When Weakness is Strength

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. (2 Corinthians 12:9. NIV)

A woman in business makes things happen. You have goals, respond to crisis, work with all types of people, get involved with political activities, and learn to deal with power. You are a decision maker who gets the job done. You probably also have multiple roles to fulfill including wife, mother, daughter, sister, mentor, friend, cousin – and more.

Do you ever think you can do all of this on your own power? Don’t even try. Remember, your weaknesses are not your concern. Praise Christ for providing His power and strength to keep you going during the times when you are fully confident and others times when you feel weak. Let His power rest on you and marvel at the mighty works He will do through your business efforts.

Lemony Couscous Salad Delight

Tangy, crimson-colored dried cranberries and toasted pecans are a dynamic combination in this special salad. If cranberries are too tart, try another dried or fresh berry of your choice.

If you plan to make it more than 2 hours in advance, hold back on adding the cucumbers until serving time so they will retain their special crunch.

Ingredients:

1 cup shelled pecans
1 1/2 cups couscous
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 cups boiling water
1 cup thawed frozen peas
3 scallions, very thinly sliced
2 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and diced
1/4 cup shredded fresh basil

Lemon Dressing Ingredients:

Zest of 1 lemon
1/3 cup lemon juice
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 /2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast pecans in a shallow pan until fragrant, approximately 5-7 minutes. Set aside. Place the couscous, cranberries, and turmeric in a large bowl. Pour in the boiling water, stir, then cover the bowl with a large plate or foil. Let sit for 10 minutes. Remove cover and fluff the couscous with a fork. Cover again and let sit 5 more minutes. Stir in the pecans, peas, scallions, cucumbers, and basil.

Combine the dressing ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously. Pour over the couscous mixture and stir. Let the salad sit at least 1 hour before serving to allow the flavors to blend. If longer than 1 hour, cover and chill, but then bring the salad to room temperature before serving.

Tip: If salad is prepared more than an hour ahead of serving, wait to add cucumbers until serving time.

Quick 3-Muffin Delight

Here's a way to enjoy three of your favorite muffins at once in a quick, delicious meal. Great for breakfast or even as a light dessert or evening snack.

Ingredients:

3 cups coarsely crumbled low-fat bran muffins (about 3
medium muffins. Use different flavors of your choice)
4 cups assorted fresh fruit chunks
2 cups nonfat or low-fat vanilla or fruit-flavored yogurt

Instructions:

Place half the muffin crumbs in a 2 1/2-quart glass bowl or airtight container. Arrange fruit in 3 1/2 cup amounts in on top. Cover with remaining muffin crumbs. Spoon yogurt evenly over the top. Top with remaining fruit, cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.

Healthy Lunch Turkey Reuben Sandwich

(Makes 4 sandwiches)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup nonfat Thousand Island salad dressing
8 slices dark rye, pumpernickel bread, or whole wheat bread
8 ounces thinly sliced low-fat, low-sodium cooked turkey or chicken
1/2 cup sauerkraut, rinsed and well drained
4 slices low-fat Swiss cheese (1 1/2 ounces)
Olive oil or other vegetable oil spray

Spread salad dressing on 4 slices of bread. Top remaining 4 slices with slice of cheese, meat of choice, and sauerkraut. Put the dressing spread bread slices on top with dressing on the inside. Spray a skillet with olive oil or vegetable oil. Put the sandwich into the skillet. Cook over medium heat until the bread is toasted and cheese melts, turning once. Repeat with remaining sandwiches.

Eye Exercises

Today, think about how much you use your eyes all day long. They are working from the time you get up to when you close them again at night. Here's five quick eye exercises to help give your eyes some relief. The extra benefit is that these exercises also help to tighten face muscles.

1. Sit upright with your eyes closed and relaxed. While keeping your eyes closed the whole time, first look down and then look up as far as possible. Repeat the facial
exercise 10 times.

2. Sit upright with your eyes closed and relaxed. Keep your eyes closed while lifting your eyebrows and stretching your eyelids down as far as possible. Keep in this position for 5 counts, relax and repeat 5 times.

3. Gently tone the muscles of the eyes by pressing two fingers on each side of your head, at the temples, while opening and closing your eyes rapidly. Repeat 5 times.

4. Sit upright looking straight ahead with your eyes open. Look up then down, while keeping your head still. Repeat 10 times. Then look left and right. Repeat 10 times.

5. Sit upright with your eyes relaxed and open. Lift your eyebrows while closing your top eyelids until about halfway closed, then open your eyelid wide open until the white of your eye shows over your iris.

Cherry Scented Bath Bubbles

Ready to pamper yourself? Create this scented bubble bath and give yourself a treat. You might come up with a unique business idea in the beauty market!

1/2 cup unscented shampoo
3/4 cup water
1/2 tsp. salt (regular table salt is fine)
15 drops cherry fragrance oil

Pour shampoo into a bowl and add water. Stir gently until well mixed. Add salt, and stir until mixture thickens. Add cherry fragrance oil and place in a decorative bottle. Can also be used as a body wash!

Keep Your Blood Pressure in Check with 5 Basic Diet Changes

If you need to lower your blood pressure, before your doctor prescribes medications, start making changes in your diet today. Some small steps can add up to a big difference in your blood pressure. Here are 5 changes to try.

1. Cut Back on Salt. This is probably the most important change you can make to your diet if you want to lower your blood pressure. Instead of salt , experiment with different spices, sauces, and other seasonings. Always read food labels to check the amount of sodium in foods and food products. Cut back on packaged foods that are high in sodium and search for less salty options.

2. Eat Your Vegetables. A balanced diet with proper vitamins and minerals help the body to work more efficiently and results in lower blood pressure. Potassium is particularly important for lowering blood pressure. While you can always just get a comprehensive multivitamin, the best choice is to eat fruits and vegetables which contain vital vitamins and minerals. Replace some meat consumption with these healthier food choices.

3. Increase Fiber Intake. More dietary fiber will help lower your blood pressure and cholesterol and help you lose weight naturally. Add dietary fiber by eating oat bran and more fruits such as apples. Another alternative is to take fiber supplements with a full glass of water.

4. Give Up Some Sugar. While scientists aren’t really sure why, eating processed sugars raises blood pressure. Give up eating so much sugar or cut back as much as possible. When you do eat sugar, eat it with fiber or protein; they slow the absorption of sugar and lessen the negative effects.

5. Toss Out Diet Pills. Many weight loss pills can actually raise your blood pressure. Instead of taking in pills, stick to a healthy diet and exercise to lose weight. That’s the best idea for lowering your blood pressure.

Making changes in diet and lifestyle take time. Don’t be harsh on yourself. Instead of trying everything at once, do them one at a time. Take small steps towards your goals instead of trying to stop a bad eating habit all at once. For example, instead of dropping all sugary or salty treats, replace one sugary or salty snack with a fruit of vegetable each day for a week. Once you get accustomed to one change, keep increasing the changes until you’re comfortable and happy with your new healthy diet and lower blood pressure.

Steps to Buying a Domain Name

When you’re ready to start working online, you’ll need to have an online presence. This can be through a website or blog. Either way, you will need a domain name. To make the idea simple, think of it this way: A domain name is the name of your website. It’s also the address of your website. Just like you have an address at your home, you can give others an address to your web presence.

So here are five simple steps you can use to get your first domain name.

1. Find a Place to Purchase the Domain. You’ll find many places to buy domains on the web. Do a simple search in your web browser for “domain names” and you’ll get more hits than you could ever use. Find the one the is least expensive or meets other criteria for you. You can purchase the domain for a single year or in terms of multiple years. Domain registration is relatively inexpensive, with prices at under $10 per year.

2. Search for a Name. Once you get to the domain purchase site, do a search to find an available domain name. Use these tips on naming your site:

* Go with .com. If at all possible, select a .com name as most people will automatically think of .com when they type in your name. You can use a .net or other ending after you become established online.

* Spell things correctly. Getting too fancy with your domain name can cost your web visitors. If a person can’t find you because you used a clever spelling that only can remember, they will probably give up looking for you. Try to use the most common and correct spelling possible when selecting your domain name.

3. Buy the Name: When you find an available domain that you like, buy it. Try to purchase the name when you search for it. Sometimes, you might log out of the domain buying site only to go back and find that your domain was taken by another source. Search for domains when you’re really ready to buy to avoid this disaapointment.

4. Get a Public or Private Registration. You can register a domain as public or private. Public registrations will be visible in the whois.com directory. The whois directory allows people to type in a website and view the owner’s personal identity. If you do not want your personal information shown, choose private registration (this will cost a little bit extra).

5. Select length of registration. After you have selected the term of your registration (such as 1, 2 or more years) and decided if you want public or private registration, you only need to enter your billing info and complete your purchase. You now own your domain and can have it transferred to your web host to put on your public website.

John the Baptist and Your Job Description

1. “I am the voice of one calling in the desert; Make straight the way for the Lord.” (John 1:23 NIV)

Do you know what you do and why you do it for your business? If you created a job description for John the Baptist, it would probably include these job functions:

•To introduce the people in the area to the coming of Christ.”
•To do public preaching on the topic of the goodness of the Lord
•To advise others that a Savior was coming to help them
•To conduct regular sessions to baptize people
•To conduct brief seminars to help people live a good life

Because John followed his job description, he was successful in conducting his job. What is your job description? Is it clear, focused, and meaningful? If you are working from home or outside of the home, a detailed job description will help you know how to achieve the goals of your job. It is surprising how many people don’t even have a job description in the public job place. Here are some important aspects of a good job description:

•When it’s time for a job evaluation, it’s difficult to show that you have reached your working goals for the company without a properly prepared job description.
•You can include your job description in your business plan.
•A job description helps you to stay focused on what you are doing and why.
•It helps to give you encouragement.
•It shows that there is a purpose for the position and the job in the workplace.

Review your job description. If you don’t have one, or if you work on your own, create a job description for what you do. Describe your goals and focus for your work? Give specific information on why you do what you do. What are you learning goals in your work? As John the Baptist, be specific, know what your doing, understand what represents success in your work.

The Purpose of the Business Plan

Do you understand the purpose of writing a business plan? A business plan is simply a place to write the details of your business. It is your working document that keeps you focused and on track in your daily operations.

Writing a plan is not difficult. Basically, it allows a space for you to provide answers to questions about your business for your purpose and for others who want to know how to support your efforts. In fact, getting start-up funding without a business plan is almost impossible. You can use your plan to pursue outside funding because the people giving you the funding want to know that you have completely thought through the details of your venture.

Your business plan should include some basic information:

1. Description of your service or product: What do you plan to do? Which industry are you in and why?

2. Your Target Customers: Whom will your business serve? Tell a bit about them.

3. Your Unique Aspects: What makes your business different from other businesses in your market? How do you plan to do to make the business succeed?

4. List Your Targeted Expenses: What are your start up expenses? What equipment will you need before you can get up and running? Include daily expenses such as staff costs and supplies.

You get a FREE Business Plan Template just by registering for the Christian Women in Business Newsletter. Click on the title of this post and go to the newsletter registration page to get your copy of the Template. This will pay off as you start building your business.

Wrist Loosener

Today, you will find out how to sit at your desk and loosen up your tight wrist.

Place your elbows tucked in at your sides, facing your palms toward your body. Rotate your hands inward from the wrist, so that your fingers are facing each other, then continue rotating until your fingers are facing downward, then change directions and rotate back up (palms remain facing body throughout the exercise). You're making little circles with your wrists. This help to loosen them up and
keep them limber. Do this several times per hour.

Diet for the Right Reason

Dieting is all the fad these days. Unfortunately, many women go on a diet for the wrong reason. Dieting should not be for the benefit of others. Diet because you want to look and feel good for yourself.

Being on a diet doesn’t mean skipping meals. In fact, it’s best to eat at least three well-balanced meals a day. Even if you're trying to lose weight, don't skip meals. You'll only
be hungrier for the next one, and cravings between meals
can become overwhelming.

Always eat a well-balanced breakfast. It doesn’t have to be a large meal. You can eat a piece of toast, fruit, a smoothie etc. Your body's metabolism rate slows down at night and does not speed up again until you eat something. If you wait until lunch to eat, that is four or more hours that your body is burning calories at a lower rate.

SMART Business Goals

You’ve probably come across many articles, books, and audios that stress the importance of setting goals. Hopefully, you’ve taken some time to sit down and write out goals for yourself. But are you writing SMART goals?

SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time Related.

Specific goals are written out clearly and have a set time frame. When you write out your goals, state what you want, and give it a deadline. A simple goal of “earning money by working from home” becomes much more motivational if you phrase it as “earning $500 per month on a regular basis within sixty days”. Once you know what your plan is, it will be easier to achieve it.

It is important to have Measurable Goals, as they will help you track your progress. If a goal is not measurable, it will be very hard to define when you have actually achieved it. In the example above, by defining how much income you want to earn and giving it a time frame, you will know instantly when those sixty days are over if you have achieved the goal.

An Attainable Goal is a goal you know you can achieve. Don’t be fooled by the word “attainable”. It can still be a challenging goal and require effort to achieve it, but it does need to be something you can do. For instance, if your goal is to learn to build websites and you have absolutely no experience, your goal shouldn’t be to build a huge, portal website in a week. An attainable goal would be giving yourself a month to learn the software and build a small, but functioning website. Otherwise you will be putting pressure on yourself. If you are constantly setting unattainable goals, you may end up doubting yourself and become so afraid of failure that you start procrastinating on easy tasks.

While it is great to shoot for the stars when you are setting your goals, they also need to be Realistic Goals. Using the first example, the goal wasn’t to earn $500 within a week. Instead, the goal was to earn $500 per month within sixty days. If you are new to working from home, it may take some time for your business to be profitable. Instead of setting one huge goal, break the goal down into manageable “mini-goals”.

You may have noticed that the example goals were Time Related. There is an old saying that “a goal without a deadline is just a wish”. Having a defined time line will keep you motivated. If you have an open-ended goal, it will be easier to procrastinate, and therefore, harder to accomplish. However, knowing you need to accomplish something in a set period of time will spur you into action.

Huldah, A Leader in the Church

Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Acbor, Shaphan and Asaiah went to speak to the Prophetess Huldah, who was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem in the Second District.
(2 Kings 22:14 NIV).

Huldah was a prominent prophetess during the reign of King Josiah. She was also a strategic trainer, teacher, mentor, trustworthy communicator, leader of the law, and planner.

You might work in various types of spiritual and church positions. Your work still touches the heart of the business world and can yield tremendous influence in your community.

Women in spiritual and church positions are often asked to pray for others who are in church work or working in corporations. Maybe you organize church events, meetings and services or serve as a pastor, preacher, evangelist or missionary. Whatever your role, you have a special place in the world and hold influence over other people.

Is one of your roles in the church or spiritual leadership? Get encouragement from the story of Huldah. You'll find her story in 2 Kings 2.

Definition of Business Capital

Business definition for the week: Capital.

Capital is the money that is going to be invested in a business. For example, it might take $15,000 capital to start your business. Some of the money will come out of your pocket, that is, through personal collateral. Some of the money may come from another source of financing, such as a bank or a small business center loan. For instance, to get $15,000 to start-up your business, you might put in $5,000
and ask the bank to give you a loan for $10,000.

That's the capital you need to invest in starting your business. Knowing how much capital you need to start your business will be a deciding factor on the type of business you might start. Before going into debt, take a moment to pray about the decision.

It might be something you have to do in order to start the business you are supposed to start, or maybe not. Do your planning ahead of time in order to know how to make this important decision.

Should You Be a Consultant

Here is a motivational trigger that you can use when considering your business idea.

People want to make more money. They may want to start a business, get a higher paying job or invest in the stock market. This will make them feel successful. Your business can be one that helps others find their dream.

Perhaps you have enough experience and background to be a consultant for others. Or, you might want to be a life coach or business coach and help keep others encouraged to pursue their business dream.

Business always involves some form of buying or selling. Many women are shy when it comes to the idea of selling something. If you’re good at selling, you could coach or consult others to get over their fears of selling. And don’t forget to offer others the chance to sell your product if you have access to something you really believe in. People are particularly interested in working with women of integrity in the business world.

If that’s you, think about how you can work with others to help them reach financial
success. It will only benefit everyone, including you.

Pray About Your Business Directions

I spoke to a young woman this week who has it on her heart to start a non-profit organization to help women and children who have experience abusive situations.
This reminded me that it’s important to pray about new opportunities the Lord is placing on the hearts and minds of women everywhere.

There are so many needs in the world that can only be filled by a particular person. Are you hearing a call in our life to start a particular type of business or non-profit organization? It could be the exact thing that you were meant to do in your
life. Remember to pray about those thoughts that stay on your mind. It could be your life purpose trying to emerge.

Tighten Your Tummy

Christian women have a responsibility to care for their bodies as much as possible. You can get into the habit of doing exercises even while you're sitting at your desk.

For instance, do you need to strengthen those weak stomach muscles? To work on your abs, suck in your stomach tight and hold for a count of 10 repeat 10 times. Do this several times a day to tighten abdominal muscles, it provides the same type of contraction as crunches.

A stronger stomach area means supporting the back too. That will help with back aches and pains. After doing this for a while, you will get used to the feeling of holding your stomach tight and it will become easier for you.

Exercise Motivation for Your Health

You've probably started an exercise program, gotten all excited about it, but then gave up on it a week or two later. While you start out super motivated, that excitement fades quickly. They key to sticking to an exercise program is finding a way to keep that original motivation.

Here are a few tips for getting for getting and staying motivated.

Find a role model.
Many women get motivated to diet and work out by taping up pictures of models or actresses. This is actually a great way to remind yourself what your goals are and keep a visual of them fresh in your mind. Just be sure to pick an appropriate role model and not someone with unhealthy eating and exercise habits or an unachievable image.

Set small goals.
If you start out setting tough goals, you probably won’t achieve them and will then become discouraged. The key is to set smaller, easy to achieve goals and work your way up. Start with “I will work out three days this week”. Once you get yourself into a routine, get yourself to work out harder and do more during each session.

Reward yourself.
Setting goals is good way to get yourself into a workout program. If you have trouble keeping yourself going, try rewarding yourself when you reach a goal. Don’t go with big rewards, just small rewards for reaching small goals. For example, I can go to that movie if I work out three times this week. If you’re working out to lose weight, don’t reward yourself with food.

Get a buddy.
Having someone to workout with can help keep your mind off the work and keep you entertained. That means you’re more likely to want to go work out. Having a buddy also makes it harder for you to skip your workout because you’ll be letting someone else down and they’ll be there to talk you into going even if you don’t feel like it. If you can’t find a buddy to go with you, you can always hire a personal trainer to keep you going.

Make it fun.
Exercise doesn’t have to be boring a repetitive. If you don’t like your exercise routine, change it. Keep looking until you find something you enjoy doing. This way, you’ll end up looking forward to exercise instead of dreading it.

Mix it up.
Even the most exciting workout can get boring if you do it over and over every day. Find several exercises you like to do and alternate. Try swimming Mondays, dance class Wednesdays, and a Pilates tape on Saturday. Any time you find yourself getting bored with a workout, replace it in your rotation for a while and start it again in a few months.

Don’t take it too seriously.
If you start acting like exercise is hard work, it will become hard work. Make your exercise a light, fun, activity rather than a chore you have to do. This will keep you from getting a bad attitude and make you less likely to give up.

Be Beautiful, Drink Water

You know water is good for you, but with soda, juice, coffee, tea, energy drinks, and other drinks so readily available, it’s hard to make the decision to choose water. Here are 7 great reasons to convince you to drink more water.

* Keeps skin looking great.
If your skin looks tired and unhealthy, so do you. Staying properly hydrated removes toxins that build up in your skin, and helps prevent it from drying out. If you have the opposite problem; puffy bloated skin, lack of water is likely your problem too. When skin doesn’t get water, it retains what it already had, leaving your skin cells full, puffy, and not too attractive. If you want to look beautiful, you should keep yourself hydrated

* It’s cheaper.
Sure, if you buy bottled water, it’s about as expensive as soda, juice, and coffee. However, studies have shown that tap water is usually as clean and safe as bottled water, and costs a whole lot less. If you have a problem with the taste of your tap water, buy a filter pitcher or one that attaches to the faucet. It still costs a lot less.

* A healthy heart.
When you’re properly hydrated, your blood is thinner and easier to pump. This means your heart has to do less work and ultimately lasts longer. Studies have shown that people who drink plenty of water have fewer heart problems.

* Toxic build-up.
Sure, it sound’s like something from a bathroom cleaner commercial, but you have toxins in your cells too. Some come from the environment and others you produce yourself. Either way, they’re in your body and you need to get rid of them. Just like you use water to flush your toilet; your body uses water to flush out toxins. Getting rid of this waste helps you function more effectively and feel better.

* No sugar added.
While fruit juices may contain many nutrients, they also contain a whole lot of sugar. This is especially true for many bottled juices from the grocery store. This sudden burst of sugar triggers your insulin response and makes you tired and sluggish. It also helps to convert that sugar to fats faster. Sugary sodas will produce the same reaction and they usually contain no nutrients at all

* Caffeine is a diuretic.
So why water? Why not drink diet soda or coffee all day? These drinks contain caffeine, which actually causes you to lose water throughout the day. You retain some of the water content of the beverages, but not as much as when you drink pure water. You can try decaffeinated beverages, but the best way to use the water you drink is to get it pure and clean, with no chemicals added.

* Energy Boost.
Think you can’t get through the day without your morning caffeine boost? Well water can give you energy as well. Your body is made up mostly of water. It loses it throughout the day, so you have to replace it for your body to work efficiently; particularly the heart and digestive tract. As mentioned earlier, water helps your body work better by getting rid of excess waste. The more efficiently your whole body is works, the better you’ll feel and the more energy you’ll have. Maybe enough energy to skip that cup of coffee.

So go ahead, skip the vending machine, go to the faucet, and get yourself a nice, refreshing glass of water.

Get Through the Tough Times to Succeed

Being in business has its moment's of fun and also those of frustration. You also have to learn about getting inspiration to form business ideas.

Inspiration can strike at odd times – when you are driving the kids to school, standing in line at the grocery store, or even while you are taking your morning shower. All of a sudden,an idea comes to you and you know you better write it down
because you don’t want to forget it.

What about when you're feeling frustrated, like you just don't know what to do next. That's when you can feel a sense of desperation. Desperation, however, usually creeps up on you after you have been sitting in front of the computer, racking your
brain for hours, trying to come up with at least one, little measly idea.

However, there are techniques you can use to find your inspiration and avoid desperation.

To increase your chances of finding inspiration, figure out what works for you. You may have heard the old expression “put on your thinking cap.” What is your thinking cap?

**Does the noise of people and chatter help to stimulate your creativity or do you need to be alone to think?
**Do you do your best work in the morning when you feel refreshed and recharged or do your creative thoughts start running after midnight?
**Do you like sitting near a window where you can see what’s going on outside or do you find that distracting?

If you have been trying to find inspiration and are at a loss,try stepping away from your project and focusing your attention on something else. When you go back to your
work, you will be looking at it with fresh eyes and may think of something you wouldn’t have thought of before.

You can also avoid desperation by asking for support. The first support you can find is through prayer. Ask God to send the best ideas possible and to take away the stress of feeling desperate.

Find a supportive friend, mentor, or your spouse to offer any suggestions on your project. Once you start talking to someone else about your project, more ideas will start to flow.

Working with a different medium or in a different environment may also help trigger some ideas. For instance, if you happen to be stuck on a writing project and you
normally use a computer, break out the pen and paper and start writing that way.

Change your work location or simply look at your work printed out on paper to get some different ideas.

If you are still stuck on a project and have tried everything and it just doesn’t seem to be coming together, it may be wise to set it aside and move on to something else. It is better to take on a fresh, new project that you can be successful with than keep working on a project you find frustrating.

Priscilla, Building a Business Partnership

“There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, and because he was a tentmaker as they were,
he stayed and worked with them” (Acts 18:1-3. NIV).

Pricilla was a working woman in partnership with her husband, Aquilla, in the tent making business. Additionally, the husband and wife team were evangelist together, preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Women have been working from home for centuries. Today, women in home businesses are one of the fastest growth industries in the world. One model of home based business includes being in partnership with your spouse or other family members.

Read the story of Priscilla in the Bible book of Acts for inspiration.

Why You Should Start Your Business

Working from home is a big dream. Perhaps you've been thinking
of this for a long time. Knowing what to do and how to do it
is important for success. Here are a few reasons why starting a
home business is a great idea.

1. Bring Your Great Idea to Life.
Having a great business idea is the number one reason that most women start their business from home. The kind of ideas that are good for a home business are ones
that can be started quickly, and start bringing in an income almost immediately

2. Do What You Love.
Getting paid to do what you love is a dream come true. A home based business doesn’t have to interfere with another source of employment. But it can let you do what you love on the side or develop into your full-time income.

3. Be Your Own Boss.
No more working your fingers to the bone for someone else. You will be the boss and you will reap the rewards.

4. Have More Time with your Family.
No more missing out on weekends, family occasions, or holidays. You will be home for every special moment or able to leave on that trip when you want.

5. Save Time and Money Commuting.
With the high price of gas and the average commute to work being thirty miles one way just think of the time and money you will save when you work from home!

These five reasons alone are good enough to say “I am ready to start my own home business.” In up coming issues you will get plenty of ideas and information on how to make that happen.

Learn to Lead Exodus 18:13-27

The story found in Exodus 18:13-27, tells one of the first times a formal system of leadership is found in the Bible.

Moses’ daily job in the Israelite camp was listen to and resolve the issues and problems of the Israelite congregation. When Jethro, his father-in-law, came for a visit, he witnessed the confusion Moses had with the masses of people and he offered a way to organize the congregation.

Jethro advised Moses to divide the issues and problems according to how bad they were. He was to train other men to serve as leaders (or judges) at the different levels. The issues were divided among the judges according to their severity, and as the issues become more complicated, they moved to a higher level. There were fewer judges for the more complicated problems because the judges at the lower levels were expected to take care of things before they got too bad.

Now, Moses only had to listen to
*the most severe cases
*the cases that caused the most problems
*the cases that could not be resolved at a lower level.

This provides an example of organizational structure and design, as well as organization function and leadership. A distribution of problems and issues as well as a division of labor to solve problems, resulted in orderly service to everyone.

Help Others Through Your Business

Here is a motivational trigger that you can use as you consider your business opportunity. People want to make more money. They may want to start a business, get a higher paying job or invest in the stock market. This will help them live a better lifestyle by being able to afford the necessities of life.

Think about what you can provide for others that will help them have a better life by earning some extra money or creating another full-time income opportunity. You want to provide a product or service that you feel good about selling to another person. Consider this when you are looking for a business opportunity.

Understand Business Capital

An important business definition for the home business worker to understand when starting a business is capital. This is money that is going to be invested in a business.

For example, it might take $5,000 capital to start your business. Some of the money will be yours and some may come from another financing source. For instance, you might put in $2,000 and ask the bank to give you a loan for $3,000. That's the capital you need to invest in starting your business.

Doing a business plan lets you determine how much capital it could take to start your business. You'll see if you have enough of your own money or not. Then you will know how much money you would have to find from another source. Now, you have to determine if you want to be a borrower or find a business opportunity that will not require taking out a loan or finding money from another source.

Why Start a Home Business?

Working from home is a big dream. Perhaps you've been thinking of this for a long time. If you have, the time is right. Women comprise the fastest growing entrepreneurial population ever.

Knowing what to do and how is important. Below are a few reasons why starting a home business is a great idea.

1. Your Great Idea Comes to Life.
Having a great business idea is the number one reason that most women go into business from home. The kind of ideas that are good for a home business are ones
that can be started quickly, and start bringing in an income almost immediately

2. You can do What You Love.
You certainly have something you really love to do. Getting paid for doing what you love is a dream come true.

3. You get to be the boss.
No more working your fingers to the bone for someone else. You will be the boss and
you will reap the rewards.

4. You want more time with your family.
No more missing out on weekends, family occasions or holidays. You will be home for every special moment or able to leave on that trip when you want.

5. No more wasting time and money commuting.
With the high price of gas and the average commute to work being thirty miles one way just think of the time and money you will save when you work from home!

These reasons alone are good enough to say "I am ready to start my own home business." So next, we will discuss how to write your business plan and look at specific ideas to get started.

Lydia, An Entrepreneurial Woman

"One of those listening was a woman name Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message" (Acts 16:14. NIV).

Did you realize that women were entrepreneurs since Biblical days? Lydia is an example of such a woman. She is an early example of a true entrepreneur. Entrepreneurial women display business qualities of being hard-working with skills in organization, management, employee training, and development. As an entrepreneurm, you need to know how to start, manage and operate a successful small business. Do you have all of the information you need to operate your business successfully? Be a life-long learner and continue to learn what you need to be successful in your work.

Christian Women In Ministry Leadership

Women are active in church and ministry organizations at all levels. They minister to others, act as servant leaders, organizers, motivators, inspirers, or persuaders. They use communication skills to share the word of God while being effective in running a successful ministry operation. In the position of ministry leader, women are prayer warriors who pray for others in the workplace. You don’t have to “like” people, but you do have to love them with the love of Christ, shown by your attitude and prayer for others. Women organize church events, meetings and services. They might be pastors, preachers, evangelists and missionaries.

Huldah is an example of a powerful woman in a church or ministry capacity. She was a prominent prophetess during the reign of King Josiah (2 Kings 22:14-20; 2 Chronicles 34:22-28). She was a married woman and the aunt of another famous but much younger prophet, Jeremiah. She displayed tremendous wisdom and was approached by the King at that time to give him counsel and advice. The King wanted to know how to develop the Lord’s Temple and how to heal the nation’s relationship with the Lord. As a known Prophetess she was also a strategic trainer, teacher, mentor, trustworthy communicator, leader of the law, and planner.

Becoming an Entrepreneur

Journey into the World of Business
I was born into an entrepreneurial family. My parents operated a funeral business and I worked in this business in some capacity over the years along with my siblings. Growing up in an entrepreneurial home means understanding the very different elements involved in actually running a business, not just working for one.

Entrepreneurs have unique stress factors, worries, and concerns that come from being independent business people. You have to learn everything there is about being in business, from starting, marketing, financial record keeping, customer service, human resources management and everything else that happens.

What Was Your Journey to the Business World?
Think about your story of being in business. This helps you to understand the pursuit you have made to get to your level of excellence and success to date. It is easy to forget what you have learned in your life. You stop recognizing the great skill, talents and abilities God has given you to succeed. You have not given up. Why? Write your story about being in business. Use this to better understand what your purpose in business could be.

Your business story
Are you in business already? If not, do you intend to be? Write about your intentions for business.

Do you work for yourself, for others, in a non-profit or volunteer?

How did you get into business?

Was it an economic necessity or because you wanted to be independent?

Remember as many of your talents, skills and abilities as you can in your business story. You might be surprised at how many skills God has given you that you now take for granted in your life.

"O Lord, you are my God; I will praise your name for you have done wonderufl things: your counsel of all times are faithfulness and truth." Isaiah 25:1

Pray When The Deal Falls Through

How can you keep praying when a business deal you really need falls through?

Working with others, offering services and products makes business happen. Before meeting wtih a client, ask God's favor on the meeting so that everyone's needs are met. Ask for fairness, peace and comfort for all involved.

Praying about a business meeting means you ask God to keep your heart from becoming anxious. If the deal looks like it won't go through, ask that peace prevails in your heart and mind. Are you offering the best deal to this customer? Are there alternatives that you can offer instead? Have you made the best presentation of your goods and services?

Ask for the peace to know how to back away without taking it personally. REmember, people reject products and services, not you. It might not fit their needs or desires at this time. The money may not be available. You might have a product or services the personal always has or owns. The timing could be wrong. Not closing a deal doesn't mean you are not presenting a good product or service.

Pray for the interaction to be one of blessing for everyone involved and that a continued relationship can happen from the encounter.

How to Keep Praying

The Bible says you should pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:16). When you first hear this truth, you wonder, how can that happen? You have to think about how to run your business,m how to make the angry customer happen, how to increase your web traffic?

To pray without ceasing and yet be in the world each day is absolutely possible. If it wasn't, Christ wouldn't tell you to do it. You can control your mind, your thoughts and therefore your prayers. It might take conscious effort to get started to pray without ceasing but it can be done.

You will find out how to keep praying as you continue to read these posts. Check in often to stay encouraged in prayer.