“Can we really afford to wait?”

By: Evangelist Scott Grimm

pert two of “Surviving the famine in your life”

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by: Evangelist Scott Grimm

How many of us can attest to the fact, the truth, that at some point in time we have been in a famine, in a desert, in a dark and gloomy place where we were depressed beyond description? Where we thought we would never find our way out. Where all of our thoughts were continually evil and we were hopeless? We had no way out. We were imprisoned in our situation, hopeless in our thought life, and stuck in the present?

I know I have been there on numerous occasions. Points in my {past} life where hope was no where to be found. Periods of incredible insecurity and loneliness. Times as a young man that fear dominated every part of my being. Strange imaginations that ran wild in my mind that gave me no hope. Only depression, desperation and deep, deep thoughts of loneliness.

Tough and uncertain economic times where I didn’t know where the next meal would come from. How I was going to pay the bills? Even worse a time where I lost my position and income with a house full of kids! Thank God that at that particular time in my life I was a believer in Christ and had a strong foundation of faith, built upon His word and my relationship with Him. Quite frankly had it not been for that I can’t imagine where I would be today.

Maybe you are in one of those dry places today. You have lost your job, you are wondering how you are going to survive? You may be faced with losing your home and you are carrying an incredible burden of family and finances. You may feel all alone, afraid, terrified not knowing what to do. You have tried everything you know how and nothing seems to be working. If this, or any part of it, describes you know that you are not alone!

Throughout history man has found himself wondering in the wilderness. Having what I would call a desert experience. A time of “famine” in the land when everything has dried up. Life sometimes can be a cruel and difficult journey. A journey where often times we find ourselves vulnerable and in need. A time where our strength, our craftiness, our intellect, our efforts are just not enough. No matter how hard we try, no matter how determined we are, we cannot find our way out of the desert. Try as you may nothing seems to be working.

Gods people experienced many “famines” in the land. Many “desert” experiences where they were taken to such extremes that they questioned if God even existed. Perhaps this describes where you are right now. If so let me be the first to give you hope. You are not alone. God does exist and He knows every need you have. If you are having a famine in your life God is just waiting to lead you to the promised land of provision He has for you. A land flowing with milk and honey! Sound to good to be true? Well let’s look at a few men of faith and see how God brought them up and out of “Egypt” and into the promised land.

In the Book of Genesis Ch.12 God instructs Abram to get out of the land he was in and to go to a land where God would show him. Abram wanting to please God and believing that God would bless him, obeyed. Now mind you Abram was doing quite well. He had cattle and sheep, and camels and a huge following of workers and servants. He was quite wealthy and living large at the time. But Abram made the decision to follow God. Not knowing where He was going he gathered up his possessions and family and followers and headed for the promised land!

Not far into the journey something unexpected came along. Gen.12:10 Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine was severe in the land.

Abram was following God and suddenly, unexpectedly he found himself away from home, in a land where he did not know anybody and was smack dab in the middle of a famine. It wasn’t just any famine it was a “severe” famine. To Abram’s credit he did not turn tail and run back home. Instead he withdrew his quest for Canaan for a time and went down to Egypt for there was plenty of food and water there. And Abram knew it.It was his choice. He knew that there were dangers in Egypt yet he also knew that there would be provision there for his family, servants and his flocks. One could question whether or not Abram lacked the faith to go on trusting God in the famine to provide for him but “do not judge”. We do not know what all the circumstances were. Abram had a great responsibility and the burden of many that he carried with him. The bondage of having great wealth. The heavy burden of having a large family. He made a decision to go where he knew his family, and his people would have what was needed to survive the famine. For that he is to be commended.

Here is Mathew Henry’s commentary on this passage; “Abram’s removal into Egypt, upon occasion of this famine. See how wisely God provides that there should be plenty in one place when there was scarcity in another. We must not expect needless miracles.”

Abram went where the help was available. And help he got. Although Abram failed to trust God totally to provide “protection” for him and his wife while in Egypt, nonetheless he trusted God’s already made provision for His people. That being the fertile land of Egypt that had not experienced the severe famine as in the land of Canaan.

Lesson number one in “Surviving the famine in your life?” Take what is being offered to you. Get help from where help is available. Abram could have acted like a religious zealot and starved his flocks and his people to death while in the famine. “Trusting God.” But instead he humbled himself and took the provisions where God had made them available! He did the practical.

We have most all heard the fictional story of the man who was in the flood. How when the flood was predicted a party was sent out to warn him that a flood was eminent. He refused to leave his home instead trusting that God would save him from the flood. And over and over again he would rather “trust” God to save him rather than get in the boat that God had provided for him and he drowned in the flood. When he finally drowned and went to heaven he asked God why He did not save him? God answered “what do you mean I sent all those people to warn you and even a boat to save you but you would not receive the help I sent you”. If you are in a famine in your life right now. Take the help that God is providing for you. Where is the Egypt you can turn to for provision? Don’t sit around waiting for a miracle when God has already made a way of provision for you.

Sometimes that involves humbling yourself and asking for help! That is exactly what Abram did. Abram had to make a decision. He chose wisely. He put the interest of his family and flock ahead of his own and made sure they were provided for and they were able to continue on in their journey towards the promise land! Do the practical and accept whatever provision God is providing for you! Don’t expect God to a needless miracle.

I would like to pause here for a moment and reflect on a point. Another lesson from Abram’s journey. In Chapter 13 after Abram’s Egypt experience we find that Abram went right back to the very place where he left off his journey. Between Bethel and Ai. Why is this significant? I believe it points to the fact that many of us have our sights set on the promised land and then some terrible “famine” comes along like the recession and economic mess we in America and many other parts of the world are experiencing now and we lose hope. We can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. We think that everything we have worked for has been swallowed up and we give up hope. But what the story tells us is that we will have setbacks on the way. Famines and droughts that come into our lives and slowwww us down from reaching our goals. That is just a part of life! Buttttttttt it is never to late to start over. We just pick up “right where we left off” before the famine hit and continue from there on our journey to the promised land. That is what Abram did and that is what you and I must do as well. Pick up where we left off.

Lesson number 2. on “Surviving the famine in your life?” Pick up where you left off and keep marching towards the promised land! Remember God allows these famines in our lives for a reason. He wants to teach us to trust Him. He uses these difficulties in our lives to build His character in us. He may be humbling you and setting your priorities back on track. We know that “…all things work together for good to those who love God…” Romans 8:28

Whenever God gives a message to be preached it is most always for the preacher first. I would like to share a personal testimony here. About 7-8 years ago I was in full time Christian ministry. I was executive director of a faith based urban ministry in Youngstown, Ohio called the Nehemiah project. God had called me to leave my pastorate in evangelism at my local Church and spearhead this new city wide ministry of helps. It was not my idea. I was very comfortable in my position at the church and loved what I was doing. I really struggled with this decision until our Pastor preached a message “Here I am Lord send me”. I heard God’s voice and said yes, o.k. Lord I’ll do it. For the next year I witnessed miracle after miracle as God continued to provide for our ministry. It was a time of great blessing and reward as I and others learned to trust God and follow His lead in this dynamic and powerful ministry.

I used the book of Nehemiah as my guide for building the ministry. I followed Nehemiah’s steps and made every effort to be an example to my team and to the flock that God had called me to lead. During that year I learned more about trusting God than at any other time of my life. At least so I thought.

Suddenly and without warning {although God had revealed there was a snake in the wood pile}I was asked to step down as executive director of the ministry. I was married and had three small children at the time and this was my only income. In addition I had given my all to the ministry that I so dearly loved. But like it or not I had to step down. Suddenly and without warning a “famine” came into my life. Now mind you while heading up the ministry I trusted God for provision and time and time and again He provided. Sometimes miraculously and others practically. But He always provided our needs. I don’t have time to get into all the ways that God provided for that ministry, that will be for another time. However during that time I walked with God. But I never expected what was coming my way.

Out of nowhere suddenly my ministry, reputation and income was stripped away from me. And with no valid reason given. Only that there were “problems” in the ministry and that the Board felt it was due to my poor leadership. I asked for specifics but they refused to elaborate. I went and got counsel from some of the finest Biblical counselors in the country and they, after hearing both sides of the story, advised me to leave the ministry that I had loved. They felt that there was jealousy on the part of some in the ministry and that they {some on the board} did not have the grit and faith that I had that was necessary to lead this type of ministry!

Yes suddenly I had a “famine” in my own life that shook me to the core. I trusted God while leading that ministry. And He always provided. We did the practical and He did the miraculous. But man got in the way.

I love them and forgive them for what took place but it did not change the fact that I was in a “desert” place. It was one thing to trust God in the ministry it was quite another to learn to trust him out on my own. Away from even those in the Church who I trusted the most! My prayer partners? Suddenly and without warning! With nowhere to go I went back to “Egypt” and began doing landscaping {the practical} to put food on my table. But that is not my promised land.

God called me to be a “fisher of men”. While I have done that over the years while “tent making” {working while ministering the Word}. It is not the same for me. Now I am going back to the place where I started. Back to the place where I pitched my tent between “Bethel and Ai”. Its has been seven or eight years in Egypt now, but that provision seems to be drying up. It’s time to move on, or should I say to go back to “Bethel”. Back to the ministry that God has called me to. Thank you Jesus for the journey.

Lesson 3. on “Surviving the famine in your land” Have faith in God! Never lose sight of the promised land!{His promises}

Gen. 13:14 And the Lord said to Abram, ………lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are – northward, southward, eastward, and westward; for all the land that you see I give to you and your descendants forever.

Abram, being a man of faith, never lost sight of the promised land. Yes, even while in Egypt, he knew that when God makes a promise He delivers!

Abram who later became Abraham “the father of many nations,” was certainly not alone in the Bible, as the list of men and women who had faith in God in the midst of some severe famines or droughts in their lives. Far from it.

Consider Daniel in the den with the lions! How about Joseph “the dreamer” who stood on God’s promise that someday He would rule over his brothers, even while he was left for dead in a pit, sold into slavery, falsely accused and imprisoned? And I could go on and on. But do not take my word for it.

Listen to what the Word of God says in Hebrews 11 about having faith in God in the midst of difficulties.

 1Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 2This is what the ancients were commended for. 3By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. 4By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead. 5By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.  7By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. 8By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

Keep your eyes on the promise land. Heaven is our home. God is on the throne. This to shall come to pass!

Three practical lessons for “Surviving the famine in your life.”

1. Do the practical and take the help that God is giving you!

2. After the famine is over pick up where you left off.

3. Have faith in God!

If this message has been an encouragement to you please let us know. If you would like to donate to our ministry please send your check to :

Scott Grimm Ministries

2623 SW 46^th Terrace

Cape Coral, Florida 33914

or you can donate on line @ http://scottgrimm.com

God Bless You!

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1. Time; Rome was not built in a night and neither will your site be! Truth is it takes about 90-120 days to build an effective web presence. Take into consideration the learning curve of investigating which type of site you will need? Will you be your own web master? How will you generate traffic to your site? What about your marketing, logo, pay site? Truth is effective Internet Marketing, like any other new business start up takes TIME!  And once you have your site up and running then the real work begins. The work of “Building Relationships”
2. Relationships; Your kidding right? The reason many people get into IM in the first place is to escape the difficult work of building genuine relationships! But the truth is you cannot escape it. Internet Marketing in the social network era requires soft skill sets that are absolutely essential  to success. How difficult is it?  Well I liken it to “Building Bridges”. As a contractor I know all to well the difficulties in building bridges. It takes time, resources, soft and hard skills and so many other things to build a bridge. Relationships are just as difficult if not more so. And don’t be deceived into thinking you can just “fake it” online. The “tribal leaders” will be all over you and if you are just trying to make a fast buck at the expense of some unsuspecting soul. You will be found out! 
3. Cash; This is one element that is of utmost importance, yet you seldom here about. Cash flow! Many people are deceived {not always intentional} into thinking that they can get in to IM with little or no money. Truth is we exchange our time for money. It takes a long time to build your business and the time you spend doing it could be time spent making money some other way! Not to mention the hundreds or thousands of dollars you will spend building your site, marketing, advertising etc. over a period of about three months just to get going! When researching opportunities this is one of the criteria my firm demands. That there is a cash flow generator that enables our down line to make money now! This is the number one cause of failure in my estimation to many network marketers. Lack of cash flow! So you either have to have some available for start up and cash flow to sustain you or have some way of generating income quickly to succeed. Its just the simple truth!
4. Personal Development; Many people are under the false impression that IM allows them the leeway to forgo certain personal development skill sets needed to build a business. My experience has found just the opposite to be true! As a matter of fact I believe it is critical to the IM success. We must constantly hone our skills in all facets of leadership, and personal development if we are going to build a successful Internet presence. While many Network Marketing opportunities provide personal development training for their recruits, it still must be applied! There are no short cuts to success!
5. Personality; Many have the false impression that they can skate on by on the net because people really do not know you. Again I believe that is the farthest thing from the Truth! As a matter of fact the social network era demands more transparency and genuineness than ever before. A lot of potential prospects give up when challenged to be transparent online, for fear of reprisal or not wanting to be known for who they really are. While I am not judging them the Truth is IM is not for the weak at heart! It takes honesty, grit, perseverance, and all the gusto and guts one can muster. If that doesn’t describe your personality and desires then it probably is not for you!
6. SYSTEM; Be it your own business or another’s opportunity, like any other business you must have a good system to succeed. Systems S.ave Y.our S.elf T.ime, E.nergy and M.oney! Fortunately many home based  MLM’s have a good system in place that will help one succeed, if followed. But even then about 98% of new recruits fail! Is it because the system failed? I don’t believe so. Truth is many recruits don’t possess the desire to succeed that is paramount to success! 
7. TEAM; Now this may throw many of you for a loop! Why would I need a Team to be successful with my online home based operation???? Truth is you need an organization, which you have to build, to succeed. Through building relationships and a network of faithful followers you then and only then can generate the type of referral system that is going to create true wealth from your opportunity!  You cannot do it alone. You may build an income but in order to generate wealth you must be skilled at leveraging your relationships with your soft skill savvy in order to succeed!
8. Education; If you are going to succeed in IM the you must be educated in it. Absorbed in it! You must have specialized education about it like you would any other business. Again don’t get the impression that just anyone can do it. It’s not true. You must learn and grow in all facets of IM. Stay up with the latest technologies, trends in the market and so on and so forth. Those that do succeed and those that do not fail! It’s that simple.
9. Desire; I know i mentioned this briefly before but without the strong “desire” to succeed odds are you will never make it in this business!  Your desire for freedom must be so strong that you are willing to do whatever it takes to succeed. For without that strong foundation you will give up and quit like so many do! Desire is the incubator of the mind. With it you will be able to overcome all obstacles that come your way, without it success is like grasping for the wind!
10. Family Support; If you are married or living at home with your parents, entering into a home base or web based business is something out of the ordinary. It is not traditional. So expect opposition from those who are around you. You are going to be around the house a whole lot more. While this should be a good thing it can also cause a lot of unforeseen problems. I believe the good outweigh the bad. However before you take on this new challenge get the support of your spouse! You will be glad you did.

I hope this adds value to your life as that is my number one goal in everything I do! Live your Dreams!

Scott

 http://scottgrimm.com

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In the beginning….and God said…. Genesis 3:19 “from the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground”

     In the beginning……..I grew up in a small, economically challenged town. The largest employer was a local General Motors plant where my father worked and eventually retired from. I really didn’t know my father all that well as my parents divorced when I was very young and Dad wasn’t around that much. As a matter of fact not at all! But one thing I do recall about my father was that he always went to work. I suppose that is where I learned my work ethic. But looking back on it the ethic that I learned was “you have to go to work!” But as I have learned just simply getting a job and going to work everyday doesn’t mean you acquire “financial freedom.” I know because it never happened to me! Just like my father I got a job, went to work everyday and thought that everything was going to be ok. But………………………………things don’t always work out that way do they?

 Life Lesson #1 In order to obtain financial freedom we must learn the disciplines of “acquiring and retaining” money. It is one thing to go out there and make money but it is an altogether different thing to keep it or retain it! Until we can learn how to do both we will never have financial freedom!

1.           The acquisition of money is the act of working hard at something and being paid to do it. It requires the daily disciplines of purposeful production be it for ourselves {self employed} or for someone else. {J.ust O.ver B.roke}

2.           Retaining money is learning the art of sowing and reaping. You have to have some seed to sow before you can reap any good thing. When we acquire some $eed from our hard work we have to keep some $eed for ourselves before we give it all away! {Spending} If we do not learn to save a portion for future use we will never accumulate wealth! Trust me I know. I am 48 years old and have little or no retirement because of my failure to learn this key to success. Although all of that is changing now!

If youth would know what age would crave, it would both get and save!

Twelfth Century Proverb.

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Welcome to Scott’s video blogpost; Three keys to building a huge network!  {Click on link to view video!} 

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While sitting in my room alone with myself and God I started reading some of those books that others had given me along with my Bible. George had given me several books to read. Some of his books were Christian books and some were not. It was in one of the books he gave me that I read about “the power of positive statements.”

While I do not remember the title or the author I do remember how when I applied these techniques to my life they worked!

Here’s how. The book said that when we first wake in the morning our thought mind is not yet sharp and wake but that our subconscious mind is. The book suggested that at that time and right before we go to bed is the best time to read to ourselves the positive statements we are trying to achieve in our lives. In my case I desperately wanted to quit smoking. I wrote down on a 3×5 index card “I love being a non smoker. I love the way it makes me feel.” I placed the index card on my mirror so it would be the first thing I saw in the morning and the last thing before I fell asleep.

Following the instructions in the book I would read this each time before I fell asleep and first thing out of bed. After I read the statement, I visualized myself as a non smoker with clean fresh breath and inhaling good clean oxygen. Although I was smoking better than a pack a day after thirty days the thought of smoking was enough to make me sick and I quit and never started again! Now mind you for the months leading up to this I tried unsuccessfully on many occasions to quit but each time it was a failure. This really works! Why? The Bible says “for as he [a man} thinks in his heart so is he.” Prov. 23:7

When we convince our subconscious minds that we are that someone that we really desire to be we will become that person. I love the scripture “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Phil. 4:13 and its spiritual implication.

During those many days in my cave I began to write scripture after scripture on my index cards and would take them with me everyday. Throughout the day I would pull out the card and memorize the scripture until I knew it in my heart! Of anything I have ever done in my entire life outside of accepting Christ as my Lord and Savior this is the most important! Knowing God’s Word and writing it on the tablet of your heart is critical to victorious living.

Success tip #8. Know the Word!

2Timothy 3:16-17 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

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As a new Christian I had some pretty difficult times ahead of me.
I was starting an entirely new life. I realized that I needed to stay
away from people, places and things that could cause me to stumble.
Thank God I had a wonderful church family who made a way for me to do
just that. I got very involved in my church and began to participate
in many different ministries. And most importantly I read and heard
Gods word on a daily basis.

Looking back on my life since becoming a Christian the single most
important discipline that God had placed within me was a love for His
Word. I began writing down scriptures that would speak to me on 3×5
index cards and would take them with me each day. Taking them out
during the day and reading them until they were memorized. Then I
would move on to the next one. I also read many other books that were
given to me by people who cared about me and wanted to help. One of
those people was George Landis.

I had met George while a supervisor at General Motors. George is a
motivational speaker, life coach and public speaking trainer. George
has consulted for some of the top fortune 500 companies. I was
introduced to him at a seminar that General Motors had sent me to for
public speaking. It was part of their employee training in personal
development. I guess they figured as a supervisor you probably needed
to acquire or hone your skills in speaking if you are going to lead
others!

Anyhow we met off site at a local restaurant and banquet center
for like three days for the training. I did not know what to expect
but what I left there with would change me forever. The opening day
George introduced himself and shared his story with us. He talked
about his life experiences and how he coached football and won a
state championship. He shared with us how he got started late in his
forties in public speaking. Then he laid out the steps we would be
taking over the course of the next several days. He said that we were
all going to become better speakers and that we were going to be able
to stand up in front of others and be able to communicate with them
effectively by the time we finished the coarse. I was terrified!

I had just dropped out of college after only a few short months
because of a public speaking class! Keep in mind this was while I was
at General Motors and in my early twenties. I was given the second
chance at a college education by General Motors. They offered to pay
for my college and came up with this new incentive for those who were
willing in order to qualify for promotions in the corporation. I
agreed, wanting to be promoted as I was already acting General
foreman or as they began to call it “lead foreman.” I applied to
our local college Youngstown State University.

I had chosen two classes. Economics and speech class. Economics
was a requirement and speech was an elective. I figured if I was
going to move up in the corporation I could use this skill. Little
did I know what I was getting in to. I was the oldest person in my
speech class. Most of the others were kids right out of high school.
The first assignment was to write a two minute speech and then get up
in front of the class and present it. Sounded simple enough. I wrote
my speech, and to this day could not tell you what it was about.
Anyway when it was my

turn I got up in front of the class and started to open my mouth
when suddenly fear had gripped me like never before. I got so afraid
to do what I was being asked to “speak in front of others”, that
I literally passed out! I began to get dizzy and suddenly everything
turned yellow and I told the teacher I wasn’t feeling well and next
thing you know I was going down to the ground. I re gathered my
composure and he asked me if I was ok and I said I needed to get a
drink and sit down and I would be ok. I went to get my drink in the
hallway and left the class, the college and never went back!

Now here I was again having to get up in front of people and
speak! Not only that but I was going to be critiqued by the finest
public speaker I had ever heard in my life. This guy was so polished,
so eloquent that when he began to speak you were mesmerized. You know
one of those guys that you just wish you could be like but probably
never would. That was George. I was so envious of him. I wished I
could be like him. To be so at ease talking to a group of people.
Funny thing that public speaking. George later taught me that it was
the number one fear in the world! The fear of public speaking. Who
would have ever thought?

Here I was Mr. Tough guy and I am shaking like a leaf at just the
thought of introducing myself to the group. It didn’t bother me
when I was at work. Having my meetings, talking to groups all the
time in my daily routine. The fear of it never even entered my mind.
But the thought of doing so intentionally with somebody or others
actually critiquing me was frightening.

But here I was. The first thing George had each of us do was just
stand up in front of the class and introduce ourselves. He wanted us
to say our name, a little about our family where we lived and what we
did at the plant. That was all. I thought I was going to die! Not
only that but he was having us videotaped as well. He wanted us to
see ourselves before and after his seminar to show us how far we had
come in public speaking. I got up said my piece as quickly
as I could and went to sit back down as quickly
as I could. George thanked me and said that was very good
and I’m thinking to myself buddy you have no idea. Just let me get
back to my seat and I never want to come back here again. I’m being
honest I did not want to come back to his seminar. I was scared to
death and was looking for a way to get out of it!

Before I got out of there George approached me and said something
like “you really did very well today.” I said “you gotta be
kidding.” “No really have you ever done any public speaking?”
He asked. I said no and he said something like “you really ought to
think about doing it more often I think you have tremendous
potential.” He said “I could use a guy like you to help me with
my business.” I about dropped to the floor. I said “Listen George
I could never do what you are doing” and I shared a little about my
recent experiences. And He listened! He the asked me if I’d like to
meet with him sometime and talk about my problem. I agreed and we met
at a restaurant for lunch.

The thing I had always appreciated about George was how he showed
an interest in other human beings. You could see his passion for
people and for helping people in everything the guy ever did! We sat
in a booth at the restaurant across from each other. And I remember
George asking me why was I so scared to speak in front of people. I
told him that I didn’t like the way I looked. He said “What do
you mean?” I said “I hated myself.” “I think I am ugly.” He
said, “Well be specific. What don’t you like about the way you
look?” I said, “Well for one my hair.” He smiled and said “What
don’t you like about it?” I said “I don’t know I just think
it looks ugly.” He said “Well look at mine. I would love to have
a head of hair like yours.” I kind of chuckled to myself. I was so
caught up in myself and had such a poor self image that it never
dawned on me that my hair was actually not that bad. Maybe this guy
could help me after all I thought to myself. I started to have some
hope.

What George Landis did for me that day would help mold me into the
person I am today. I genuinely felt that this guy cared about me like
a father would. I believe that George has a unique gift of always
seeing the good in people and just wanting to bring that out of them.
He has the spiritual gift of “encouragement” and little does he
know but he passed that gift on to me. For that I am eternally
grateful. Thank you George!

By the end of the seminar I had learned many things about public
speaking. Things I still use today. I don’t think there has ever
been a time when I have got up in front of a group of people to speak
where I haven’t thought of George or something he said that has
helped me. But I must confess that my fear of public speaking was far
from gone in my life when George and I parted company. I was hopeful
that things would work out and in my mind I wanted to leave General
Motors right then and there and be a part of what George was doing. I
just loved him and loved being around him.

Over the course of the next ten years or so our paths would cross
again. Although at times our relationship had gotten stretched and
tried we still remain friends to this day. George, like me and years
later, had a personal encounter with Jesus Christ. He called me one
day to tell me that he too had accepted Christ as His Lord and
Savior. That was one of the greatest thrills in my life to know that
my friend was eternally secure. To God be the glory.

#7. Always look for the good in others!

“For the Lord Jesus Christ sake, do all the good you can, to all
the people you can, in all the ways you can, as long as ever you
can.” – Epitaph

Source: tombstone inscription in Shewsburg, England

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“The secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his time when it comes.”

-Benjamin Disraeli

What is your definition of success? One thing I have found is that most people have differing views and opinions on what success really is. For example; this is my “definition of success” statement; “Success for me is that when I leave this present life I will have left it having done all I can to be the person God intended me to be.”

Evaluating my “Success statement” you can’t help but see success for me is:    

1.  A journey.

2.  A destination.

The Journey

Let’s take a look at the “process journey.” Obviously each of us is constantly searching for our purpose in life. Evidence of that can be found in the popularity of books like Rick Warrens “Purpose driven life.” the #1 New York Times bestseller of all time!  

If success wasn’t a process journey then I believe many people would have found it by now. We wouldn’t need to read books about our purpose in life if we already knew what our purpose was now would we? The truth is none of us can truly say we have found total success, much less our ultimate purpose for living. At least not yet. Now bare with me here. 

It is an ongoing process. For example; what makes a successful day? When we wake up in the morning most of us have certain things we want to get done. Goals that we want to achieve. And with each brand new day we have a new opportunity for success. Don’t we? I don’t know about you but my goals are constantly being revisited, revised and re instituted in order to realize my understanding or my purpose for being. While that may sound a bit “big sky” to some, my point is that we never truly arrive. At least not in this life time! Frankly that’s good news.

It is good news that as we go through this process of living life, with each new day being a gift of opportunity, we can and must make adjustments. If we are to truly find “Success” then we have to seek it out. That is part of the journey process. Thankfully we have that opportunity. We are constantly moving forward. How we navigate that motion determines how well we succeed!

 If we do not know what port we’re steering for, no wind is favorable.
-Seneca

Webster’s defines journey as “traveling from one place to another.”

 The older I get the more I realize the journey’s importance! Life is a lot like water, constantly moving. Water cannot stay in its present form. It is constantly on the move. Think about it…..Life is constantly on the move too! 

To have success in life we must learn to live in the moment of our journey. To accept this present moment as a gift from God. That right now no matter the circumstances my journey has been and will continue to be the very essence of my life. All the ups and downs, the good and the bad, have brought me incredible life experiences. As I commit to living out my journey I find success in the wonder of it all!  

But it does not stop here. It continues to move on. Like water, life finds a way to perpetuate from one moment to another. From one form to another. As water evaporates it goes from a liquid to a gas. From a gas it forms a cloud and then becomes a liquid again and falls from the sky. Life is that way too! One day we are moving along like a bubbling brook and then suddenly we find ourselves being taken up into some new place that we never, ever expected. Yes success is in the journey. Learning to appreciate life in all its splendor. Living life one moment, one event, one day, one little place at a time.

As you travel life’s journey enjoy the moment and take time to smell the roses. Then make the necessary adjustments that you have learned are needed to move you towards your final destination. 

We are not human beings on a spiritual journey. We are spiritual beings on a human journey.

-Stephen Covey

Destination

While much can be said about the journey not much can be said about it, without the “destination” in mind. If our journey takes us from one place to another then the place is the destination. 

That is where goals come into play. Our defined goals are the destination places we end up. As we travel on our journey and arrive at these destinations, {defined goals} we can look back in wonder and amazement of just how we got there. We realize that we had the vision and the God given power and ability to dream and then plan out how we could achieve our goal and fulfill that dream.These destinations are merely stopping off points where we file the life lessons learned that enabled us to get there.

Yes, life is both a journey and a destination. Ultimately we will have a final destination. The final destination will be determined by our destiny. Destiny is drawing us closer each day.

Destiny 

–noun, plural -nies.

• something that is to happen or has happened to a particular person or thing; lot or fortune.
• the predetermined, usually inevitable or irresistible, course of events.

• the power or agency that determines the course of events.

Who is your destiny? Who is drawing you closer each day? For me destiny is in the hands of a power far greater than me. Destiny is drawing me closer each day! I know my Destiny! Do you know yours? You can. “Seek and you shall find.”

Your success is in the hands of your Destiny!

Scott Grimm

www.scottgrimm.com

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I remember a sermon I heard preached on television many years ago about doing great things for God. The preacher was talking about stepping out in faith and how when God gives you a vision or promise how things would often play out. He used three words that all started with the letter “P”.

Life Lesson #4 Without faith it is impossible to …..

He said paraphrasing, when God gives you a promise inevitably there comes a problem some insurmountable brick wall that tells every bit of your intellect that there is no feasible way the promise or the dream will ever come about. And I still remember that sermon and how he talked passionately about how we have to have faith in the midst of our problems then God will make a way for our dreams to come through. In other words he said something along the lines of when God makes a promise there will come a problem but when we learn to trust him in the midst of that insurmountable problem God will make a provision!

1.      Promise ie. the vision. This could be that new job you’ve always wanted or that new car. Or it may be your life long dream of becoming a teacher or a professional athlete. No matter the vision or the dream I have yet to meet a single person who has achieved their dream without advancing through some incredible adversities!

2.      Problem. When God starts blessing Satan starts messing. An old cliché that still holds true today. You know it is coming and you might as well get ready for it. Each one of us who dares to step out in faith and dream a dream or pursue a cause greater than ourselves will come face to face with a mortal enemy. The nay sayers will come and tell you fifty reasons why you cannot do it. Your faith will be tested as you begin to doubt your abilities. You will begin to question whether or not your dream is really worth it. Financial costs to see your dream come about will be insurmountable and will make you want to give up! These are just a few of the things that you will face as you set sail on a stormy and lonely sea of adventure that if it were not for your faith and determination would shipwreck even the best of men! Trust me I know. But the good news is all of these obstacles teaches us no matter who we are to look to God for help. You see it is His way of teaching us to trust him and to look to Him for the provision that will enable our dreams to come true!

“Little minds are tamed and subdued by misfortune; but great minds rise above them.” – Washington Irving

3.      Provision. With God all things are possible! Every day thousands of people come to this place where if it were not for Divine intervention dreams would be lost. It is Gods way of leading us to the source of all provision. He is the provider of every good and perfect gift.

“So when you are face to face with adversity, when you have exhausted all of your resources, when your friends have abandoned you and left you and your dream for dead look up…….you are right where God wants you to be…… His blessings and provisions are ready for thee!” {From Scott’s soon to be published e/book “The Monster in the Mirror.”} – Scott Grimm

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Like it or not the marketing and advertising climate is changing around us and at an exponential rate. Methods that may have worked in the past might not work well today. With the ability to instantly access and share information over the World Wide Web, savvy business owners must strategize for these ever changing trends and today that means leveraging your social networking skills.

Whether through the use of the web or by word of mouth there is a simple social networking sales cycle that uses the process of developing social relationships to create the coveted “buzz” that everyone strives to have associated with their product or service. In his book titled Permission Marketing¹ author Seth Godin implores us to “Stop interrupting people with our marketing messages and instead turn strangers into friends by adding value and friends into customers by getting permission to offer our products and services”. Today, doing business by this cycle can be the difference between success or failure for your company. We must resist the old temptation to sell first and instead buy into the idea that the individual has more value as a connection who is willing to follow your movement and in turn share their feelings with others. This concept is amplified through the various social media websites such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter where individuals can have networks ranging in the tens of thousands. Be a leader by presenting a way for people to connect with each other around your concept and allow them to push you to success!

For more information on marketing in the social networking era read Tribes² by Seth Godin and Book Yourself Solid³ by Michael Port or visit our website at http://scottgrimm.com

Scott Grimm with editing by Joe Serrano

1 Godin, Seth (1999). “Permission Marketing”, New York: Simon & Schuster

2 Godin, Seth (2008). “Tribes: We need you to lead us”, New York: Penguin Group

3 Port, Michael (2006). “Book yourself solid: The fastest, easiest, and most reliable system for getting more clients than you can handle even if you hate marketing and selling”, Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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