Christian Millionaire

Club 1000 Filial

2008-10-15T17:07:00.000-07:00

God's Embassy Church in University Place, Washington is gathering a group of 1,000 Christians in the hopes of making them millionaires who will make a difference in the world. The church's website kuksenko.com states, "to become someone with a great destiny and influence in history, it is vital to know the secrets of success." The group of entrepreneurs plans to gather once every 3 months for seminars and training. The mission of these like minded individuals is to influence economies around the world, to be the answer to the worlds social needs, and to accumulate and connect finances to be used to support Kingdom projects.

I wish I could read more, but most of the website must be in Russian. I couldn't read a word! :-) If you read Russian, check out the website!!

Millionaires vs. Convicts

2008-06-30T09:11:00.000-07:00

Working at Central Booking (where the police bring arrestees, they get told what their bail is, and sometimes stay until their court date) is interesting after spending over a year interviewing people about success. Now, I'm surrounded by people at the other end of the spectrum.

The majority of inmates I see were arrested on drug charges - either using or selling illegal substances.

It took me about a week to understand why the health of some inmates is so bad. When they're on the streets using drugs or drinking too much alcohol, they focus only on the drugs and don't pay any attention to their health. I see them after they've been incarcerated for about a week. By that time, they've gone through all their withdrawals and may be free of drugs for the first time in years.

That's when they realize, "Hey, my mouth hurts. I have only 4 teeth, and they're all broken."

Seriously.

There are some extremes of illnesses here. It's probably the only place I could work where I'd see every STD within the first 2 weeks. I've seen bleeding rashes from HIV, sent 2 people to the hospital after being shanked (stabbed with prison-made knives of some sort), and all sorts of other crazy things.

The guy with HIV, Hepatitis C, and the bleeding rash (the rash itched and he scratched it until it bled) didn't want to be treated. I couldn't let him stay on the floor with the other inmates the way he was. He could have caught a nasty infection (there are a lot of nasty germs just waiting to be picked up. I've already seen 2 cases of MRSA abscesses) not to mention spread an infection to someone else. The nurses were busy so my choices were: have the officers move him to another floor and put him in segregation or bandage his arms. I chose to bandage his arms. It was the least amount of work for anyone. As I put the bandages over the worst spots on his arms, he complained, "Would you stop? You're making this hard for me. It's hard enough in there without everyone knowing my business."

The inmates know that HIV causes itchy arm rashes and give anyone with an arm rash a problem. So the patient didn't want the stigma of having everyone know he has HIV. My bandages brought more attention to him.

Well, I had to do what I had to do.

Millionaires vs Inmates

2008-06-30T08:57:00.001-07:00

Great Site About Content Marketing

2008-05-08T13:08:00.000-07:00

If you've never heard of Junta42 marketing and you sell products of any type, you NEED to visit this site. Junta42 focuses on content marketing - giving customers valuable information and gaining their trust and business through e-books, websites, magazines, etc... that aren't sales-y. Tons of info for the entrepreneur interested in creating a valuable brand.

Junta42

Christian Perspectives on the Stock Market

2008-05-08T06:35:00.000-07:00

I found an interesting blog today by Greg Womack, a certified financial planner and a Christian. It covers stock market trends and other important financial issues for people interested in gaining knowledge about money, financing, and investing. He's also written a book, but I haven't read it yet. Check out his blog: Greg Womack

Conquering Fear and Coming Out Ahead

2008-05-06T11:27:00.001-07:00

I had to deal with a very difficult family situation today. I prayed about it all last night - even had a dream where a doctor told me what to do. Unfortunately, that doctor in my head told me the wrong thing to do, so it wasn't any help. I had to pray some more this morning and ask God for an opening to deal with the situation.

To me, everything about life is a chance to succeed on our walk for the Lord or fail. I knew this situation was one that I needed to do right. Failure would have severe consequences for a lot of people.

God did give me that opening today. I confronted the person on a difficult issue, and we were able to deal with it in the way that I knew was God's best for the situation.

In the past, I would have looked the other way, because I have a fear of confrontation. Instead, I prayed, I waited - like Queen Esther - for that right moment, and I stepped gently but boldly in truth.

I'm feeling good about conquering that fear. I know I don't always walk right. Too often I let fear hold me back and keep me from the rewards God often gives after I do the tough thing.

The Best Advice is Free (or at least very cheap)

2008-04-30T12:48:00.000-07:00

I went to an estate sale last Saturday to bid on a property that needed a lot of work. I'm part of an investment group that's looking to rehab run down properties into something beautiful any homeowner would love.

I went with a real estate agent I hadn't met before, but who has been in the business for 19 years. He regularly works with investors and taught me a lot at that sale about what to do and what not to do.

The auctioneer (his last name's Parish) called out that he has a real estate course for investors if anyone was interested (Investors United School of Real Estate). I suppose he was assuming that most of the people in the crowd were interested in reselling the property - not living in it.

I asked my real estate agent if the course was worth the money. "It costs thousands, right? Most of these programs do. Is it worth it?" He told me that he'd had several graduates of the course work with him, and they still didn't know the basics. "Don't waste your money," he said.

In the front of his book, Creating Success from the Inside Out, Ephren Taylor says, "I want to be really clear about one point: I'm not here to give you a 'How-To' guide to riches and fame. Anybody who tries to offer you his or her step-by-step 'E-Z Guide' to achieving wealth is usually selling something of little value. In fact, the value is almost the inverse of the cost of the information: in other words, the more expensive the course, the less real-world value it often has."

Instead, Ephren suggests reading the Bible and learning how successful people think. (Reading his book is a great way to do that. Ephren's the youngest-ever African-American CEO of a publicly traded company. Learn more about Ephren.)

Bottom line: I'm not taking a real estate course. I'm going to keep reading and working with this successful real estate agent. He gives great free advice. After all, out of it he gets a regular client who's going to make him money.

Amy Grant and Trisha Yearwood on Gratitude and Family

2008-04-22T09:47:00.000-07:00

From: Your Family Table

Amy Grant recognizes the value of making small changes to improve her family's health and well-being. She balances a busy work schedule with much-needed family time by keeping the right perspective and never losing sight of the bigger pictures. "Say out loud the things you are grateful for," she explains. "Gratitude is a good beginning for physical health, for emotional halth and for spiritual health."

Trisha Yearwood acknowledges her family has been central to her success. "The encouragement along the way from my parents...those little things they said that stayed with me," she says. "I think that's a major reason why I'm here." As for making small changes in cooking, exercise and attitude, Yearwood's stance is "Everything in moderation, including moderation!"

Amy, Trisha, and Little Big Town will be appearing together on the Great American Country Channel for the next few months. If you're a fan, you should check it out.

Thursday 4/24 at 8:30 pm and 12:30 am
Friday 4/25 at 1 pm, 10:30 pm, and 2:30 am
Friday 4/25 at 10:30 pm and 2:30 am
Saturday 5/3 at 2:30 pm
Sunday 5/4 at 5:30 pm
Monday 5/5 at 9 pm and 1 am
Tuesday 5/6 at 1 pm
Saturday 5/10 at 2:30 pm
Sunday 5/11 at 4 pm
Friday 6/13 at 1 pm and 2:30 am
Saturday 6/14 at 9:30 am and 5 pm

Kim Alexis has a new show!

2008-04-18T07:45:00.001-07:00

Supermodel Kim Alexis, a wonderful role model for Christian women, stay at home moms, working moms, and really, just about anyone, has a new show! She's the host of She's Got the Look, a reality show that's looking for the next supermodel over the age of 35. She'll help judge gorgeous women in the prime of their lives and give one lucky winner a chance at a supermodel career.

She's Got the Look

Role of Millionaires in Our Troubled Economy?

2008-04-17T13:01:00.000-07:00

What do you think millionaires should be doing to improve our economy?

I have a friend who helps people facing foreclosure by buying their houses. She then sells them "rent to own" to people almost ready to buy their own homes. What she's doing saves one person's credit rating and helps another own their own piece of heaven.

As far as things that haven't been done yet, I'd like to see someone start a car company that completely boycotts the use of traditional oil and gas sources. What about selling cars that run 100% on biodiesel? What about Walmart or independent gas dealers selling biodiesel at their stores?

What are your ideas?

The "LAW" of Abundance

2008-04-15T12:44:00.000-07:00

I've read a lot of books by self-help gurus about the law of abundance. In "The Richest Man In Babylon" - a classic in the how-to-get-rich genre - we're told to give 10% of our income away to others. When we do, the universe gives us more money.

Why is it that this law of abundance works for anyone? Christians are told to give 10% of their money to God without a promise of monetary reward. Christians may wonder why people like Bill Gates and Oprah, who have so much and give so much away, still get more money. Is it the law of abundance?

I don't think there's any such thing as the universe giving us more when we give something away. That's a nonsense way to say that something without any thought processes what so ever (the universe) knows when we're generous and repays us.

A friend of mine named David (not a millionaire, just a very smart man who knows business and has built up multiple companies to million dollar status) believes that God wants Christians to give money away. God's not limited to using Christians, though. According to him, God will give more money to anyone who gives money away generously. They're just a means to getting money to those who need it most.

Oprah's Big Give is a great example of someone without a traditional Christian view of God giving generously and receiving lots of money in payment for even putting the program on the air. Do you think Oprah's not making money off of this? Of course she is. But, many people are waking up to the idea that it feels great to do wonderful things for others who can never pay you back.

According to David, God places more money in the hands of those who are generous, because he knows they'll give it to the poor and needy. It's not a law of abundance - it's the law of God's abundance.

That makes a lot of sense to me.

Great Blog

2007-09-20T07:57:00.000-07:00

If you're looking for advice from millionaires, because you're in need of money. I can't recommend Dave Ramsey highly enough. He has good common sense for everyone from those deeply in debt to those looking to invest in the future, probably because he lost it all and then more than earned that money back. Good Stuff!

http://www.daveramsey.com

Success in Little Things

2007-09-11T09:46:00.000-07:00

A woman came to my house to pick up cloth diapers for her daughter. "We just moved into a town house," she said. "I'm living there with my two children, son-in-law, grandson, and soon a newborn. Thanks so much for giving us the diapers. Money is so tight right now."

She started to walk away, and I looked down at the big plastic tub next to my feet. It was packed full of newborn clothes from my 4 daughters. I had planned on taking it to a yard sale the day before, but the tub had never made it, languishing under the tree in my front yard.

"Is your daughter having a boy or a girl?" I yelled across the yard to the woman who was stuffing two big white kitchen bags full of cloth diapers into her car.

"A girl."

"Do you need any clothes? I have a whole tub full of newborn girls clothes here."

The woman came back from her car. "Oh, we could really use them. I only have the grandson, and we only have boy clothes." I knew from her previous comment and thankfulness for free cloth diapers that clothes would be a struggle too. I gave her all of the clothes in the tub. "Thank you. These are such a blessing," she said.

I felt like a millionaire. Money is a tool of blessing that God gives us, and so are many other things in our lives. As we look at the purpose of money, let's not forget that God gives us opportunities to bless others right where we are, right now. He made sure I put that tub in my front yard so it would be handy when the woman came for the diapers. He wanted me to be His hand in action. Money gives us more opportunities to be His hands in action. I thank God that when we bless others, we receive a blessing from Him.

They'd Rather Not Be Bothered

2007-08-03T06:38:00.000-07:00

"We do our own surveys at our conferences," says Catherine Eagan, founder of the Wealthy Women seminars. The respondents state that, "if I have money, people will ask me for it, and I don't want to be bothered with having to give money to people or have people ask me for money." Most people would rather not have money than have people bugging them for money.

In his autobiography, Chuck Norris explains his method for dealing with these issues. Apparently, many people have tried to get him to promote products, give money to worthy causes, and contribute in other ways because of his success. He prays through each legitimate request and participates only when God tells him too.

Isn't that how we should deal with everything in our lives? Ask God what we should do? Many of us waste the only thing we can't have more of - time - on things God doesn't want us to do. It isn't any different than people asking us for our money.

I waste time every day. I offer to search the Internet for something a friend (who has his own Internet connection) needs. I watch a pointless movie on TV. I read e-mail 20 times a day.

If we're worried about people asking us for money, why aren't we more concerned with things that steal our time? We can earn more money, but nothing we do will give us more time than God has planned for us. I think we all need to learn to use it more wisely.

More to Life than Football

2007-07-29T22:20:00.001-07:00

I just read an article about Aaron Kampman, the NFC's leading sacker (for the non-football savvy it means he took down more quarterbacks holding footballs than anyone else last year). It turns out he's a Christian, and he and his wife love helping others. After football they hope to, "help people and bring reconciliation to hurting people around the world."

How great is that! Last year he signed a $21 million contract extention to play 4 more years of football for the Packers, yet he's level-headed enough to not want to buy everything he wants. "If I want my sons to learn not to have this instant gratification thing, then they can't see me go out and buy whatever I want whenever I think I need something. Those are the types of lessons my parents helped me understand."

He's got a lot more to say, but you'll have to read it on the Iowa City Press-Citizen's website: http://www.hawkcentral.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070729/HAWKS0104/707290320/1058

Success with Kids

2007-07-25T04:52:00.000-07:00

Rhonda Anderson, co-founder of Creative Memories, began her business when her kids were ages newborn, 2, 4, and 6. She homeschooled her children for a number of years, never let them watch network TV, and yet still found time to create a successful business. She had a couple of secrets.

Allow the kids to watch preapproved videos

Do a little bit every day

Don't watch TV

Schedule business time every day

It's not a complicated list, but anyone can make a little extra time by following Rhonda's lead.