SHM Weekly Message_2013 Week 07_What Is True Love?

Today, we should be posting the continuation of our series on 12 Keys To Better At Your Task in 2013, Part 3; but instead we would be talking about love. Next week by His grace, the series will continue.

My dear friends, no day dawns without God arranging for you and me to show love to another person. Not a single day. You will find that person on your way to work, at work, in your academic environment or your local assembly.

How well do we fare, you and I in showing the true love, that sacrificial love that puts the other first? Do we men, as sons, brothers, husbands, cousins, etc. show it? Do you as a daughter, sister, wife, cousin so it?

Today, the world has turned what agape love really is into erotic love, and in the process has commercialized and cheapened it. True love, Agape in nature and description does not, nay, cannot wait for a day named after a human being like you, Valentinus to show love. It is shown every day, from husbands to wives, no matter what her body shape is now, no matter the state of her finances, and I dare say vice versa! True love seeks in the weak to help, the homeless to shelter, the abused to comfort.

A brief history of what is now a day marked by the world as a day of love revolved round one Valentinus, an early Christian martyr who was murdered for amongst other things, arranging secret weddings for Roman soldiers who were denied the right to be married. However, this day was first associated with romantic love in the circle of an English Poet, Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages when the tradition of courtly love flourished. By the 15th century, it had evolved into a romantic occasion when lovers (note it does not emphasise lawfully married couples) expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards.

Today however, it has become a commercial bonanza without bounds and limits. Today, all over the world hotels and chalets will be fully booked; in many of those places, immorality will be at its peak; and while Satan haves a good laugh, heaven will watch embarrassed; because THIS IS NOT THE EXPRESSION OF LOVE!

My dear and wonderful friends, if today (February 14th) is the day mankind has set aside to show love (a different genus thereof!), then any wonder why our world is as it is? JUST MUSING ALOUD, my dear friends.

Whatever you choose to use today to do, be safe. Aii?

Love you all lots! Shalom.

SHM Book Recommendations_2013_Book 2:- Outliers: The Story of Success. by Malcolm Gladwell

In this stunning new book, Malcolm Gladwell takes us on an intellectual journey through the world of “outliers”–the best and the brightest, the most famous and the most successful. He asks the question: what makes high-achievers different? His answer is that we pay too much attention to what successful people are like, and too little attention to where they are from: that is, their culture, their family, their generation, and the idiosyncratic experiences of their upbringing. Along the way he explains the secrets of software billionaires, what it takes to be a great soccer player, why Asians are good at math, and what made the Beatles the greatest rock band.

Brilliant and entertaining, OUTLIERS is a landmark work that will simultaneously delight and illuminate. We have no hesitation to recommend it to you, dear friends as a must read (or re-read) this month. God bless you.

SHM Weekly Charge_2013 Week 06. 12 KEYS TO BE BETTER AT YOUR TASK IN 2013, PART 2.

Main Reading Texts: Proverbs 22 verse 29 & 26 verse 12.

My dear friends, last week we shared with you the first four (4) keys on how to be better at what you do in 2013. We hope it was a blessing to you. Today we go on to four more keys. For those who have sent us messages on our email, I hope you all got our replies and directions. Keep at it, and we shall rejoice together with your testimonies. My heart-felt desire is that your level of success in whatever you do will multiply this year more than ever before IJMN.

Here are the next keys we are sharing for this week –

(4) DEVOTE QUALITY TIME TO STUDY YOUR AREA OF OPERATIONS. My dear friends, change is said to be the only constant variable. What this principle means is that ideas will always evolve. Therefore, do not be rigid in what you have held to be truth for years. Remember that a time was when leading scientists of the world thought the world was flat! You have to allow for improvement even to working and/or stable processes by devoting quality time to extensive study of your operations. You cannot assume you have attained. You must press forward towards a more excellent the mark. Remember always the charge of the Lord Jesus Christ in John 15 verse 2b – what works need more working!

(5) NEVER ATTEND A MEETING WITH ONLY PROBLEMS. One of the easiest things a human mind can comprehend is what does not work. If in doubt, observe a new born baby. He knows that he is hungry, so what does it do? It cries because it cannot source for food independent of a parent. Determining a problem is therefore basic to human nature. So, as I tell my staff, that there would be problems which need solutions is no news! No matter how well organized, run or successful your operations may be, trust me there would always be room for improvement. So, my charge to you dear friends is that you must attend all meetings (and group studies) with solutions to issues at hand. It is not enough to attend meetings with ideas, but also with how to turn those ideas into reality WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF YOUR GROUP’S VISION. For example, it is not enough at a production strategy meeting to say that we need to increase the quality of or product. You must tell us how this can be achieved within the parameters of our set goals and objectives! As you do this regularly, you will stand out; you will become needed at every important meeting; you will have an edge! Read Numbers 13 and 14 again and write out the process that stood Caleb and Joshua out of the 14 spies of Israel. Share with us if you want to, but please take this exercise.

(6) FIND A MENTOR. Let me lead with this – I have been a legal services professional for close to 25 years now. I have run a successful legal practice since 1992. I was ordained a pastor in 1988 and contribute my little quota in running a focused Christian movement. AND I STILL HAVE MENTORS. I have submitted myself to mentoring AND SO MUST YOU. Why? As one of our main texts say, ONLY FOOLS BELIEVE THEY KNOW IT ALL AND NEED NO REAL GUIDANCE (Proverbs 26 verse 12). Everyone needs another to teach them the ropes. My dear friends, you need a mentor! I understand that there are several stories about mentor/mentee relationships gone sour, so I usually advise people that you do not even need to ask anybody directly to be your mentor. All you need do is keep communication lines open (Good enough there are a plethora of media today through which this can be done, one of which is this medium) and learn what makes he/she successful. To start with, there is a school of thought that you can even restrict your communication to issues outside your work. However, any time you need work-related advice, a good mentor should be there for you. We have a classic example in the relationship between Moses and Joshua, Elijah and Elisha, the Lord Jesus Christ and His disciples (including you and me!). Can you mention other Bible based mentorship relationships? Share with us if you want to, but please take this exercise.

Next week we will go on to more Keys IJMN. Please do not just benefit from these keys, share them with your family and friends. If you have any questions and/or enquiries, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us at salvationhouse@gmail.com.

God bless you. Have a wonderful week ahead. You are created to excel and excel you shall IJMN.