of the tranquil setting that it provides, money and time cannot buy.

Do I have a green thumb? Well all I know is that I work hard and follow the rules, but make sure I enjoy it all along the way.


Nancy Jackson, daydreamer extraordinaire

 DAY JOB LINKS...
Dreams Do Come True
Dragonfly In Amber Designs

Emergency Godcast System

How many moments in our lives could truly be labeled, “Attention. Attention. This is a test of the emergency GODCAST system!”?

As children of God we are continually being tested as to our quality. I Peter 4:12 in the Amplified reads, “Beloved, do not be amazed and bewildered at the fiery ordeal which is taking place to test your quality, as though something strange (unusual and alien to you and your position) were befalling you.” Emphasis mine.

Sometimes it takes years before we even realize that we are being tested. We look at it as just another of life’s experiences and act according to our impulses. Then at some point we begin to realize that it is a test and that God does desire a specific reaction from us in any given situation. The tests are not for God's benefit to see how we will react but for our own benefit; for our growth.

The awesome news is that being such a good God, a perfect father, He has given us the answer to every test, every encounter, and every crisis. And they are all open book tests!

In college there were rare instances when an instructor would allow us to take a test as an open book test. The only problem with that is, if I did not know the material ahead of time, having read and studied it previously, I would spend my time frantically searching, almost in a panic for the answers. Many times I was reading the material for the first time and there just wasn’t time to do that.

If I had at least read the material, then I had a vague idea where to find the answers, but still had to do quite a bit of reading and re-reading to be certain that I was finding the correct answer.

However, if I had done my job beforehand, reading and studying diligently the text material, I could many times just confidently answer the questions without even looking. Then, with leftover time, I would go to the text to confirm my answers. Oh my, what a wonderful feeling that was.

The same is true of life and God’s tests. Until we realize we are even in a test, we may not even open the text, the bible. When we realize we are being tested, but don’t know the text, we many times spend our time frantically searching and searching for the correct answers.

If, as we grow, we begin to spend time reading the text over and over when not in the middle of a test, we begin to know it. When a test comes we have a vague idea where and what the answer is, but still spend time reading and re-reading to find it exactly.

One thing I know for sure, that I have learned after a lifetime of growing from a ‘child’ of God into a mature ‘daughter’ of God, is that we will be given the same tests over and over again until we certainly pass them. I have always hated to re-take tests.

I am very grateful that after years of reading and studying the life-giving Word, I have grown to the point where I not only readily recognize a test, but many times don’t have to search frantically for the answer, I just respond in the manner which is appropriate.

Ease of life is just simply operating by what the text has taught me. After years of reading, studying and praying it has become part of me. It has changed me. It seems now that the tests have become fewer and fewer. Or maybe it is just that my response time has quickened to the point that I no longer sense it as a test. Or could it be, that through reading the text for so many years, I have come to know the author so well that I can simply respond as He intended?

But of one thing I am certain, the tests will never stop. There will always be another test which I haven’t encountered. Oh but what a feeling to act confidently, and then go to the text to confirm my answer with time to spare!

Nancy Jackson, daydreamer extraordinaire

DAY JOB LINKS...
Dreams Do Come True
Dragonfly In Amber Designs

Roller Coaster Real Estate

Last year was a roller coaster ride for me in the world of Real Estate.  I dealt with some absolutely awesome people.  Great clients who will forever be friends.

I met some really great professional Realtors too whom I look forward to working with again.  But then there were those transactions where the clients were less that pliable and the Realtors were just plain mean.

It was during one of those particularly gloomy days when I thought the pain of dealing with those difficult people would never end, that I wrote this last year.

I believe that no matter what job you hold you will experience difficult people.  I hope that this will give you some encouragement in how to deal with them.

As a godly woman trying her best to exhibit the ethics and maturity that God has spent years teaching me, I struggle with those businessmen and women whose only means of doing business is through intimidation and bully tactics.


I work very hard at my job and try my very best to go above and beyond in service to my clients. But then I get those clients whom I can’t, please and their only mode of operation is by intimidation and forced control. If their property isn’t selling, it has to be my fault, not the short comings of the property. Therefore they resort to bully tactics to get me to perform up to their standards, no matter the effort I’ve put into selling their property.


The temptation to resort to their level and begin a dialog of strong biting and cutting words is strong. Many years ago, well maybe not so many, I would have quickly resorted to my natural instinct to just let loose and cut them to the quick with strategically placed adjectives which showed my wit and intelligence and their lack of it.


But God has shown me repeatedly in His word that I am to live by a higher standard. I am to allow a measure of this without recourse of my own. “Vengeance is mine, sayeth the Lord.” (My own paraphrase.) He commands us to not enter into shouting matches to defend our honor, but be calm and gentle and allow Him to fight for our honor.


So my struggle today is to find the balance where my responses to the bullies of this world should stop and allow God to begin. I used to beat myself up for not being able to sell an inferior product or a product that the public just did not want. But I’ve laid that guilt trip down because I know how hard I work for every client I have and the effort I put into selling homes.


So, if a home is not selling, it is not from my lack of effort and I will not take responsibility for the state of the economy, the location of the property or the condition it is in. I will not allow the guilt that the bullies of this world try to manipulate me with, affect me. Because I know, even if no one else can see, that I have worked hard and done the best job that the circumstances will allow.


For those of you out there today that struggle with working with godly values in an anti-god world, it is time to draw your line in the sand and stop defending yourselves. These are the things that you need to do.


1. Do the best job you know how to do for each client


2. Do not submit to being bullied or intimidated, but calmly respond with only the most necessary communication in a gentle voice or manner.


3. Do not allow them to cause you to feel guilty for poor performance when you know you have done your best.


4. Do not feel the need to defend yourself, explaining all that you have done for them in an attempt to make them feel guilty for attacking you.


5. Do give it to God and allow Him to guide you through the communication process with this person, being sensitive to the Holy Spirit while being slow to speak.


6. Do not allow yourself to feel burdened by their anger and contempt.


7. Do know when to walk away from the relationship after having done all that you can and they are still not satisfied.


We all face these kinds of clients in our world today. Because we care about the kind of job we do and the reputation we carry, we endeavor to work hard to make every client happy, which many times leads us into being manipulation and intimidated. When this happens we usually respond one of two ways, we loose our cool and unleash a verbal vengeance upon them or we have an emotional meltdown. Either way is not good.


Remember to stay strong in the might and the power of the Lord. Stay cool under pressure and know when to walk away. When you do walk away, resist the urge to tell them all that you have done for them. It is only natural that we want them to know how hard we have worked and to glorify everything we did for them, which they may not know about. We don’t want to walk away without them knowing how wonderful we are and how hard we worked for them.


But, this never works. It only leads to a shouting match or an intimidation of the wills. It is best to calmly walk away and allow God to reveal to them your character and work ethic. He surely does a much better job of that than we do. Do as Jesus instructed the disciples in the bible to do when they were not accepted in a town or a home. Leave and shake the dust from your feet as a symbol that you have left it behind and left it to God.

Nancy Jackson, daydreamer extraordinair

DAY JOB LINKS...
Dreams Do Come True
Dragonfly In Amber Designs

Love and It’s Fullness

I wrote this last summer when taking the Love Dare class.  I felt it was very fitting for Valentine's Week!


In my time with the Lord this week He specifically led me to Philippians 1:9-11. I had previously read it and had also underlined it. But as I read it this time I sensed that there was a much deeper meaning, which yearned to be revealed. I wanted it to soak into my being so, I asked God to help me to get it, really get it, in a new and fresh and powerful way. This is what I have come to realize through this verse.


Verse 9 reads:
And this, I pray: that your love may abound yet more and more and extend to its fullest development in knowledge and all keen insight. Amplified minus the parenthesis


The first thing that stood out to me was that love has knowledge and keen insight. We have often thought of love as being simply an emotion, not an entity with knowledge and insight. But the truth is, love is a verb. It is something you do. Then I began to think, what was this knowledge and keen insight that love had.


Also in this verse it talks about love being developed more and more. So it has a beginning, but from that beginning it can be developed into a fullness beyond what it was originally. Sounds like exercise to me. We have muscles, but it is only when we exercise that they become fuller and fuller.


Verse 10 reads:
So, that you may surely learn to sense what is vital, and approve and prize what is excellent and of real value and that you may be untainted and pure and unerring and blameless. Amplified minus the parenthesis


As I was meditating on these scriptures I began to realize that by exercising our love and developing it to its fullest, we begin to learn what is of true value intuitively, and that understanding causes us to make moral and right decisions which lead to purity. This happens automatically apart from our own effort because it is life transformation.


The actions will be birthed out of a fully developed love and not out of obligation to follow a moral set of rules. Because our love has become so developed, the knowledge and keen insight that love has will create in us automatically a caliber of living that is reflective of Christ in us.


Verse 11 reads:
May you abound in and be filled with the fruits of righteousness which come through Jesus Christ to the honor and praise of God. Amplified minus the parenthesis


When reading the parenthesis in this amplified verse I began to see a defined purpose in developing our love. The parenthesis at the end of verse 11 say [that His glory may be both manifested and recognized].


I meditated on these scriptures for several days to allow God to fully reveal the deep meaning in these scriptures. I saw more and more each day the depth of the meaning behind them. Here is a summary of what I feel is the meaning of these scriptures.


We are to purposely exercise our love toward everyone by drawing from Jesus himself and funneling His love, Himself to others. We are to exercise love daily using it actively each and every moment. As it grows, we will automatically begin to make right and moral decisions. As we begin to make these right and moral decisions our lives will become more and more a reflection of Christ in us. And through this, God’s glory will not only be manifest in our lives, but it will be recognized by others and all men will be drawn to Him.


…faith, hope and love, and the greatest of these is love. I Cor. 13:13




Nancy Jackson, daydreamer extraordinaire


DAY JOB LINKS...
Dreams Do Come True
Dragonfly In Amber Designs

Boys Boys Boys

February 4, 2010

Now boys on the other hand are all about food! No - LOL - but men are more about the physical comforts of life. You would never catch a man wearing 3' spike heals until their feet bled just because they looked good! I'm not sure if a gun to their head would even make them do that! But you can always touch a mans heart through his stomach! But God did create men, tall boys, uniquely from girls.


I've raised two sons and one daughter. I now have 8 grandchildren, 6 of which are boys!!!! I have two precious girls which are like bookends to the boys. One granddaughter is my oldest grandchild and the other is my youngest grandchild. So when I say this I speak from experience.

I believe that God created boys and girls distinctly different for a reason. Of course there are exceptions to the rule and nurture does play a large part in directing what nature started, but for the most part boys and girls have distinct differences in their genetic make-up.

When my youngest granddaughter came along we were all so tired of blue and boys that we binged on pink. EVERYTHING went pink. And of course fluffy and frilly and fru fru... Well, I don't know if it was nature or nurture, but Kenley is the prissiest girliest girl I know for 2 years of age. She has sat still for mani and pedicures for a year now. I can't even get a boy to sit still for a quick buzz haircut!

Boys are all about action. How many times have you heard a man say in relation to a movie, play or tv show, "Does it have any action?". You really could strip all the plot out and just leave the bang bang shoot 'em up and they would be fine. Maybe that is why the military chanel can feature an entire day of gun stuff and keep men transfixed to the screen.

Women are all about pretty and soft, again their are exceptions to the rule, but you can't deny that women are geared to have a much more nurturing personality and demeanor. If we had our way all the tanks would be pink and the boots would have boot jewelry. (Those of you who know me know what that is all about.)

But enough about the differences of boys and girls. Here is the point to today's post. I think from all the turmoil in our homes we have done our children a disservice. Mothers tell their little boys to stop running, put that down, stop banging that stick, don't hit, quit scuffling and so on and so on. It is our nature to be peace makers.

But I believe that God gave boys a warrior spirit and it is there for a reason. Men have had to fight since the beginning of time to preserve their family and home physically. There has never been a time without war. Warriors are tough and seasoned to difficulties. They don't get sqeemish in a difficult situation, but keep their heads and think clearly for a plan of attack.

Today not as many men go to war. But that doesn't mean that they don't need that warrior spirit which God gave them. Why, you ask, would they need that if they were not going to war. Because they still need to fight for their families. They need to fight in faith against an unseen enemy who is just as ruthless as any ever seen. They need to be tough and strong when the world says the economy is going down the tubes and assure their family that he will fight for them and they will flourish as he seeks God.

I believe with all my heart that children need to be raised by two parents. They need that balance. I think as mothers we tend to nurture the softer side of our sons rather than that warrior spirit which is often offensive to us. Men need fathers to nurture that part of boys. Only they know how to truly do that.

If you are a single mom please don't be discouraged by this post. I was a single mom most of my life. You can do it. My boys are tough. I let go and let them be boys, as if there would have been any stopping it. So if you are a single mom allow your son to spend guy time with a grandfather or uncle or a good male friend of the family. Let them get dirty and stinky and hit things. For when it is all over they will want your soft gently arms to rest in as they sleep.

Now for the girls... Click HERE

Nancy Jackson, daydreamer extraordinaire


DAY JOB LINKS...
Dreams Do Come True
Dragonfly In Amber Designs