Our daughter Heather asked me to pick up their daughters Annabelle and Violet at her work at 5 p.m. today, because she didn’t get off until 5:30 p.m. and Annabelle had to be at a basketball game at her school by 5:45 p.m.

Heather also loaned me her house keys, so I could stop by their house and get Annabelle and Violet a snack before they went to the game, so they wouldn’t be hungry during the game.

But somewhere between Heather giving me the keys and me helping the girls get their seatbelts on in the car, I lost the keys. I looked in the parking lot, my coat pockets, my purse; the girls helped me to diligently search the car’s backseat. They were nowhere to be found and now Annabelle was going to be late to the game.

I called Heather to tell her the news and asked her to see if someone had found them inside the school and had dropped them off at the front desk with the receptionist. Soon Heather came out in her blue teacher’s smock, nearly running on the sidewalk, and got into her car.

Her own special parking place: Heather was employee of the month!

I pulled out of the parking place and up close to her “Employee of the Month” parking place (go, Heather!), calling her on my cell to see if they’d found the keys. Heather didn’t know that was me behind her car, and was saying, “Come ON!” into her phone, looking into the rear-view mirror. I then said, “Hello?” and she realized it was me, waiting for her to pull out and go.

“Did someone turn in the keys? Do you have them?” I asked. “YES!” she said, and raced off in her red Kia car. Heather ALWAYS races off. Since she got her license at 16, she’s had a lead foot. It is a miracle she has never had a speeding ticket. She also races when she walks anywhere. I have to practically run whenever I go shopping with her.

As Heather left tracks, Violet’s sweet voice then piped up from the backseat: “Wait, Nana! My seatbelt isn’t on!” In the excitement of the girls doing a treasure hunt for the keys in my car, Violet had not buckled her seatbelt again after we couldn’t find the keys. So I had to make sure she was strapped in first, and then tried to catch up with Heather.

The excitement was just beginning…

The next thing I thought I lost was my cell phone when we went to A & W restaurant after the game.  I seem to lose things a lot, especially just when I need them: my keys, my phone, my debit card. Invariably I find whatever it is a few minutes later, usually in my purse, pocket or somewhere that it’s supposed to be. My family is used to the fact that every few weeks I start nearly panicking, thinking that I have lost something again and they have to help me look for it. It’s not forgetfulness; it’s disorganization.

Violet and Belle at A & W

Nobody can find ANYTHING in my purse, no matter how big of a purse I buy: there’s my wallet, coupons, receipts, Sharpie pens, keys, shiny lip gloss, black or brown eyeliner (eyeliner is one of my STAPLES!), lotion, loose change that spilled out of my unzipped zebra-striped change purse, extra contacts in the event of an earthquake or tornado, compact green mirror (gift from my friend Shelley Valasek), address book, Free Massage gift certificate from my sister Maria which I need to book with my masseuse, etc.

I am organized to a fault when it comes to my to-do lists, organizing cabinets and drawers, obsessively lining up my shoes in a row, but my purse and our car are a different story. Maybe my purse and our car are my one area of rebellion against organization. My one “messy” space where chaos is free to reign at will. Usually whatever I have lost is buried under the contents of it.

Often as I’m madly searching for the lost item, especially when I’m short on time, I hear the Holy Spirit’s gentle, calm whisper, “It’s in your purse,” because God knows I’m on the verge of what Rhett Butler called Scarlett O’Hara’s “crying jag.”

My crying jags are NOT a pretty sight. And my debit card or phone or whatever I’ve lost is right there, just as God said.

I finally found my phone at the A & W; it was in my purse.

Does God really do these things – help people find lost items?

You betcha. God is so good at finding the lost.

If you feel lost, uncertain, confused, or hurt, God will find you. He’s looking for you – to show you how much He loves you.

“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!

“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins[a] and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.” (Luke 15: 4-24, NLT)

Someone I love very much is going through something extremely painful right now. It’s so hard to watch, and my heart is breaking for this loved one. Sometimes we don’t understand what on earth God is doing in our lives or in the lives of our family and our friends. We want to know “Why?”

It’s okay to ask God why and other questions. It’s okay to vent our emotions to God. He can handle it. He wants you to be real and transparent with Him. He wants you to come to Him with your troubles and your cares. God wants to help you.

King David was said to be a man after God’s own heart. David was a man of war and he was King. He had many enemies who wanted to kill him. Because of the anointing and the measure of the great calling on his life, the enemy wanted to take him out and if he couldn’t do that, then he wanted to discourage him and hinder him from his purpose. But David understood that God’s power was greater than man’s or Satan’s. David understood God’s unconditional love and forgiveness. He knew he could be real with his feelings of fear, depression, and discouragement with God. David knew that God was the only place he could go with his problems.

If you or a loved one are going through a hard time right now, you’ll find your answers – and your comfort and encouragement – in God.

“The Lord will also be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And those who know Your name will put their trust in You. For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.” Psalm 9:9-10

Do you desire a romantic get-away with your husband? Think you can’t afford one or could go without the kids? Well, God can make it happen!

On Monday, February 13 at 1 p.m. Central Time (2 p.m. Eastern Time), my precious friend Susan Evans will be my special guest on my Women’s Battles Radio Show at Talkshoe, sharing just in time for Valentine’s Day about her get-away with her husband to the Bahamas! Susan will talk about how God restored her honeymoon with her husband and about the highlights of their Bahamas trip together. You will love Susan. She is an anointed speaker, authentic, real, bold, passionate for Christ, and hilarious! She and I will be discussing marriage tips at the end for our Q & A time.

Maybe you’ve always wanted to take a trip alone with your honey, but have never had the opportunity. Maybe your marriage is falling apart and you feel you have no hope. Maybe the idea of going away with your husband alone is not your idea of fun! :O  Dear friend, with God nothing is impossible. Pray about your marriage. Don’t STOP praying! Believe. Stand on God’s word. God is in the restoring, healing business.

Susan and I would love to have you join us in the chat room for this exciting Valentine’s show. Just click here. Or you can call into the show with the call-in details below:

Phone Number: (724) 444-7444
Call ID: 117704
PIN: 1 # or Your Talkshoe PIN

I can’t wait to hear about Susan’s trip and we can’t wait to see you there!

Getting a little personal?

This morning I was attending the Savvy Saved Women Entrepreneurs Virtual Summit, and a question was raised by an attendee in the chat box, “Can you get too personal when running an online business?” The attendee meant if we, as entrepreneurs, should separate our business from our personal lives, keeping personal things OUT of our business.

For some people, that answer would be yes. For me, it would be no. My business and my brand ARE me, Beth Jones. My business is simply one piece of the whole of this life that God has given me.  God is my priority, then  my family, then my business and all else. My personal life affects my business and vice versa.

My family is both affected by and involved in my business. Often when you see a video of me, the video person behind my smart phone recording it is our youngest daughter Leah. My husband Ray is my business sounding board, my wise counsel, and the money bags  financial backer/adviser of my business. Our oldest daughter Heather and my sister Maria are my greatest encouragers.

My blog is filled with stories about my family. In fact, I recently posted this cartoon on my Facebook fan page with this comment: “My family realizes by now that EVERYTHING is potential content for my blog!”

This is so true. My obsession with recording intimate moments of my family’s lives began when my father-in-law Charles gave Ray and me a dinosaur-sized video recorder when Leah was born, so we could send him videos on VHS tapes (he lives in another state and couldn’t visit that often).

We have literally HOURS of videos of Leah as a baby laying on the pink blanket, the brightly colored blanket, the soft white blanket, cooing, sucking her thumb, sleeping, and yes, even spitting up on Heather’s shoulder, lol.

In one video, you can even see Ray’s hairy underarm as he, shirtless, reached over to stroke Leah’s cheek. In another video, Heather turned the camera on me, with her following me around the house and I was the one, having a bad hair day and now annoyed and frowning, saying, “STOP it, Heather!” She was simply giving me payback.

Despite that video, I still didn’t learn that my family protested every mundane moment of their lives being recorded for all the world to gawk at.  Fast forward many years, when I began my business about a year ago and technology was changing at the speed of light. I could now record my family on my FLIP recorder and my smart phone at the push of one button – and use it as GREAT content for my business! Or at least I think it’s great. (I hope you like it, too!) At least by now, my family has learned to tolerate the obsessive picture-taking, video recording, and blog-writing about their lives.

My open-as-a-book friend Susan Evans commented on my Facebook picture, “I told my husband that if he wanted to know what was going on in our family, to read my blog!”  Exactly.

No, I won’t separate my personal life (i.e., my faith in Christ, my family, my friends, etc.) from my business, because they are such an important part of my life. God and they truly are the inspirational material for my writing, speaking, and coaching.

That doesn’t mean that I believe people should “air dirty laundry” (i.e., such as the arguments Ray and I have sometimes, like the one yesterday over who spends the most money – we can have some doozies because we’re both hard-headed and stubborn!).  But I do believe that people should be real and authentic, sharing themselves, who they and their families really are, as a part of their business.

Letting people into your personal life, getting a glimpse of you and those around you, is what builds the Know, Like, Trust (K, L, T)  factor. It makes you more real and more approachable to your readers.

Let them see you are a flesh-and-blood person, with real problems, real pain, and real struggles. That doesn’t mean to bombard your readers and listeners with all the gory details of your husband getting hurt at work from lifting a heavy patient or your car breaking down on the highway when you’re on your family dinner night.

After all if your life is just a big mess, why should they follow or listen to you to help them?  They need to see that you have something positive, encouraging, and helpful to offer them, that will solve their problems – and it’s important that you are walking the talk in your own life.

But let your personal life be a part of your business. People relate to personal.

Image: photostock / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Recently when I flew to Georgia for my sister Maria’s college graduation, I went to visit my dad at his nearly 100-year-old house.

My dad, forever the workaholic, says he is now “semi-retired” as a CPA; instead of working from 8 or 9 a.m. until 9 or 10 p.m (like he has many years of his life), he now “only works” from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. This amuses me because he is 75 years old! He just loves to work and gets a lot of fulfillment out of it.

While I was there visiting him, he showed me some fruit trees and a grape vine he had planted in the back yard, which I will share more about in a minute.

My dad Leland Jr. was raised by a small tobacco farmer, Leland S. Moore, and worked hard on the farm every day with his mother Leola, his brother William and his sister Betty, and other relatives. They also grew other crops, such as cotton, watermelon, corn, and peanuts. Daddy laughed when he told me a relative of his told my dad that he’s the only person he knows who had actually plowed with a mule when he was younger!

My grandfather Leland, who died before I was born, believed in hard work. Daddy told me the story, laughing, of his uncle Jesse, who got mad because my grandfather once made him plow a whole field and then didn’t plant anything in the field; he had just made Jesse plow it to do the work to keep him out of trouble.

This vein of hard work runs in our entire family. My dad, my brothers, my sister and I all tend toward workaholism. As I was growing up, my father – who had his CPA business in our home – always made sure that us four kids were doing some kind of work. “Idle hands are the devil’s playground.” If he came upstairs to check on us after we were home from school and we were sitting in front of the T.V. watching the Flinstones or Gilligan’s Island as we were prone to do, he would immediately put us to work: washing the car, raking leaves, doing laundry or dishes, vacuuming the floors, dusting.

On Saturday mornings – our one chance to sleep in after school all week – our dad would come into our rooms to wake us up for some inane chore that would take hours of our day, like washing our house’s wrap-around porch. At the time, my brother Greg and I (who seemed to get the bulk of the work because we were older) disliked and resented it. Now I really appreciate my father teaching me a strong work ethic! My dad knew that laziness is a poor character trait.(Everything in moderation – sometimes we do need to rest, relax and just have FUN!)

Anyway, back to the fruit trees. Growing things – and doing hard work – is just in my father’s blood. So he was upset when the fruit trees he had planted – lemon, orange, and cherry – only produced small fruit, and then birds or something ruined the fruit on them. The grape vine had not produced at all. I could see the disappointment on his face as he showed me the trees and my heart went out to him. Of course, it could be that particular soil wasn’t conducive to growing those types of trees and the birds didn’t help. The orange tree eventually produced small oranges, and my dad was proud of that and took a picture with Maria’s kids with the oranges in their hands. But God immediately began speaking to me through these unfruitful trees.

What kind of legacy do we want in our lives and to pass on to our children? A godly legacy or none at all for our children, grandchildren, and future generations? It all starts with us – our decisions, our choices, today.

Will we obey God? Will we teach our children and grandchildren to obey God’s word? Will we be a godly example for them to follow, and experience God’s blessings – prosperity, divine health, joy, peace, love, goodness, self control, patience, kindness? Or will we show them instead strife, anger, unforgiveness, bitterness, depression, discouragement, poverty, debt, struggles, unhappiness?

“Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire.” (Matthew 7: 16-19, NLT)

We can either produce good spiritual fruit in our lives, and have it live on through our children and future generations, or we can produce bad fruit and have that live on in our families. Which do you choose?

After my father showed me the fruit trees, though, he then pointed to a huge pine tree nearby that I was looking at and he said, “I planted that tree here just before you were born.” I gasped, “You did?” Even now, remembering this, tears fill my eyes.

I looked at the enormous tree and then up at it, reaching high into the blue sky. God spoke to my heart immediately and showed me that I had a choice: I could either be like those unfruitful fruit trees, that the birds of the air had eaten its fruit from, or I could be like this enormous, tall tree growing high into the heavens, steady and strong and lasting.

It blessed me SOOO much. I, Beth, could leave a lasting legacy for my children and grandchildren by following God!

Which do you choose today?

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15: 1-27)

Don’t you just love a cup of hot cocoa on a cold winter day or night?

I want to invite you to my Virtual Hot Cocoa call tomorrow, Thursday, December 29 at 11:00 a.m. Central Time (12 p.m. Eastern Time) at Talkshoe. I will be sharing on The 12 Things I Learned in 2011.

I invite you to join me for this hour-long show, to share at the end of the show your own stories from 2011 – the good, the bad, and the ugly – and receive encouragement and equipping with God’s eternal words of truth and empowerment with the wonderful Holy Spirit to take you into 2012 for an incredible year!

You can join me in the chat room by clicking here. Or you can call in with the call-in details below:

Phone Number: (724) 444-7444
Call ID: 98698
PIN: 1 # or Your Talkshoe PIN

I’d love to see you there – and bring a friend!

Image Resource:Image: digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I hope you had a beautiful Christmas and are enjoying your holiday with your family and friends! What was your favorite present to give and to receive? (Besides Christ!)

After a week of our family being sick with fever, congestion, coughing, headache, and sore throat, and having to cancel our family Christmas plans until this Friday or even next week, I am ready for something NEW!!!

But I wanted to finish telling you about my trip to the south for my sister Maria’s college graduation. I had hoped to tour The Crescent again while I was visiting my family there. Unfortunately, it was closed the day I could have toured it ~ next time!

It is so beautiful, inside and out. Many people believe The Crescent is something from Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With The Wind. It’s actually not a remnant of the Civil War, but it is a historical landmark. (Resource: http://valdostascene.com/june2009/x155362519/The-Crescent)

I feel the huge, white mansion with its tall, white pillars, spacious rooms, and large oak trees with Spanish moss symbollize the beauty and Gone With The Wind romance of the deep south, southerners, and southern charm and hospitality ~ and a time gone by that makes you long for it again (almost!).

It’s a staple of Valdosta’s scenery. It has always been my dream home!

The house was once the house of Colonel William S. West. Col. West and his family built it in 1898 along North Patterson Street. West and his family moved to Lowndes County.  He later became an attorney, served as a General Assembly representative and senator from Lowndes County, became the speaker of the state senate, and then became a Georgia senator. (Resource:  http://valdostascene.com/june2009/x155362519/The-Crescent)

His home, The Crescent, became a symbol of his success. (Resource: http://valdostascene.com/june2009/x155362519/The-Crescent)

It was the first home in Lowdnes County to have electric lights, indoor plumbing, and central heating. The enormous oak trees surrounding The Crescent were planted after the home was built (the home wasn’t built around the large oaks, as many people believe. (Resource: http://valdostascene.com/june2009/x155362519/The-Crescent)).

The oak trees themselves are breath-taking. You truly feel as if any minute Scarlett O’Hara and one of her beaus might start walking around the corner in the yard, silhouetted against the Spanish moss.

At one time it was one of several homes earmarked for demolition, but was saved by the Valdosta Garden City Club members, who learned of its potential fate of destruction and bought it in 1951 as a restoration project for Valdosta, “The Azalea City of Georgia.”  (Local garden clubs were pushing to beautifyValdosta in the late 40′s after the Civil War.) The Valdosta Garden Club federated with the Garden Club of Georgia and National Garden Clubs Inc., and members received the outstanding achievement trophy for The Crescent. (Resource: http://valdostascene.com/june2009/x155362519/The-Crescent)

Because The Crescent was not open when I went there, I wasn’t able to take pictures of the inside, which I have toured several times before.

When I came home to Missouri, I googled The Crescent and found these beautiful pictures of its furnishings inside from one travel blogger. Just click here and scroll to the bottom, clicking on whatever picture you’d like. (I don’t know the blogger, so please don’t email me to complain about it!)

You really have to just see The Crescent to appreciate its incredible beauty. Like I said, this is my dream home – I love the Victorian era!

Funny, but one of the wine-red Victorian sofas in a sitting room at The Crescent looks almost just like the one I have in our dining room at home! Great minds think alike.

What is your dream home?

What is your dream trip?

What is your dream?

What will do you to achieve it in 2012? Maybe you should start here.

What is “home” to you? Is it the house you’re living in now? Is it the house, city, state, or nation you were born and/or raised in? Is it where your family is? Is it wherever God takes you for His purposes?

Home can be any of these, or all of these. “Home” for me as I grew up was a beautiful white, nearly-century-old home in the deep south. I lived there most of my life before I married and moved out in my late teens, and then again briefly in my early 20′s.

My father, Leland S. Moore, Jr., researched the house and he found that its earliest deed was 5-4-1915. The house and 2/3 of the property it lies on was deeded to my (now deceased) maternal grandmother Louise W. Gentry, my maternal aunt Mary, and my (now deceased) mother Margaret Holmes Moore in 1959, then later to my father.

It is still his home today. It’s where he and my mother lived together and raised four children, two boys and two girls, for the 24 years of their marriage until she died in 1981 – my oldest brother Greg, me, my younger sister Maria, and my youngest brother Herbert, known as “Bubba” to us siblings. (Yes, seriously! There are many boys/men in the south who are nicknamed “Bubba”!)

The house is also the location of my father’s CPA business, which he still runs! (He is 75 years old and says he is now thinking about retiring!) My mother worked as his receptionist and bookkeeper. While growing up, we kids were chastened by our mother coming out of the office, “Shhh! Be QUIET!  There’s a client in the office!” Clients throughout the years often heard us kids tearing through the house, yelling, laughing, and playing…it’s a wonder my father could keep any clients!

There was also the time my little brother, a toddler at the time who was supposed to be taking a nap, woke up and managed to not only climb out of his crib, but unlatched the screen at the bedroom window and started walking around on the roof….a client had an appointment, saw my brother up there and said, “Stay there, son!”, and hurried inside to tell my dad. My father ran up the stairs three at a time to retrieve my brother off the roof. Thank God he was okay and a tragedy avoided!

But other than us kids being too loud at times and my brother’s roof exploration, having a place for both business and home has worked for my dad all these years. Maybe that is where I get it from.   Looking back, I now realize that those seeds of entrepreneurship were planted in me in childhood. I remember my father working 10 hour (or longer) days while I was growing up.  He enjoyed his work ~ and still does today (although he told me he only works “part-time” now – he only works from 9 or 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. now!).

The office was “fun.” My siblings and I used to play “office” at night, while our dad would go to the store. We would “answer” the phones, type on mama’s typewriter, make Xerox copies, “order supplies,” etc. When daddy came home, we’d run out of the office. Then Mama would boil and salt the peanuts that our dad had brought home, and we’d all sit down together in the den, watching Hee Haw on t.v. (yes, really!) or the Flip Wilson show. My dad would eat bowlfuls of peanuts, and laugh at Flip Wilson.

What makes a house a home?

“The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.” – Maya Angelou

I have never seen another house quite like the home I grew up in. It is two stories, with a wrap-around. gray front porch (sometimes called a verranda) that surrounds the house, with a series of tall, white columns. Columns not only hold up a house structurally, but they are also design elements of classic architecture.

These Greek column designs are used on buildings all over the world. From what I can tell, the columns at my father’s house are Doric design columns.

The house is spacious inside (approximately 4,374 square feet) with tall ceilings. It has 11 rooms, not counting a back, screened-in porch, two halls, and 2 bathrooms. It has two staircases inside, a back one which may have been used for the servants.

In one of the rooms which my father uses for part of his office, there is a doorbell by a door which still rings. (My brothers, sister, and I used to love ringing it, much to our parents’ annoyance!)  Originally, the bell was made for and used to beckon the butler or the cook.

When I talked to my father on my trip to Valdosta, he told me about a conversation he’d had with someone, who shared an amusing story about the previous owners. The story goes that the small closet in that room with the bell was used at times to store (and lock up) bunches of bananas, because the owner loved bananas and didn’t want anyone eating them. Since bananas are my favorite fruit, I thought that was interesting and funny.

These are the beautiful front stairs inside the front entry hallway. My brothers Greg and Herbert, my sister Maria, and I used to slide down the bannister, even though our parents told us over and over NOT to do this, because we could fall off and get hurt – but it was so much fun!

The house is still in good shape overall, with some of its original beauty and character preserved. My father had the ceilings lowered when he and my mother Margaret moved into and renovated it in the early 1960′s, to better heat and cool it.  My dad, smiling at the memory, said my mom refused to live in it unless he renovated it.  It was in bad shape from previous careless tenants.

One of the renovations was a new roof, which back then cost only about $1,000! You can see in this picture of the back of the house how there are various levels of roofs, as well as the many, large windows.

A unique window in the house is inside the closet of my youngest brother Herbert’s old bedroom. It’s small, rectangular and quaint. Things like this are often what make old houses have such character, like the front hallway’s antique chandelier, the French doors in the living room (what used to be called the “front parlor”), and pretty doorknobs on the doors.

The house still has its original fireplaces and mantels, which are beautiful and elegant.

But they closed up the fireplaces to avoid a fire and put in gas heaters to warm the rooms, like this one below.

Even with the heaters, the house was like an ice palace in winter. My brothers, my sister and I hated getting up in the dark, out from underneath our comfortable blankets, having to face the cold to get ready for school. We would try to warm up by the heaters as long as possible, wanting to avoid taking a shower ~ the hot water often ran out quickly! Since then, my dad has had more insulation put in the house, so it stays warmer and cooler easier.

His office also has a window air conditioning unit, a MUST in sticky, humid, southern summers! During heat waves, the temperatures swell sometimes to over 100 degrees in summer in Georgia.

Below is a picture of my father’s bedroom that is now downstairs. This room used to be the family dining room, where we celebrated big Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. You can see another one of the lovely, original fireplaces and mantels.

One of the most incredible features of this house are the floors. The house still has the original, hardwood pine floors. They just don’t make beautiful floors like this anymore!

I used to sleep in an antique brass bed. It’s still in my old bedroom. I’ve never seen anything like this, either ~ very unique. The curtains and bedspread in the room are the same ones that were there when I left home in my late teens! Sometimes we want to leave things just as they are…it’s hard to let go, isn’t it? Especially of our children. (I write this with tears in my eyes.)

On the mantel of my old bedroom were some pictures of me and our oldest daughter Heather. It’s funny; when Heather showed this picture to her oldest daughter Annabelle (age 8), she immediately recognized that it was “Nana and mommy!” (me and Heather)  Check out my 80′s curly perm, lol!

Here is where my “writing career” started – this antique, round-mirrored dresser that was mine as I was growing up. I would sit in the curved part of the dresser and write in my diary or write short stories, then stuff them in one of the drawers.

My little sister Maria would sneak into the room later when I was doing chores and read my stories, which would make me mad and we would argue, because I didn’t want anyone to read them yet – they weren’t finished! (She and I are now best of friends, and she is one of my greatest encouragers and biggest “fans”!)

This “writing desk” is where it all began! Where was your original writing room or writing desk?

The house is still incredible – one of a kind – and what I’ll always know as “home” in Georgia. They don’t build solid, beautiful, southern homes like this anymore.

Outside in the back yard, my father showed me a tall, sturdy pine tree that he had planted there just before I was born. As I looked up into the sky at the magnificent tree, I was amazed. God spoke to my heart through it, which I will share with you later this week.

Where – or what – do you call your home?

***Stay tuned when I write about my dream home tomorrow.

My father Leland S. Moore, Jr., and me - December 2011

Continuing with my posts on my brief journey back to the south, I noticed again when I visited Maria that southerners have hospitality and manners down-pat. “Come on in” is a well-known southern expression that you hear when you go to someone’s house…and you are expected to stay awhile and EAT SOMETHING.

While visiting my dad Leland, he offered my sister, her kids and I some nut-clusters chocolate in his refrigerator that a client had just made for him (from scratch). He insisted that we get more than just a few pieces. Simply. Delicious. It would have been impolite to say no, I reasoned!

Politeness is one of the strongest attributes of southerners. I was raised by my strict parents to say “yes ma’am,” “no, sir,” “please,” and “thank you.” (Although eating fish with your fingers is acceptable manners, as my nephew Nicholas pointed out to me when I “wrongly” ate fried catfish with a fork -gasp!)

I was also raised to write thank you notes after birthdays and holidays, something I have tried in vain to teach our kids to do, who are terrible procrastinators – something that drives me almost crazy because I want to get things done NOW.  It’s humiliating having southern grandparents email or call weeks or months after they sent a birthday or holiday gift to our children, because no thank you card was sent to them in the mail! I assure the relatives that it’s not because I “forgot my raisin’” or that  they are ungrateful, little brats;  they simply forgot – or put it off.

Thank you notes, and written letters in general, have become a lost art. But thank you notes are part of southern tradition. If you are homeschooling, they make great language arts projects for practicing handwriting, spelling, and grammar.

A stationery box full of beautiful thank you cards, reflecting your unique elegant or quirky personality, can be a writer’s dream. For professional business owners, a handwritten thank you or other note will make you stand out in the crowd and be remembered. In fact, I received two thank you cards for my business in my post office box yesterday from new online friends, which surprised and touched me – yes, handwritten ones!

Thank you notes are a way of going the extra mile to let others know how much you appreciate them and that you CARE.

the wrap-around porch of my dad's almost-century-old home

Another southern tradition used to be sitting on your front porch with a glass of sweet tea (and I do mean, sweet!) and waving to people as they drove or walked by. Life is too busy and hectic for that now, and even southerners today are finding that they need to slow down the pace and savor life more.

But the practice of “not knowing any strangers” still abounds in the south. People speak warmly to you in public, whether they know you or not, as if they are related to you. Sometimes they ARE related to you. When we met someone at Maria’s college graduation, my dad – who has done extensive genealogy research on both sides of the family – wondered if he was a distant cousin because of his last name. Maria thought this was hilarious.

But southerners are genuinely interested in knowing who you are and where you are from – and who your family is!

When I went to downtown Valdosta while Maria was at work, I found a little floral shop filled with beautiful Christmas decorations. The owner, originally from London, chatted with me as I admired her displays and of course, she asked me what I was looking for, where I was from -  and who my family was.

Some people (especially non-southerners)  find this interest in your life disconcerting, even nosy. I believe the heart of it is a desire for intimacy with others. Isn’t it better than just being ignored? Maybe the South has a few good lessons to teach us.

I guess there are exceptions to southern hospitality and politeness. My sister Maria, my nephew Nicholas and I went to the Game Stop store one afternoon for Nicholas to exchange a video game.

The store was packed and the lines were long. Maria asked a white man standing in front of her with his son if there was one line or two, and he began ranting: “There’s two lines, but they’re not moving! There’s only two workers here, who apparently don’t want my money. What’s the problem, let’s go, people!” He began loudly clapping his hands, like he was at a football or basketball game. We would soon need a referee blowing a whistle.

As his voice became louder and the rest of the customers grew more uncomfortable (the store employees were just trying to do their job, looking down and not responding), a customer standing further back in line became the prophet of the hour. “Hey man, we are waiting in line, too. Be quiet, man! Go to Wally World if you don’t want to wait!”

The man replied that there were four registers and only two employees, and an employee told him that one was a “dummy register.”

The customer then became downright rude: “That’s just what we need in here, a dummy! This is ridiculous! What’s wrong with you people?”

Then it  became more interesting. The other customer told him to SHUT UP, and said, “I’m fixin’ to show my true color in here: NE-GRO!” (Yes, this was the actual conversation!) They began arguing until the irate man finally was waited on, purchased his son’s video, and walked out (to everyone’s relief).  So much for southern gentlemen.

My sister turned to me and said out of the side of her mouth, “I wish I had a card to give that man and tell him to call me in four years so I can help him with his problems, when I’ll be a therapist!” (She’s enrolled in the master’s program now in psychology)

We both started laughing, but later we talked and wondered together: What was really going on in that man’s life to set him off like that? Nobody likes waiting in long lines. But he was obviously agitated about something more than a video store line!

One of the highlights of the trip that I have to tell you about was on my flight home. There was an older woman sitting beside me on the plane, and when the flight attendants gave us our snacks, she began a conversation with me in that lovely southern drawl: “Are you going somewhere for the holidays? Do you live in the south?” I explained I used to, and had been visiting my sister for her college graduation.

I found out several things about her as we had our conversation: she was on her way to visit her sister in Kansas City (she and her 2 sisters were going to rent a limo and ride around the Plaza!), but she lived in Georgia now; she had been married to a military man and they’d spent some time in Germany where he’d served in the army; her husband had died 14 years years ago; and she had moved to the south when her grown children moved to the Atlantic coast. She had two children, several grandchildren, and also several great-grandchildren.

“Life is short,” she told me wisely. “We should enjoy our families each and every day. And so many things depends on our attitude. We should have a good attitude, no matter what is going on in our lives, good or bad.”

I love these God-appointments!

I had noticed a device in her hands when I first sat beside her and asked her if it was a Kindle. It was an Ipad 2. I asked if her children had bought it for her and she said no, it had been a gift to herself and she started laughing.  She said she liked playing games on it.

Intrigued, I asked what games and jokingly asked if she played Angry Birds. (I’ve never played it, but have heard people talking about it online.)

To my surprise, she said she HAD played Angry Birds sometimes. Now I started laughing. But mostly she likes playing Solitaire and other games on it. She said that her great-grandson likes playing Angry Birds on it, too.

But what she really wants, she confided in me, was a  Kindle Fire. She then began telling me the features and benefits of it – you can download ebooks on it, watch movies and T.V. shows, listen to music, play games, have the internet on it, etc.

When this great-grandmother began sharing that you could get great apps on it, I thought I would scream laughing. Technology has taken the world by storm – even for your great-grandma!

It was good to go for a visit. Tune in tomorrow for more about my trip to the south. I want to share with you about my parents’ nearly 100-year-old home which I grew up in, and about the Crescent, my dream home. (Think of Ashley’s home in Gone With The Wind.)

I’m “fixin’” to go relax now.

Oh, I did bring home a little souvenir- I picked cotton from a cotton field to show Leah. It’s as soft as the ones in a package of cotton balls. (This amused Maria.)

cotton field, Valdosta, GA

cheese grits

What makes your mouth water? I’m so thankful that God provided for me to fly to Valdosta, GA this past week for my sister Maria’s college graduation. I told Maria before I came that while I was there, one of the must-do’s was eating fried fish!

I was born and raised in the south, then moved to Missouri and have lived here for over 20 years. I consider Missouri my home now.  But I  miss southern cooking, something I never really learned how to master (due to disliking too much time in the kitchen!). This might be a good thing, considering that nearly everything is deep fried!

My father Leland and his girlfriend Sandra used to have fish fries on weekends for us kids – talk about GOOD!  I was determined to taste fried fish and cheese grits again on this trip.

On the Saturday night of Maria’s graduation, she, her kids and I went out to eat at Ray’s MillPond (original restaurant there since 1950′s)…and we had a southern feast of fried catfish, cheese grits, hushpuppies, cole slaw, french fries, pickles…and alligator! Low-fat, low-sodium, low-carb it was not – but oh, it was delicious!

The restaurant offers interesting choices like gator tail, clam clowder, sweet potato slices, deviled crab dinner, Nile perch, raw oysters, and a “swamp combo” – a combination of catfish and gator.

Maria was in her element. She could eat fried fish every single day. What a great way to celebrate her big accomplishment!   Here she is at the restaurant – isn’t she beautiful?

My sis Maria

My nephew Nicholas wanted a plateful of the alligator. As the saying goes, fried alligator tastes like chicken…only sort of rubbery. Yes, I ate it and yes, it was good! Nicholas enjoyed every bite of it.

Nicholas was astounded that where I live, people don’t eat good old southern cooking every day. I explained that while Missouri has fried fish, it just doesn’t taste the same.

And the only cheese grits I’ve ever seen since I moved here are the ones which come in packages in the grocery store, like the sugary oatmeal.

My nephew Nicholas

As we enjoyed the meal together, Nicholas poked fun at me for not eating fish the “right way,” explaining, “Aunt Beth, we don’t eat fish with a fork! You just pick it up with your fingers and dig in. This is Georgia!” LOL. We both laughed.

I loved listening to the waitress talk with her southern drawl. “Dew yew want butter or cheese with yore grits?” she asked me.

“Want some more sweet tay (tea)?” she asked my sister.

Her deep accent was music to my soul.

I have missed hearing southern drawls since moving to Missouri. I have lived in the mid-west for over 20 years, and I still have a southern accent. I still say “y’all” and “I’m fixin’ to go to the store.”

Other than the Bible, Gone With The Wind is my favorite book (and movie) of all time and Scarlett O’Hara was my heroine growing up.

My sister says you can take the girl out of the south, but you can’t take the south out of the girl.

Fried catfish, cheese grits, and hushpuppies. These truly are the finer things in life!

Look for more stories about my trip to Georgia this week.

the fried alligator I ate at Ray's Millpond restaurant on my trip to Valdosta, GA

My sister Maria at her college graduation with her kids

TA DA!

I just returned from a 5-day trip to Valdosta, Georgia, for my younger sister Maria’s college graduation. Before I left for the trip, I also just purchased a new website theme (the Genesis Lifestyle Theme) and hired wonderful website designer Linda Hernestal da Silva of Work at Home Balance to redesign my website. What do you think?

Some of you may be wondering if I am like Aretha Franklin – I Can’t Get No Satisfaction – since I just recently changed my theme!

Although I was very pleased with the outsource work someone did for me to add pages and categories to my site last time, I was NOT happy at all with the new theme I had installed. It didn’t turn out the way I had expected. I didn’t want to act like a pouty, spoiled rotten child. I tried for weeks to be content and happy about it, but it just wasn’t there!

It’s a good thing I hadn’t spent a lot of money on the theme! After seeking others’ counsel about what to do – just live with it? find another theme? – I decided to go with my gut instincts and find another Genesis theme I really liked, and hire a professional website designer for a fresh new look. That way I wouldn’t have to be aggravated with the tech aspects of it and it would be worth it all by the time she was finished! It was the right decision. Go with your gut! And take advantage of outsourcing for your business!

I don’t just like this Genesis Lifestyle theme and new design ~ I LOVE it!!! My favorite color is green, and I really LOVE the new graphic I purchased from Istock (on the left side of the header at the top of this page -the woman in the green chair with her laptop and a blue coffee cup).

Our daughter Leah tweaked the graphic for me with her graphic art program to look more like me ~ putting highlights in her hair like mine has, changing her blue eyes to green-brown hazel like mine, changing her pink shoes’ color to blue ~ and even adding some weight to her, lol, at my request (the cartoon graphic was a lot thinner than me, but I am working on losing weight. I’ve even hired a health coach to help me!). Leah did a great job with the graphic.

I love the relaxed, comfortable appearance of the woman in the chair in her jeans, with her laptop and coffee, and I want you to feel relaxed and comfortable here, too ~ like having a good, hot cup of coffee with a friend, sharing together about the great things God is doing in our lives!

Linda redesigned my header with Leah’s finished product of the Istock graphic. We removed my blog’s previous name Tablet Of My Heart from the header, to use my name for the site for branding purposes.

I also created a new tagline which I brainstormed about with several of my precious online friends (thank you, girlfriends!), Equipping Women to hear God’s voice, unlock their gifts, and pursue their passion. What do you think of the tagline? The site’s new look?

Linda did an incredible job with this redesign, going “above and beyond” the job. I am so happy and excited about it!

She also gave me great tips for reorganizing the site to improve its appearance, so you may find things a little different around here (but much easier to find!).

Linda is efficient, professional, and fun to work with ~ and very reasonably priced ~ so I highly recommend her for a website design. Be sure to check out her services for website design as well as coaching at Work at Home Balance, and tell her hi for me! Getting a new design for your website is as fun as going shopping for clothes at Kohl’s!

I have much to tell you about my Georgia trip and pictures to share with you, but meanwhile I wanted to surprise you with the new redesign. Only my family and a couple of friends knew about it…and I was about to bust to tell you!

I also have some exciting ideas for 2012, which I can’t wait to share with you soon. I’d love to hear from you about your plans for Christmas and for 2012.

Are you traveling for Christmas or staying home? Having family and friends over or going to someone else’s house? Ray, Leah and I and Heather and her family are all meeting at our daughter Eden’s house this year, which will be different (usually we have Christmas here). I still have shopping to do! :O  What about you?

What do you want 2012 to be like?

Have you written out your goals and dreams or do you choose an annual theme? Have you made your bucket list? What are some of the things that are in your heart to do?

What did you accomplish in 2011? What haven’t you accomplished yet that you would like to do?

What do you need to prune and leave behind in 2011?

What lessons did you learn?

What good things did God do for you? What prayers did He answer?

Please share your answers in the comments below. I have missed you! I was so happy to see my sister Maria and her kids and my family in Georgia ~ and to eat delicious southern fried catfish, cheese grits, and hushpuppies again! ~ but it’s good to be back!

“For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.” ~ Isaiah 43: 19, NLT

Today was a full day, consisting of reading from Isaiah this morning, talking to Ray after he got off his work shift, homeschooling Leah, a call with a friend, running errands in town, selling one of my ebooks (The Hands of A Woman), making a new friend, shopping a little at Kohl’s, and finally catching up with friends on Facebook tonight. I remind myself on days like this, “It’s not enough to be busy. So are the ants. The question is: What are we busy about?” (Henry David Thoreau) But I believe that today I was about my Father’s business!
I want to make sure my moments are counting, and are not just wasted here on earth. I connected with people today, not a surface, just-passing by, “Hi, how-are-you”, kind of connecting, but a deeper connection that feeds the soul.
I’m thankful that even though Ray has worked a whole shift, often without any sleep at all on his down time there – he is still willing to listen patiently to me as I blab on and on about something on MY mind. Each time he listens, though, I feel a little closer to him -( he probably just feels tired!) 
I connected with my friend on Skype. Initially she wanted me to call her for us to talk about something business-related. The conversation quickly turned to spiritual meat. She shared with me how years ago, God had given her a very specific and  strong word, “Remember Lot’s wife.” He  told her to leave her family and everything familiar to her. In other words, deny herself, take up her cross daily and follow Jesus. (Luke 9:23) So often, we want to hold onto what is safe and familiar – what is comfortable. God hasn’t called us to be comfortable, but to be obedient.
We are often too busy staring back at the past like Lot’s wife, thinking how good it was, or feeling its regrets or what coulda-been-today, that we forget to focus on now and the great future God has planned for us. (Jeremiah 29:11) She and I also talked about following the path that GOD has for us – even if it is the road less traveled (which can sometimes be a lonely road, where others speak against you. But God is always with you and will never forsake you.) Follow Him. You answer to Him alone!
I also connected with the woman who bought my book, a fellow life coach and counselor. I discovered after emailing her, that she had been wanting to talk to me and hadn’t had a chance yet. We both had the exact same idea for a joint project, which I thought was interesting. It confirmed for me this was another God-moment. He astounds me the way He divinely orchestrates details of and relationships in our lives. There is no detail so small in your life that God is not involved in it, or is not interested in it.
And I made a new friend today, meeting her at Panera Bread. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, and smelled of coffee and sweet cakes. Here is one of the pretty paintings on the wall that I admired, as I waited a moment for my new friend to arrive.

Of course, I ordered coffee while I waited. I brought a colorful, spiral-bound notebook and a black gel pen, which later leaked on my hand and my friend’s as we wrote with it. But this woman was sharing such good stuff that I was VERY glad that I’d brought my notebook to capture and preserve what she was saying! She was in sweats because she’d been on a field trip with a school, and didn’t want her pic taken today because she knew then I’d post it on Facebook, lol…but next time!!!

It was so nice to be able to talk to a life coach IN REAL LIFE. I have MANY online friends who are like me: speakers, writers, life coaches, moms working at home, entrepreneurs. These are some of my fave people to talk to and learn from and teach/share with each day. We share hearts, we laugh, we encourage each other, we pray for each other on Skype, on telecalls, on webinars, in email, on Facebook, at virtual events. But I don’t know them IRL. I’ve never met them IN PERSON. Sometimes I wonder – if they met me, would they still like me?
It was just so COOL talking to a real live person about these kinds of things that energize me and fill me with joy – my faith in God, my upcoming Virtual Spiritual Spa in January 2012, working with clients, doing women’s retreats, writing, building a  business, my family, marketing, live events,  etc.  My family and my friends  IRL scratch their pretty heads at my “job” and just think I”m crazy. I’m kidding. But they really don’t understand what it is that I DO.  They have never run an online business and they don’t relate to it.  My friends online DO get it because they live it, breathe it, love it like I do.
So this new friend of mine, who I “met” first on Facebook, agreed to meet at Panera Bread restaurant at 3:30 p.m. and we did not leave until a little after 6 p.m.  I could not believe we talked that long with this being the first time we met! But why not ? She was outgoing, friendly, smart, funny, wise, and practical. She gave me great ideas and I shared mine with her.
It was like our own little mastermind right there in Panera, with me drinking coffee. The more coffee I drink, the more I talk. (Ask Ray!) She and I laughed, we fed off each other’s passion and positive energy, and we just had FUN.  We left, exchanging cell phone numbers and with plans to talk next week. I’ve made a wonderful new friend who inspires me, whom I would have never met if it wasn’t for the organization NACWE – God is so good!
My next stop: On The Border. (By this time, Ray was texting, “Where are you?”)  Have I ever told you how much I LOVE chips and salsa? It’s my treat every couple of weeks to go eat Mexican food. If I am missing, check the Mexican restaurants first.

I ordered the chicken fajitas tonight. I have never been to a restaurant where the fajitas arrived, nearly on fire – the thick, grey smoke ascending so heavily and quickly to the ceiling. People were coughing and staring and laughing, not just at my fajitas, but other people’s in the restaurant who had ordered them, too. A family moved their children to the other side of the restaurant to be able to breathe. Yes, the smoke was really that bad. But they were delicious. One woman on my Facebook page told me that she was jealous seeing this picture.

Finally, I went to Kohl’s “just a minute” to see if I could find a sweater with faux fur. Don’t ask me why, but I have wanted one SO bad ever since I noticed that fur is SO in this winter. FAKE fur, that is. (All animal lovers, do not send me hate mail about fur clothing. You can feel relieved that I am not advocating killing innocent, precious animals just to pamper myself.)  Here I am in the dressing room, trying on a sweater WITHOUT fur. I wanted to buy it, too – maybe next time.

Here I am wearing the faux fur grey sweater that I found on sale for $50 off – normally over $70, marked down to $28. I LOVE sales!

All in all, it was a most excellent day. I came home and chatted a minute with Ray and Leah about the day and theirs. We were all amused at something silly, and I heard the beautiful music of Leah’s laughter. I am so thankful to God for my family and love them so much.
I had received a postcard from my sister Maria, written on her recent trip to Boston, sharing about the unique  architecture of buildings there and long walks she and her friend made to the Commons, a huge park with an ice-skating rink. It blessed me that she had thought of me on her trip and sent a postcard – don’t ever discount the little things.
Then I checked my email tonight and a friend had written me, “I just love you!” It was the perfect day’s ending…now I can’t wait to wake up to tomorrow!
What was your day like? Make a good memory today with those you love, those you meet.
Please share your comments below.

“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” ~Victor Frankl.
Change. It’s inevitable in life, like the seasons…the trees, that a few weeks ago displayed like an art masterpiece beautiful gold and red fall leaves, are now bare, stark, preparing for winter.
Tonight I saw a picture of my aunt, who I haven’t seen in years, and she had changed a lot…she looked, yes, old. Inside I winced, wanted to withdraw, grew uncomfortable because it forced me to suddenly look at and acknowledge my own mortality.
This aging thing is for the birds!
I don’t want to get old. I still feel fairly young (well, most days, except when I’m around teens or 20-somethings, who seem to have found the spring of eternal youth!).
I don’t like what often accompanies old age…the grey hairs, the wrinkles, the aching joints, the loneliness – and sometimes other more serious problems, like the heart attack just suffered by someone Ray and I have known for years, who is only in his 50′s (we are believing for complete healing for him!).
I think aging is mean!
I have always felt that old age was cruel. Why does God allow us to age and get old? Why do some people age and get sick and suffer? It seems mean. Why would a good God allow His creation to AGE and become feeble?
God never meant for us to age and die
Yet I know that God never intended this for His creation. He made Adam and Eve to live forever. When they chose to eat the forbidden fruit, that is when sin entered the world – and death, and aging.
The moment Adam and Eve ate the fruit, they began to die. And they knew, they could feel it and sense it. Then when they saw their son Abel dead after Cain killed him, horror overcame them as they realized just what they had done – the deadly consequences of sin.
Good changes!
Not all change is bad, of course. The precious birth of babies. Every baby born is a miracle! Weddings are always fun and are usually good changes for people. So are graduations, moves to a new, better home, getting braces (after the braces are off – straighter teeth!), and traveling to a new town, state, or country. These are good changes and bring much needed refreshment to our souls.
>The beauty of age
And aging has its own peculiar beauty. Some of the most spiritually and emotionally free people I know are senior citizens. They have learned to laugh at life and themselves, and that difficult, but valuable, lesson, “Let go and let God.”
They have been educated in the school of hard knocks and have gained great wisdom to pass onto us in middle age (and youth), if we would just listen to them.
And beyond skin that is wrinkled (like my hands are beginning to), and a little more “meat” on the bones (no longer the youthful figure of 16), the Bible says that gray hair is a crown of glory, gained in a righteous life. (Proverbs 16:31, ESV)

The hardest kind of change, though, is within ourselves. The apostle Paul was reading my mail when he wrote:
“And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.I want to do what is right, but I can’t.I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong.
I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.”
I am clearly reminded of this passage when Ray or our daughter Leah comments after I am easily irritated about something, or when I get impatient because the intersection light is being slow to turn green, or I can’t wear last year’s pants because I have gained more weight this year from lack of discipline, instead of losing weight like I wanted.
Daily fountains of grace
As Victor Frankl said, we are challenged to change ourselves.  Really, it’s impossible; we can’t do it ourselves.  Instead, daily we have to go to the foot of the Cross and cry out for grace and help and strength.
Daily we have to admit to God, “I can’t do what is right! Please help me!” Daily we have to bow before Jesus and whisper that we messed up – again, when yesterday we had such good intentions for doing was right today.
I am thankful that while I can’t change myself, God’s Spirit in me is able to transform me “from glory to glory.” (2 Corinthians 3:18)
The one thing that never changes
I am also thankful that although seasons come and go in our lives, and although our mirrored reflection  may change throughout the years, one thing never changes – the love, mercy, and help of God.
“For I am the Lord; I change not.” – Malachi 3:16
“Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.” James 1:17, NLT
“For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” – Psalm 100:5
Image Resource: Image: phanlop88 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

My dear friend Kimberly Ehlers and I were chatting by email this morning about needing to hear God’s voice for our specific business.
What works for so many of the “gurus” on the net may not work for or prosper yours. God has a unique plan and purpose for your life, your family, and your business.
We need to simply extract the precious from the worthless (Jeremiah 15:19, NASB), and apply what we’ve learned from those who are successful and implement what does help us. The key is hearing God’s word on the matter, listening to our gut instinct, and honoring our core values
I shared with Kimberly that I believe we should all do what Shakespeare wrote:
This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.
When we are true to ourselves, to our core values like our faith, our family, homeschooling, etc, then we will live authentic, fulfilled, happy, successful lives.
If you are a homeschooling mom like Kimberly and I are, then your child’s homeschooling will need to be a priority over your home business. That doesn’t mean neglecting your business. But it does mean your child’s education must take precedence.
If you work full-time at a job outside the home because that is the career of your dreams, you need to honor that core value and not get pulled away from your passion by guilt trips from other parents to do fund-raiser cookie sales door-to-door.
If you are a new, young mom who has wanted a baby for years and just had a newborn, your baby needs to nurse or drink her bottle on a regular schedule instead of you putting off her feeding, letting her scream, while you are sucked into a draining phone conversation with a friend who is whining on the phone to you about her inconsiderate fiance’.
Maybe one of your core values is staying fit and healthy. Be sure to incorporate healthy eating, sufficient rest and entertainment, and exercising into your daily routine.
Or perhaps one of your core values is writing – writing is an essential part of your soul. (Only writers truly get this, because writing is like air!) Create space in your schedule to write daily instead of compulsively organizing your spices cabinet.
Whatever your core values are, that is what you need to prioritize and stay true to each day.
I encourage you to take some time today to pray and think about your main 5 to 10 core values, and write them down. Then live your life in such a way as to focus on them and avoid distractions so you can live intentionally and authentically.
Image Resource: Image: renjith krishnan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

This weekend after church and also late yesterday afternoon I crashed, sleeping for several hours to refuel from Leah’s birthday party. While sleeping, I had a bad dream, probably from fatigue.  I dreamed the Smoke Monster from Lost was chasing Leah and me through a house, up the stairs. Then I woke up.
Many times in our lives, we deal with a real Smoke Monster – that of fear.  I listened to the replay of Krista Dunk’s Breakthrough Conference from this week, and heard an excellent teaching tonight by Ericka Jackson on Fear and Fearlessness.
What Fear is NOT
Fear, she said, is NOT False Evidence Appearing Real. This has been taught so much in the secular world that now the Church is repeating it over and over. This explanation has no Biblical basis.
Actually, Ericka said, fear is real. This is the definition of fear: a lack of surrender or submission to God.
Fear illuminates the areas of your life where you do not believe and have faith in God and His word!
Fear means that you are not yet purified from uncleanness and darkness. It means that you are not yet perfected in God’s agape love, because perfect love drives away all fear.(1 John 4:18)
Like the Smoke Monster, fear will chase you down, fill you with terror, drag you off course, and eat you alive.
It will hinder your great purpose and destiny.
>Fear will keep you from manifesting your greatness.
God has called you and me to greatness, because we were made in the image of God, who is great. (Genesis 1:27)  In Ericka’s mp3 audio Now Is Your Time, she challenges you and me to look at the areas of our lives where we are not living out our greatness in Christ.
>Examine your marriage, children, job, ministry, health, environment, finances. What currently doesn’t reflect your greatness, your full potential in God?
Wherever you are afraid, that is the area where you are not trusting God.
Ericka exhorts you and me to leave the past behind us, to let it go, and to choose to walk in step with God each day, trusting in Him.
Nothing is impossible with God
Because Jesus Christ lives inside of you, you have the power to overcome anything and nothing is impossible with God. (Luke 1:26-38) You are destined for greatness, and to do Jesus’ greater works. (John 14:12)
You must heed God’s urgent timing on your calling. Don’t put it off another day. Don’t let fear hold you back from your potential.
The time is now. Today is the accepted time, the day of salvation. (2 Corinthians 6:2)
Get focused, set your eyes on Jesus and on your purpose. Get rid of time thieves and distractions, catching the little foxes that spoil the vineyard. (Song of Solomon 2:15)
Ericka says removing distractions from your greatness doesn’t mean leaving your husband or kids because they are getting on your last nerve. It doesn’t necessarily mean you should quit your job today.
Get a new mindset- not having a spirit of  fear, but of love, of power, and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7) In other words, thinking the thoughts of God, having His heart of love, doing what God does.
Time is short. Ericka exhorts us there is to be no more watering down of God’s vision for your life. There is no more time to play around. We need to be about our God our Father’s business, and do what we’re called to do and to be.
Maybe you feel that you have just been too hurt, or messed up too bad in your life. Ericka encourages us that the purpose of your painful past was to create the tools, insights and expertise you need today, not to just wound you.
God can turn your pain around 180 degrees and use it for His glory, like He did with Joseph whose brothers threw him in a pit and sold him into slavery. Later he was raised up by God to be second in command in Egypt and to deliver his family in the drought.
Your past has made you stronger. It has equipped you for your greatness. Your time for greatness is now.
Yes, the Smoke Monster of Fear is  very real.
It will rob you of your full power and anointing in Christ.
It must be cast down through the blood of Jesus and through you standing in your rightful position through God. The battle against Satan was already won over 2,000 years ago through Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross.
We must give no place to fear, because it only wants to torment us and keep us from our great purpose.
We must learn to stand in our rightful place through Christ, co-heirs reigning with Him. Ask God to deliver you from fear and to cleanse you of its effects in your life.
Say no more to the Smoke Monster of Fear.
Say yes to God and your great purpose.

*********************************************
Want to learn more about living a passion-filled, purpose-full life? Sign up for my January 2012 Coaching Class/Book Study, Stepping Stones to Your Purpose and Passion. Just click here.

I’m going to start focusing on writing more the rest of this year and in 2012, and one of the things God has put into my heart is to write Bible studies and other books for you that are practical, relevant, and can be applied to everyday life.
We’ve heard that 20-somethings are leaving the church in droves, although there is some controversy over that statement. But one of the reasons they get disgusted and leave is because they see hypocrisy in their parents, other adults, and church leadership, and because they feel the Bible is out-dated and doesn’t apply to their lives and their generation.
Yet God’s Word is timeless. It is still very much for today, as its truths are eternal…for senior citizens, for middle aged adults, for young adults, for teens, for children.
I’d love to get your feedback for Bible studies and other books, ebooks, webinars, teleseminars, workshops, and events that interest you and  are relevant and applicable for where you’re at right now in your life.
What topics interest you the most? Pursuing your purpose and passion? Marriage? Parenting? Time Management? Priorities? Goal-setting? Success God’s way? Faith? Healing? How to Forgive Someone Who has Hurt You? Books of the Bible? The Spiritual Gifts? How to Use Your Gifts for God? Balancing all you do?
Please fill in the blank: I’d really love to hear or read/study/learn more about _________________________.
Your opinion and thoughts are important and they matter to me!  What would help you? Please leave your comments below or email me at elizabethdjones@gmail.com.

Did you miss last week’s Talkshoe show with award-winning author and speaker Patty Mason? Then you missed such a blessing!

Patty was very transparent in the struggle she had with depression and anger. She realized that the illusion of the American dream, “having it all” – owning the nice house and car and being financially blessed, marriage to her sweetheart, having kids, being on stage and being applauded and awarded for her great accomplishments – left her empty and hurting. Depression overtook her life at what seemed to be the pinnacle of her dreams, and it was only when Jesus touched her, that her life changed to one of joy, peace and true fulfillment and satisfaction.

You can still hear the show by clicking here or listening on the Talkshoe player before. Be sure to check out Patty’s book, Breaking Free: Breaking the Bonds of Depression Without Drugs.

***Want to go deeper into the topic of depression? Check out my ebook on women and spiritual warfare, The Hands Of A Woman: Everyday Women In Everyday Battles. In this ebook, I share several stories of women with severe depression, including part of my own story, how common depression is among women, the causes of depression – and the solution.

Andrea Sharp

The Busy Mom’s Guide to Balancing All of Life’s Projects

I Don’t Know How She Does It hit theaters recently, as movie goers nationwide flocked to see the A-list cast, including Sarah Jessica Parker, Piirce Brosnan, Kelsey Grammer, Christina Hendricks and more. The film tells a story of a working woman, wife and mother, and how she overcomes both personal and professional dilemmas throughout her hectic daily routine. In today’s economy, the number of working mothers has dramatically increased, and “Supermoms” nationwide are proving day in and day out that they are an unstoppable force.

Speaker, author, and founder of SharpWomen, Andrea Sharp is the real-life Kate Reddy (played by Sarah Jessica Parker), who knows a thing or two about chaos and finding the right balance.

We all have those days where we’ve got the plates spinning in the air, and we’re just waiting for them to drop on our head. Andrea uses humor and an inspirational look at life, Andrea’s mission is to reach women with the message that the most important thing you can do is make time each day for yourself.

Andrea will be my special guest on my Women’s Battles Talkshoe show on November 10 at 2:30 p.m. Central Time (3:30 p.m. EDT).  In this segment, Andrea will provide encouragement to women around the country as they deal with the business of life:

• Real life tools and recommendations you can use to make your life less hectic

• Juggling your to- do list

• The importance of perspective when managing your schedule

You can join us in the chat room here: http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/talkCast.jsp?masterId=98698&cmd=tc

You can also call into the show with the call-in details below:
Phone Number: (724) 444-7444
Call ID: 98698
PIN:  1# or Your Talkshoe PIN #

We’d love to see you there!

What are you afraid of? We all struggle with  fears. You may have these:

• fear over a troubled marriage
• fears about our children’s safety or health
• fears over our own health
• fears about phobias
• fears we’re not “good enough” or perfect
• fears of rejection
• fears about our finances/the economy
• fears we may make a mistake/do something wrong
• fears our business will fail
• fears even of success.

God doesn’t want us afraid. It is bondage. Jesus came to set us free. Fear hinders or stops us from our great purpose. It paralyzes us and keeps us stuck.

On November 5 at 11 a.m. Central Time (12 noon Eastern Time), I am having a virtual workshop, Fearlessly Forward. This workshop is based on the movie Secretariat, the champion racehorse who won the Triple Crown. God created Secretariat to run – and to run FAST, to WIN. You are a winner, too. God has a great calling for your life.

It’s time to push past your fears and to move faster into your purpose. There is no time to waste. Time is short. We need to be about the Father’s business in our business!

Click on the video below to learn more about the workshop on Saturday, November 5 at 11:00 a.m. Central Time (12 noon Eastern Time). Just click here to learn more about the workshop and to secure your spot in the class.

Image source: Image: digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Don’t you love parties? One of the best parties to attend is a Facebook party. If you’ve never attended a Facebook party, they are a blast! You make new friends, network, and you can win GREAT prizes just for coming!

I’m planning my first Facebook party EVER on Tuesday, October 25 at 11 a.m. Central Time (12 noon EDT). It will be on my Facebook business page at this link: https://www.facebook.com/BethJones.net

The theme of this party and my November online workshop is Fearlessly Forward. It’s based on Secretariat, the first U.S. Triple Crown winner champion racehorse in 25 years. Secretariat was created by God to RUN FAST – he had no fear in running! The movie Secretariat with Diane Lane is awesome!

Like Secretariat, we need to keep pushing through all fear and intimidation to RUN the race well, to fufill our great purpose from God and pursue our passion!

All you do to attend the Facebook party is sign into your Facebook account, come to the page a few minutes early, and wait for the party to begin. You refresh every few seconds to see the questions and everyone’s answers – and if you won one of the prizes!  It’s a great way to make new meet new people, network, and share your website and about your business. You will love it!

I hope to see you there on Tuesday, October 25, at 11 am CST!

Video of Secretariat

Do you want to do incredible things for God, but feel you aren’t good enough? Then you’ve come to the right place. God the Potter desires to create you into His Beautiful Masterpiece – and what is more, into a vessel for HONOR!  Join me and my dear friend Rochelle Valasek for our webinar, The Master’s Hands.

I am so excited to be doing this webinar with Rochelle. She’s a great woman of God, an anointed speaker and writer, and you will love her contagious enthusiasm, sense of humor, and passion for God.

Our webinar is planned for Friday, October 14, at 7:00 p.m. Central Time to 9:30 p.m. Central Time (8:00 p.m. EDT to 10:30 p.m. EDT). Best of all, it is at no cost to you!

I love the scriptures on the Potter and the clay, and have always been fascinated by a potter working on a pottery wheel with clay. God our Potter works with us, His creation the clay, so patiently each day, so that we can become the vessel He intended for His glory!

Maybe you feel unworthy of doing anything great for God because of something wrong you’ve done in your past (or even your present). No matter how “marred” you may be, God can take you and reshape you into His Beautiful Masterpiece. God has wonderful things planned for you. He can restore and reform you into His image!

We’d love for you to join us for this exciting webinar. You will receive a recording replay, as well as bonuses for attending. Be sure to bring a friend!

To find out more about our webinar and to reserve your spot today, just click here.

Video of potter working with clay on pottery wheel

I thought I’d continue the blogging. Today I went to our local grocery store to pick up Ray, me and Leah some fried chicken and mashed potatoes with gravy at the deli. They have a special recipe for their chicken, and every couple of weeks they have it on sale and have to cook 2 huge mounds of it from the people lined up to buy it. Yeah, it’s that good!

While I was waiting for our order, I heard a woman next to me order potatoes, and noted a deep southern accent. I turned to her and asked politely, “Excuse me, are you from here?”

She smiled and said, “No, I’m from the south. Arkansas.”

I replied, “I thought so. I heard the southern accent. I was raised in Georgia.”

She then amusedly said in that southern twang, “Well then” (pronounced like, “Waaaale thaaaan”), “we’re neighbors.”

Her name was Maxine, she wore a big happy smile, and I noticed she had a bright gold crown on one of her front teeth. She then told me how she used to live in Arkansas with her husband, who was a pilot with an airline and she worked for the airline, too.

I asked if she was a flight attendant, and she said, no, she cleaned the planes. After she cleaned the plane and got off work, she and her husband would travel all over the place together. (Employees of some airlines receive free flight benefits.)

“We didn’t ever have any chil’un (children),” she said wistfully. “But you know, you cain’t (can’t) have chil’un when you have a job travelin’ like tha-yut (that).”

She was a senior citizen. I asked if her husband was still a pilot, if he was still living. “No’m,” she said. “He passed away. I stayed in Arkansas awhile, went out with my friends to the park to go out sometimes. It was a nice park. Then ‘ventually (eventually), I moved here. But he and I really enjoyed traveling together. We had fun.”

She smiled and her smile was as bright and as big as the sun. She then said something that just struck me. “I’ve had a good life. It’s been a GOOD life.” She looked content, satisfied, as if she had no regrets…just a happy, fun life, traveling together with her husband.

We parted and I told her how nice it was to meet her. I enjoyed talking to her and wished I could have talked longer to her about her travels, her husband, her job. I left her presence a little lighter-hearted for the day, feeling as if God had just dropped a word from heaven into my spirit: Enjoy the trip.  Have fun.

What about you? Have you had a good life? Are you living a good life now?

If not, why not? What’s holding you back from it? When will you begin to have a good life and “enjoy your “flight”?

***
Would you like to get unstuck from what’s holding you back from enjoying your life? Join my new fall online “Helping Hands” coaching class/book study, beginning September 13. Learn more info by clicking here.

Lately I’ve had a lot of events that I’ve been sharing about here, which are fun, but sometimes people just want to read blogs, not get another Facebook event invitation or hear about another radio show or webinar. I decided to just WRITE a blog post. Normal, everyday, routine stuff that will hopefully make you smile and get to know me better.

First, a confession. I’ve been eating WAY too many Baby Ruth chocolate candy bars lately. This is doing NOTHING for my weight loss goal or to prepare me for the 5K that I’m walking on September 17 to raise funds for awareness of child trafficking….but they sure taste good.  I get the Baby Ruths at the dollar store in town because they’re a lot cheaper than the convenience store/gas station and I’m at least going to be frugal about it.

I crave chocolate at certain times of the month and relate to that expression, “There’s more to life than chocolate, but not right now.” (Anonymous) Life really is better sometimes with chocolate. Have some chocolate.

Second, my younger sister Maria, who lives in Georgia,  is in her last semester of college, majoring in psychology to get a B.A. degree to become a psychologist or a researcher (continuing with the master’s program after graduation). She has been working full time as a bookkeeper for a CPA, is a single mom of 3 kids, and attends college full-time…and has been consistently making dean’s list. I am SO proud of her.

With God’s help you really CAN do all things through Christ  and achieve your goals – Maria is living proof! I am praying for God to provide the money for me to fly to Georgia to be at her college graduation in December this year.  A round trip flight usually costs around $450, unless Orbitz has a deal (usually on a red-eye flight!). I can’t wait to visit her, my two nephews Nicholas and Brandon and my niece Katie!  I haven’t visited my family there in a couple of years now, so it’s time for a visit!

Third, Ray and I are looking at upgrading our cell phones. When he was in Haiti last year, his cell phone didn’t work most of the time while he was gone for 40 days, which was quite frustrating for me. I needed to know if he was in the middle of another earthquake aftershock and was still alive, if he was starving (their food supply was quite low at times), and very important things like how to get my printer paper unjammed.

So he needs a new phone and he suggested that I upgrade mine while he’s at it. My friends rave about the Iphone and that is what I really want. But we’d have to switch carriers from Sprint to ATT, get a new 2-year contract, and pay a lot more money to get Iphones. So Ray is looking instead at our carrier Sprint’s Evo, which has 4G (meaning the internet is faster on it than the 3G). He thinks the Evo is actually a better phone than the Iphone. Some of his friends at work have the Evo 4G and he loved it.

Do you have an Iphone or an Evo or another type of cell phone? Why do you like it? Which do you think is the best? Leave your comments below. Ray gets his Sprint upgrade free because his phone isn’t working right, and if I got an Evo upgrade, it wouldn’t cost that much. My family says that no matter what phone I upgrade to, I will still forget my phone at home when I run errands or else not answer it so what’s the use?

At any rate, I’m looking forward to a new phone, because although I love my red cell phone (my website’s header purposely shows a red phone; I had it designed that way since I have a red phone IRL), it’s not real user-friendly. The keys on the qwerty board are SO tiny and hard to type on and read. When I text someone, it looks like this: “Going to the srore noq; cakk me larer.” (Going to the store now; call me later.)

I tested the Evo phone at a Sprint store this weekend and it looks easier to use. I’m very excited about getting a new phone. It will be my birthday present this month. My friend Jane and I laugh because now instead of wanting flowers or jewelry for our birthdays and holidays, we want geeky tech gadgets instead. In fact, women prefer cell phones to designer shoes.

Fourth, last year Leah and I took some extra days off school so we went quite a bit into the summer with her homeschooling. That pushed back the beginning of this year back, too, since I gave her a month off in August and part of September for summer “vacation.”  We will start homeschooling again next week. I can’t believe it’s her senior year of high school! Where did the years go?  I plan to start blogging more consistently on my homeschool blog here, so if you’re a homeschooler, subscribe to the posts or check in each week (and subscribe to this one, if you’re not already – the little orange button at the top on the right side).

I’m praying to get away for a whole day before next week to just pray about the year and to do some intense planning. I want this last year to be our funnest, most memorable year yet with lots of field trips and hands-on activities.

Recently I asked my friend Sherri if she felt empty or lost since her youngest child just graduated from homeschool and she’s not homeschooling any more. She said no, she was loving it – she can now focus on her writing and speaking.

Another friend of mine does feel lost. Her kids grew up, went to college, and moved out. Much of her identity has been wrapped up in being a homeschooling mom. Recently when she called me, she asked, “Beth, what am I supposed to do with my life now?” My heart ached for her.

I think it’s important that we know our purpose and what God has created us to be and to do. When your season of homeschooling is over, God has other things in store for you – good things! (Jeremiah 29:11) God will never leave you or forsake you!  Pray and ask God what this new chapter of your life holds. I encourage you to take my fall coaching class/book study if you want to get unstuck and need more direction.

Finally, I’m planning to get mine and Leah’s haircuts this week. This year I’ve had some problems at the salon. My recent highlight was not what I’d hoped, so maybe trimming some of it will help (the top is brassy). I’m looking for ideas for a cute new cut. Got any?

That’s my blog post for today.   Hope you’ve enjoyed it. Leave your comments below or just say “hi.” I’d love to hear from you!

Img src: Image: Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Did you have a good weekend? I did! For a couple of months now I’ve been planning our oldest daughter Heather’s surprise birthday party. We had it yesterday and she was surprised – mission accomplished!  Speaking of surprises, this Wednesday, September 7, at 12 noon Central Time (1:00 p.m. EDT), I’m having a preview call on Talkshoe about my upcoming, online group coaching class/book study and will be offering a brand-new bonus if you sign up for the coaching group/book study within 24 hours of the preview call.

When you sign up, you’ll also be entered into a contest for a free gift card, too. On this call I will share 10 Tips For A Fulfilled Life.

The call will last about 40 minutes with time afterward for Q & A if you have any questions about my upcoming coaching group/book study. To find out more info, just join us in the chat room at Talkshoe here.

You can also call into the show by cell phone or Skype with the call-in details below:
Phone Number: (724) 444-7444
Call ID: 98698
PIN: 1# or Your Talkshoe PIN

I’d love to see you there!

Beth Jones and Uganda missionary Alma Jones, at Aglow

Sometimes God gives us unexpected blessings.

That was a “sound bite” message that Women’s Aglow of South Kansas City, MO President Kay Roe shared today, and that I realized to be true when I saw my Uganda, Africa missionary friend Alma Jones and friend Lynn Erwin in the audience when I spoke today at Aglow. It meant so much to have my friends there for support!

Today I shared the message, “It’s not too late!” from the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32. It’s not too late if you have a prodigal son, daughter, or spouse. It’s not too late for your marriage that is on the verge of destruction. It is not too late for your business to succeed. It’s not too late
for you or your loved one to be healed of that sickness or defect. It’s not too late for that big, impossible dream in your heart to come true.

God has a great plan for your life and your loved ones’ life! (Jeremiah 29:11) He will bring the dream or His promise to pass because He is the one who put it there in your heart.

Kay Roe, President of Women's Aglow, South Kansas City

Speaking of hearts, I love Kay, the President of Aglow, and Rhonda Skivers, who is a powerhouse for God, is also on Aglow’s board, and who invited me to speak there. They both have an enormous heart of God’s love and compassion.

Today’s meeting was opened with a beautiful song by a woman, ‘My Life Is Not My Own,” and the worship leader led us in some sweet worship and praise. God’s presence is so good!

I was blessed to be able to share God’s word and minister today, and meet some new friends.

After I spoke, I was honored to pray for some of the women’s needs. I also gave away a copy of my book Walking With God, a copy of my new ebook The Hands Of A Woman: Everyday Women In Everyday Battles, and my 7-audio Quiet Time devotional set to winners, who were selected randomly in the contest today.

It was so cool how the woman Colleen who won Walking With God (my book on prayer) said, “I love prayer and I love books!” and the woman Myrna who won the gift bag with my new ebook, lotions, candle, herbal tea, and chocolate, squealed, “I love chocolate!”  Isn’t it amazing how God orchestrates even the tiniest details like this out of His love for us?

Friend Lynn Erwin and me, at Women's Aglow

After Aglow, I went with my friend Lynn Erwin to Applebee’s for lunch for some much needed, fun “girls time.”  We had a great time catching up with each other, laughing, and munching!

Yes, today had unexpected blessings. God is good. Begin to look for those unexpected blessings in your life today, and thank Him.

***

Would you like to join Beth and 5 other women for her new fall coaching group class/book study, which will cover Beth’s new ebook? You can live a fulfilled, victorious, joyful life. Learn more by clicking here.

Tomorrow, August 24, I am speaking for approximately 45  minutes at Aglow and after speaking, I will be giving away gifts, including my book Walking With God and my new ebook, The Hands Of A Woman: Everyday Women In Everyday Battles. All you have to do to enter the contest to win is to attend, sign your name and email address, and we will select random winners!

The meeting starts at 9:30 a.m. Central Time with worship and praise, followed by the Bible teaching time, usually until lunch. Aglow is located at Grandview Assembly, 12400 Grandview Road, Grandview, MO 64030.

You will be blessed and encouraged at Aglow. Aglow International is a trans-denominational organization established in 172 nations on six continents. Men and women meet together through local Aglow fellowships. They reach out to those in prisons, in senior homes, inner city neighborhoods, and mental institutions; single moms; working men and women, all beginning with the next-door neighbor.

I hope to see you there!

Image: renjith krishnan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Invigorated. Stretched. Pushed. Encouraged. Exhausted! All these and more feelings describe how I feel tonight after taking Diane Cunningham‘s Inspired Business Day class all day today with Desirae Shawn, a professional organizer and founder of Ecclesiastes Three Six.

We identified who our ideal client is (and is not), took a business reality check, established our product lines, set goals for launching products and services within the next 30 days, 6 months, 1 year, and 3-5 years, and gave ourselves permission to succeed. It felt great to write down concrete goals to carry out the vision God has put in our hearts, so that we can run with it!

What about you? Do you have a firm plan in place for where you want to be tomorrow, next week, next year?

Are you setting specific goals for the vision God has given you? Learning new things each day through reading good books, getting more training or education, and being mentored? Identifying obstacles to your success, such as limiting self-beliefs, fears, doubts, perfectionism, procrastination, lack of self-care, distractions?

What is one action step you can take today to get you faster to your #1 priority goal? Take a step of faith right now. You can do it with God’s and others’ help.

***
Want to learn more about living a victorious life, becoming all that God has created you to be and achieving your goals? Sign up today for my new fall coaching group class/book study and receive a bonus ebook, Prayer, Purpose, and Passion. Click here for more details. www.bethjones.net/articles/groupcoaching.

As Christians, we not only want to make an impact today but for eternity.  Our lives are not our own, but belong to God.

We want to be people of power and of influence to further God’s Kingdom.  John Maxwell says that to positively change your life and others depends on your degree of influence. Without influence – and the most important quality, integrity – success is impossible, he says.

You don’t have to be famous like Justin Bieber or Oprah to be able to influence others in a positive and great way. Everyone is an influencer, Maxwell says. Spouses make a difference in each others’ lives. Parents influence their children. Friends affect each other. Teachers influence their students. You can influence your professional peers. We all have some sphere of influence in our lives, whether large or small.

You’re not “just a mom” or “just a policeman.” My husband Ray is a full-time paramedic, yet he’s often a “preacher of the night,” ministering to his patients just through caring and giving them encouragement in the back of an ambulance. In my mind and many others’, Ray is a hero for what he does. Where would our society be without paramedics, firefighters, police, or our U.S. military?

You have no idea how much impact you are making for all of eternity, even if you’re not “in the limelight.”  Billy Graham has led thousands upon thousands to Jesus.  Yet what about the person who led Billy Graham to God?

The dictionary defines influence as “the capacity or power of persons or things to be a compelling force on or produce effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of others.”

To be a greater influencer, you listen to others and you respond to them and their needs. You give them value and impart good things into their lives. You offer and teach others what you know. You are mentored, then you mentor.

You share your personal story, your pain, your tragedies, your vulnerable places – and your lessons learned. You give them the comfort God has given you. (2 Corinthians 1:4)

Don’t underestimate the impact of your influence. Your children’s little eyes are watching you, as well as your spouse, your friends, your peers. You want to encourage others to be all that God created them to be, to call them up higher.

Your words have weight. Your story heals. Your gifts help. Your life is an instrument God is using in the life of others.

If you don’t step up into your calling, it can negatively affect other people who God is bringing purposely into your life for you to help and to influence. They need what you have to offer. You have answers and solutions for them. Share them – today.

You are a person of influence.

Here are more videos of our missions trip to Joplin, MO to assist tornado victims.

Video of donated clothes, shoes and school supplies to children at one of the elementary schools we helped:

Video of some team members installing blinds at the elementary school, now relocated (original school destroyed)

Video of more team members putting up blinds and some cool painted signs on the wall at school

Video of “Teamwork” sign at one of the schools we worked at

Video of one of the schools where we worked this weekend

Me with the librarian at one of schools where we worked

A destroyed school in Joplin, MO

It’s horrible. Those are the only words I can use to describe Joplin, and it’s just not an adequate description. You look around at the houses that are now a pile of a sticks, bricks, and mangled mess and the only thing that goes through your mind is, “WHY?”

There’s no answer. But the Joplin residents have painted amazing signs of hope in different places by the rubble like, “God saved us,” “Pray for Joplin,” “We will rebuild,” and “Volunteers, we love you.”

On Friday, August 13, and Saturday, August 14, a team of 23 men and women mostly from the Kansas City, MO area traveled to Joplin, MO, for a quick missions trip to assist Joplin tornado victims. The majority of the team members were from EchoChurch.tv. Our daughter Heather and I were with the team. Some of the work the team did this weekend included:

• Hauling debris from a demolished house to the curb for Joplin’s debris clean-up crew to pick up;
• Unloading a truckful of books for Irving elementary school, which relocated to another building after the original school building was devastated from the tornado;
• Hanging blinds for large windows at Irving elementary school at the new location;
• Assisting teachers with a variety of chores to get their rooms ready at Cecil Floyd elementary school, that is preparing to open this Tuesday (this school’s roof was severely damaged from the tornado);
• Assembling bookshelves for teachers at Cecil Floyd elementary;
• Replacing siding on a house that was badly damaged from the tornado.

Echo Church’s staff has been to Joplin twice since the tornado to do manual labor, working with a church there. On this trip we had planned to do manual labor, too, when we arrived yesterday, including roofing and hauling debris. But we found out when we got there that we wouldn’t be doing the roofing job. We were able to haul debris at one house for Joplin’s debris clean-up crew to pick up.

I was extremely impressed with how Echo Church’s staff took fast, decisive action right away and quickly found another relief aid organization for the team to work with, since the majority of the team members were giving their own time and expense to make this trip. The relief aid organization put us to work right away at the schools and at the house needing the new siding. The principle of Irving Elementary and the teachers at Cecil Floyd Elementary were extremely thankful and expressed great appreciation for our help.

I was also very impressed with the unity of our team, and how there was a unified spirit of love for God and fellow man, as well as the joy of the Lord – we laughed a lot as a team as we did the work. Even though we were not doing the job(s) we originally thought we would be (like the roofing), we were making a difference in Joplin. This spoke to my heart that no job is “little” or “unimportant” in God’s sight. “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones.” ~ Luke 16:10, NLT

One of the things which impacted me the most, other than the horror of it all, was seeing children’s toys in the huge piles of debris. It was a poignant reminder of how satan wants to kill, steal, and destroy our children and their lives. I found a blue plastic Lego™ and a couple of other toys buried in the debris at the first house where we hauled debris, and saved one – it was a little toy ambulance buried in the mound of dirt, wood, and metal. It also reminded me how important it is to hold and love our precious children every day.

We were able to relax at the end of yesterday with a dinner at Chicken Annie’s. We had put in a long day and were all tired and really hungry – it tasted so delicious! Then we all crashed to sleep and woke up this morning to do some more work.

When we traveled back home today, we remembered that the victims had no home to go to, many are hungry, and many are living in temporary shelters – a majority of those homes were under insured from the disaster. Lives have been lost, hundreds were injured, and so many homes, property, and businesses were totally destroyed.

Me & Heather, Joplin

You really have to see Joplin first-hand to get how devastating it is. What is so crazy is that there are some homes still standing right next door to a house that was totally destroyed, and the same with businesses.

Please continue to pray for the residents of Joplin and for God to restore the city. I am so thankful to God that I had this opportunity to serve Him and that we are all safely back home.

Thank you so much for praying for us. Below is a video showing some of the damage in Joplin, including the hospital. I will try to post more videos tomorrow or Monday.

Video, Joplin tornado damage

Me & our daughter Heather

This year the residents of Joplin, MO weren’t prepared when the deadliest tornado in more than half a century came through, killing at least 116 people, injuring hundreds, and flattening the city. Tomorrow our oldest daughter Heather and I are going with a team of about 24 people from her church, EchoChurch.tv, to Joplin to assist the tornado victims.

There is still plenty of work to do in Joplin. “The tornado, which struck around dinner time, crushed nearly a third of the city. It pounded about 2,000 buildings, knocked out power and cellphone service for many, and damaged water treatment and sewage plants. The tangled remains of cars and trucks were overturned and thrown against buildings and trees. Some blocks were jagged mounds of debris, while others were stripped to utter emptiness: just foundations of homes and tree trunks — no leaves, no branches, no bark,”  the New York Times reported.

The church team from EchoChurch.tv will be doing manual labor outside hauling debris and working inside a school. We will work tomorrow (Friday, August 11) and Saturday, August 12, returning late Saturday night. EchoChurch.tv sent a team to Joplin after the tornado first hit.

Here are my specific prayer requests:

• Traveling mercies for our team as we travel. Joplin is several hours away from Kansas City;
• For team unity. Where there’s unity, God commands the blessing; (Psalm 133:1)
• For everyone to stay hydrated in the heat, drinking lots of water, and that we won’t physically overdo it;
• For protection of the team from any accidents, injuries, disease, etc.
• That God would use us to encourage and help the Joplin residents, showing them the love of Jesus Christ;
• For divine appointments for all of us;
• For God’s protection on our children and our families while we are gone.

I’ll let you know how it went when I get back home! I am very excited and humbled by this opportunity to serve God on this brief missions trip. My prayer is that God’s agape love would flow through me and that I could simply be His hands, feet, and mouth, serving Him while there.

“And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” ~ Isaiah 6:8, ESV


]]> http://www.bethjones.net/missions-trip-to-joplin-mo-this-weekend/feed/ 0 http://www.bethjones.net/listen-to-the-instructions/ http://www.bethjones.net/listen-to-the-instructions/#comments Wed, 03 Aug 2011 23:09:38 +0000 Beth Jones http://www.bethjones.net/?p=6386 It’s hard to believe that our youngest daughter Leah  is driving now. She has her learner’s permit and we are trying to get in all her hours of instruction for her to take her driver’s license test soon.  Since Ray works so often during the day, I primarily have the role of “driving instructer,” a [...]]]>


Leah driving in town

It’s hard to believe that our youngest daughter Leah  is driving now. She has her learner’s permit and we are trying to get in all her hours of instruction for her to take her driver’s license test soon.  Since Ray works so often during the day, I primarily have the role of “driving instructer,” a role I must admit that I am not real comfortable with…there is something about leaving my entire fate into the hands of a 16-year-old that unnerves me.

Please understand, Leah is actually a good and careful driver.  She doesn’t have the lead foot on the accelerator that our oldest daughter Heather had (still has!) or the distracted mindset of our very Sanguine middle daughter Eden, who loves to simultaneously chat and laugh, listen to music, pop gum, and modify your instructions to her own liking.

But Leah does take right turns at the speed of light. Luckily, there haven’t been any cars or trucks in the opposite lane as she takes them, or our cute, black, Saturn Ion car that we bought last year would be flat as a frisbee by now. Today I decided that she needed practice with the right turns.

As she turned right to go onto a road that is underneath a train bridge, a van approached us from the opposite direction.  The road under the bridge is a small area, not allowing a two-car passage. I told Leah to stop, and then again – and then again LOUDER as she kept driving, turning the wheel, and she narrowly missed hitting the van. She later said she didn’t want to slam on the brakes which could cause an accident – but the point was that she needed to listen to the instructions.

I think my blood pressure is still up from the stress. If I can get through teaching Leah to drive and her passing her driver’s test to get her license, I will be ok and can face anything in life.

Like Leah learning to drive and needing to follow my directions to teach her to drive safely, it’s important that we listen to the “driving instructions” in God’s word to avoid “crashing” in this life. “Safety” is the main goal in driving; obedience and intimacy with God is our main goal in our relationship with Him. The best way to teach our kids, of course, is by our own good example.

Exodus 12:24 says, “You must follow these instructions. They are a permanent law for you and your children.”

How’s your driving?


]]> http://www.bethjones.net/listen-to-the-instructions/feed/ 0 http://www.bethjones.net/are-you-letting-go/ http://www.bethjones.net/are-you-letting-go/#comments Fri, 08 Jul 2011 00:41:24 +0000 Beth Jones http://www.bethjones.net/?p=5996 Letting go is one of the hardest life lessons: letting go of worry when your newborn baby has his first cold; letting go of fear when your teen finally gets her license and drives off in the car unsupervised for the first time; letting go of your grown children when they leave the nest; letting [...]]]>


Regina Baker

Letting go is one of the hardest life lessons:

• letting go of worry when your newborn baby has his first cold;
• letting go of fear when your teen finally gets her license and drives off in the car unsupervised for the first time;
• letting go of your grown children when they leave the nest;
• letting go of parents who die in old age;
• letting go of always having things your way when you’re married;
• letting go of old thought patterns that are unhealthy so you can think new, positive ones;
• letting go of disappointments and unfulfilled dreams;
• letting go of unforgiveness;
• letting go of failures so you can grow and learn through them and push on through to success;
• even letting go of achievements so that you won’t keep looking in yesteryear’s mirror and forget to focus on today’s opportunities

For recovering control freaks like me, letting go is especially hard. We love to try to fix (control) things ourselves. To let go means surrender and becoming vulnerable, which is scary. Letting go is not easy. But it really all boils down to faith. Do we trust God or not? God is in control, not us.

One of the best books I’ve read on the topic of letting go is by Regina Baker called How To Let Go and Let God. In this delightful and insightful, 21-page ebook, you will be blessed to read Regina’s nuggets of wisdom from her own “letting go” experiences, such as when there was no baby’s heartbeat heard by the nurse when Regina was delivering and later when her husband passed away. God taught Regina about letting go from the Word of God coming alive to her, teaching her spirit.

The book is petite and powerful, and can be read quickly in one sitting. It has deep insights from God’s word and her own life, and humor that you will love, such as giving God something at the altar and picking it right back up as soon as you leave. Regina challenges you that you have to first start with the man or the woman in the mirror when it comes to letting go and letting God. And it’s not just a cliche’. Regina teaches you how to let go.

She confronts you on not blaming God when things don’t happen the way you want, but rather saying (and meaning it!), “Father, not my will, but Yours be done.” One of the things Regina shared that was so powerful was that we don’t need to play around with God. You can’t take just bits and pieces of the Bible, the ones you approve of and like. All of God’s word is truth; all must be obeyed. When you do that, you will experience great peace.

Are you letting go? In what area of your life today do you need to “let go and let God?” Leave your comments below. Mine would be too much worry over our children or over finances at times. But God has all things in His strong, loving hands!

Download an excerpt of How To Let Go and Let God Click here!***

To learn more, just click on the graphic below.***




This website may contain affiliate links. I only promote products that I have tried and truly believe are excellent.


]]> http://www.bethjones.net/are-you-letting-go/feed/ 3 http://www.bethjones.net/have-you-seen-my-new-video/ http://www.bethjones.net/have-you-seen-my-new-video/#comments Fri, 24 Jun 2011 20:46:07 +0000 Beth Jones http://www.bethjones.net/?p=5805 Today I created a new video at Animoto and I love it! At Animoto, you can make free videos up to 30 seconds long, with your pics, graphics, and whatever text you want (within reason!). You can set it to music that they provide or upload your own music. They also have an option to [...]]]>

Today I created a new video at Animoto and I love it! At Animoto, you can make free videos up to 30 seconds long, with your pics, graphics, and whatever text you want (within reason!). You can set it to music that they provide or upload your own music. They also have an option to make longer videos for a monthly fee.

Here’s my video below for my new ebook, The Hands Of A Woman: Everyday Women In Everyday Battles. I LOVE the ocean theme in this video!  I also really like the song on their site that I picked. It goes perfectly with the ebook’s theme of women who have gone through great pain, being strong by their faith in Christ.

Let me know what you think of the video in your comments below, and be sure to get your copy of my ebook today – only $20! Eight women contributed their powerful, inspiring, true stories to it. It’s 120 pages long, and you also get my study guide that covers each of the 10 chapters, and Cindy Rushton’s Castles Under Fire audio bundle set as bonus gifts.

Enjoy!
Video – THOAW ebook

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.


]]> http://www.bethjones.net/have-you-seen-my-new-video/feed/ 0 http://www.bethjones.net/rest/ http://www.bethjones.net/rest/#comments Mon, 23 May 2011 03:12:45 +0000 Beth Jones http://www.bethjones.net/?p=5639 It’s been a long week. Ok, it’s been a long year, no LIFE! When I went to church this morning, I got prayer from the altar prayer team about Ray hurting his back badly at work, and one of the women gave me this simple word from God, “REST.” She emphasized it a couple of [...]]]>

It’s been a long week. Ok, it’s been a long year, no LIFE! When I went to church this morning, I got prayer from the altar prayer team about Ray hurting his back badly at work, and one of the women gave me this simple word from God, “REST.” She emphasized it a couple of times to get it through to me.

In the beginning after God created the earth and everything in it, He said it was very good and He rested on the seventh day. That word “rested” in the original language is shabath, which means to cease, to desist from labor, to remove, to sit down, or sit still. How many of us ever really sit still – and if we do, we’re busy doing something like working on the computer, calling someone on the phone, paying bills, cleaning, etc.

How many of us rest from our worries and fears?

Are you anxious, worried, tired or weary? Sometimes we need to just be still from the world’s noise, from our busy activities, from our fears and anxieties - and trust and rest in God.

Here is a YouTube video of Kari Jobe singing that blessed and refreshed me tonight. May it help you to rest, and trust, in God.


]]> http://www.bethjones.net/rest/feed/ 0 http://www.bethjones.net/book-review-step-out-and-take-your-place/ http://www.bethjones.net/book-review-step-out-and-take-your-place/#comments Tue, 17 May 2011 22:55:12 +0000 Beth Jones http://www.bethjones.net/?p=5616 Do you know what your purpose is and how to practically fulfill it? This week my friend Noelle Mena at Christian Women Affiliate ( http://christianwomenaffiliate.com/) shared in her ezine about an opportunity to review the book, Step Out And Take Your Place: How To Discover and Live Your Everyday Calling, written by assessment mentor, author, [...]]]>


Krista Dunk

Do you know what your purpose is and how to practically fulfill it? This week my friend Noelle Mena at Christian Women Affiliate ( http://christianwomenaffiliate.com/) shared in her ezine about an opportunity to review the book, Step Out And Take Your Place: How To Discover and Live Your Everyday Calling, written by assessment mentor, author, speaker, and Co-Founder of Koinonia Business Women Krista Dunk.

The title intrigued me because one of my passions is encouraging women to find and to fulfill their life purpose. Being a visual learner and a lover of creative art, I was immediately drawn in to the beautiful, creative cover of the book with a red-colored silhouette of a woman standing out among the crowd of people in the background (black silhouettes), and she was jumping into the air with joy. I LOVE the cover!

You can pre-order the soft cover, printed book or buy the downloadable ebook version now (as well as the companion workbook) here – or wait to buy the book during its official launch May 24-26, 2011, and receive some great bonus gifts with it offered by other women of God. http://www.stepoutandtakeyourplace.com/buyresources.htm.

I enjoyed this ebook and think it’s wonderful! Krista’s style is conversational, it is marked with Christ’s humility, and she is passionate about God and her topic. It resonated with me, especially concerning battling fear about stepping fully into your God-given calling and using your gifts for Him.

Because of that fear, I related to Krista’s story in the preface about winning a coloring contest when she was 6 years old and won tickets for her and her whole family to go to the circus. She was very shy then, and when there was an announcement for all the coloring contest winners to come to the center of the ring, she didn’t go. She missed the opportunity to step out and take her place.

This was the defining moment in Krista’s life and the basis for this book. She challenges us, “How many of us haven’t stepped out and taken our place? Conversely, how many of us do not even know what place to step in to yet?”

Krista’s research from a survey in 2010 of scores of godly women (and some men) revealed that sixty percent of the respondents didn’t even know one of the most basic gifts-related information about themselves – their spiritual gifts. (These are church attenders!)

I believe so many people don’t know what their gifts are and don’t realize that God wants to use them in incredible ways for His glory. The enemy also tries to cause people to hold back in fear and to hide, because he knows God’s treasure is inside each person and he doesn’t God glorified.

In this ebook, Krista exhorts you to stop hiding and to begin to shine, using your gifts and fulfilling your calling from God. She shows you not only what your gifts are, but in a practical way how to use them for God’s glory and HIS Divine purposes.

When you’re not using your gifts or doing what God has called you to be, you can have what Krista calls “dried up spirits.” Boredom. Frustration. What Krista called “a sense of unsettled emptiness.” You’re constantly searching. One example she gave for this is when she had a state job in Washington, entering data entry in the computer. It was tedious work that she creatively called “cubicle jail.” God moved her out of that job to other, more fulfilling work.

One of my favorite fun examples Krista gave in the ebook for using your gifts was Tinkerbell in chapter 4. I love Tinkerbell, and God gave Krista and me the same revelation about Tinkerbell in her new movie: that Tinkerbell didn’t like her own “builder” (tinkering) gift and wanted a more glamorous gift, like the water or garden fairies had. How often we as Christians envy and covet others’ gifts – or try to fit into a gift that God never intended for us! Be you!

How do you find out what your gifts and your calling are? In this ebook, Krista offers creative, practical tools like the Gift Discover Cycle ™, the Calling Components™, the ME CHART™ (available when you purchase her companion workbook) , and the spiritual gifts tests online to help you find and fulfill your purpose and calling.

Krista writes that like Queen Esther, God has people that you are assigned to influence. People are waiting on you to use your gifts. You were made for so much more!  In this ebook, God will challenge your status quo, as He did with Krista, who was challenged by God to get out of her “little box” thinking, to grow, and to be transformed by Him to step into her calling.

Probably my favorite thing about Krista’s book is that it is one of simple, practical faith. She writes, “Want to have a good life? Want to understand all that God has for you? Go to the Bible.”

Krista shares several true stories in this ebook demonstrating how important it is to find and live your purpose – and to depend on God to do it! I loved Dondi Scumaci’s real, raw, and regretful story in chapter 9 of running on empty for months with deadlines and plane flights – and then trying to speak before an audience when she hadn’t been in God’s presence!

Another inspiring story in this ebbok was that of Noreen Jacks in chapter 10. Noreen is Krista’s partner in leading www.TheWallOfPrayer.com. When she said yes to God, God did amazing things in her life and opened doors she couldn’t have ever opened herself. Are you saying yes to God?

One of my favorite quotes by Krista was in chapter 16, “To carry out our calling in life as God desires, we need to show up with a spirit of love.”

Krista says that when we show up with our gifts, amazing things happen. We’re not called just to be Sunday Morning Christians, but ministers in the marketplace, too. I loved how Krista shared how God practically uses people in secular jobs – that we don’t have to use our gifts, talents, and passions only on Sunday mornings.

My son-in-law Kyle comes to mind. He has an excellent job as a computer programmer, and God is using his finances to help send our daughter Heather on short-term mission trips and to help the church with its needs.

The non-fiction ebook is 165 pages long, and each of the 20 chapters contains Biblically-based, thought-provoking chapters, as well as a “Summary,” “Prayer,” “Ask Yourself,” and “Affirmations” section which help you to dig deeper. The chapters are well-organized and flow smoothly, and I read the ebook in one sitting.  Krista’s book ministered to me personally, encouraging and inspiring me to step up to the larger place God has for me – not because of me, but because of Him and His Kingdom purposes.

Her gentle spirit, the love of God, her passion for her subject, and Christ’s humility shine in Krista throughout this book. She challenged me to not settle for anything less than God has for me, and I believe this ebook will encourage you, too, to step forward into your great God-ordained purpose and destiny.

You can find out more about her book and ebook by clicking here. http://www.stepoutandtakeyourplace.com/buyresources.htm.


]]> http://www.bethjones.net/book-review-step-out-and-take-your-place/feed/ 0 http://www.bethjones.net/satans-attacks-against-women-of-god/ http://www.bethjones.net/satans-attacks-against-women-of-god/#comments Sat, 14 May 2011 01:41:25 +0000 Beth Jones http://www.bethjones.net/?p=5611 As moms, wives, and entrepreneurs, we need to continually learn from others as well as to get and give support so we can fulfill the greater purpose God has for our lives. I am in three different, great support groups right now (one is a mastermind) and lately we’ve been discussing how as Christian women, [...]]]>

As moms, wives, and entrepreneurs, we need to continually learn from others as well as to get and give support so we can fulfill the greater purpose God has for our lives. I am in three different, great support groups right now (one is a mastermind) and lately we’ve been discussing how as Christian women, we daily face Satan’s attacks against us to distract us, cause us anxiety, stress us out, oppose our growth in God and our business success, or outright wipe us off the face of this earth.

The Bible says in John 10:10 (NLT), “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”

Satan is that thief, and he’s doing everything he can to come against the women who are passionately pursuing God, and who desire to make an eternal difference here on earth with their lives and their gifts that God has given them.

But God is greater than any demon in hell. He will give you victory if you just trust and have faith.

Right now I am offering an exclusive 25% discount off the price of my new ebook to everyone who signs up on my update list. This ebook is about women and spiritual warfare. Eight women share powerful stories about some of their worst spiritual battles, and about how their faith in Jesus Christ brought them through to the other side.

When you sign up for the update list, you’ll receive a free special report, 6 Tips For How To Find and Fulfill Your Great Purpose, and you’ll be able to get the special discount on my newest ebook, The Hands Of A Woman: Everyday Women In Everyday Battles, before the ebook is for sale here at Tablet of My Heart. This is a limited time only sale!

To learn more, just click on this link.  http://womensbattles.com/free-report.html

Remember, God is greater than Satan, and the battle belongs to the Lord!


]]> http://www.bethjones.net/satans-attacks-against-women-of-god/feed/ 0 http://www.bethjones.net/my-one-desire/ http://www.bethjones.net/my-one-desire/#comments Tue, 05 Apr 2011 00:22:15 +0000 Beth Jones http://www.bethjones.net/?p=5408 It’s been a busy couple of weeks and I have grown, shall we say, lax about reading posts in my Google Reader. When I logged into it tonight, I had 1,000 posts on there. Yes, ONE THOUSAND. I was tempted to mark them all as read, but I am so glad I didn’t because I [...]]]>

It’s been a busy couple of weeks and I have grown, shall we say, lax about reading posts in my Google Reader. When I logged into it tonight, I had 1,000 posts on there. Yes, ONE THOUSAND. I was tempted to mark them all as read, but I am so glad I didn’t because I found Teri Lynne’s post To Be Honest. 

At the end of her post, she had a beautiful video by Jeremy Camp called My Desire, which I’ve never seen before. It blessed me so much that I wanted to share it with you – and now I’ll go back to Google Reader! Enjoy. (Let it load first before playing it - it takes awhile, but it’s so worth it!)

My prayer is to do His will…that somehow, some way He may use me…

One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD And to meditate in His temple. ~ Psalm 27:4

Video of “My Desire” – Jeremy Camp


]]> http://www.bethjones.net/my-one-desire/feed/ 0 http://www.bethjones.net/3-in-30-april-goals/ http://www.bethjones.net/3-in-30-april-goals/#comments Fri, 01 Apr 2011 23:02:49 +0000 Beth Jones http://www.bethjones.net/?p=5400 April 1. The year’s already flying. I want to make sure this year that I not only make tracks, but I do what really matters! I accomplished two of my March 2011 goals. I  hired the attorney for the contracts on my new ebook and attended Heather’s class when I could (some obstacles came up [...]]]>

April 1. The year’s already flying. I want to make sure this year that I not only make tracks, but I do what really matters!

I accomplished two of my March 2011 goals. I  hired the attorney for the contracts on my new ebook and attended Heather’s class when I could (some obstacles came up that prevented me from going – not because I was too lazy or didn’t want to go!).

No, I haven’t finished my webinars’ sales pages yet because I am still trying to figure out exactly what to put on them.   I didn’t want to just throw something up there.

Also, yesterday I did my first teleseminar, and it went good so I am really happy about that! If you missed it, you can still get it  by clicking here. With the purchase, you get the 45 minute replay with complimentary gifts, plus a 15 minute phone session with me on discovering and walking in your purpose.

I also finished fitness trainer’s Chalene Johnson’s 30 Day challenge. Every day I’d get an encouraging (and challenging!) video from her in my email inbox. It is EXCELLENT. She talked a LOT about making your to-do list EVERY day, and making weekly goals…and taking ACTION! I shared about some of this in my teleseminar.

Here are my April goals:

• Get the contracts from all the contributor writers for my ebook on women and spiritual warfare and continue working on the ebook
• Do some fun field trips with our daughter Leah for homeschooling
• Record and put up two new podcasts here this month; begin plans for a new webinar; attend Cindy Rushton’s preview chat tomorrow on info products and business.

What are your goals? Chalene Johnson said to put 2-3 IMPORTANT tasks on your to-do list each day – not 10 or 15. That way you don’t get overwhelmed. That way you actually get MORE done – what really matters, what is necessary, not fluff! What’s your plans?


]]> http://www.bethjones.net/3-in-30-april-goals/feed/ 0 http://www.bethjones.net/the-power-of-your-purpose-bundle-now-available/ http://www.bethjones.net/the-power-of-your-purpose-bundle-now-available/#comments Fri, 01 Apr 2011 20:58:24 +0000 Beth Jones http://www.bethjones.net/?p=5395 My first teleseminar, The Power Of Your Purpose, went good, and I’ve had great feedback from it. Attendees learned: Your primary purpose Your unique, specific purpose – and why satan opposes it so much Practical steps to help you live out your purpose victoriously through Christ. If you missed it, the approximately 45-minute replay is now available for [...]]]>



My first teleseminar, The Power Of Your Purpose, went good, and I’ve had great feedback from it.

Attendees learned:

• Your primary purpose
• Your unique, specific purpose – and why satan opposes it so much
• Practical steps to help you live out your purpose victoriously through Christ.

If you missed it, the approximately 45-minute replay is now available for sale with these complimentary gifts:

1. The Power Of Your Purpose handout
2. The Power Of Your Purpose audio (mp3)
3. The Power Of Your Purpose mini-ebook
4. The Power Of Your Purpose video clip
5. 15 minute coaching session with me (or via email)

To learn more, just click here.


]]> http://www.bethjones.net/the-power-of-your-purpose-bundle-now-available/feed/ 0 http://www.bethjones.net/your-life-purpose-is-it-being-fulfilled-or-is-it-like-a-stillborn-child/ http://www.bethjones.net/your-life-purpose-is-it-being-fulfilled-or-is-it-like-a-stillborn-child/#comments Tue, 29 Mar 2011 18:01:44 +0000 Beth Jones http://www.bethjones.net/?p=5381 Last night I attended  my daughter Heather’s fun class and saw a friend there who I haven’t seen in awhile. We winded up talking about different things, and one of the things she mentioned as we were sharing our hearts was how she’d had two stillborn children. My heart went out to her.   I [...]]]>



Last night I attended  my daughter Heather’s fun class and saw a friend there who I haven’t seen in awhile. We winded up talking about different things, and one of the things she mentioned as we were sharing our hearts was how she’d had two stillborn children. My heart went out to her.  

I also found this to be interesting because  in the teaching I”ll be doing for my teleseminar this coming Thursday at 11 a.m. (be sure to sign up!), I am sharing about how not fulfilling your purpose can be compared to a stillborn child.

 A stillborn child is a horrible tragedy, and my heart goes out to those who have suffered its pain. A child who never was – who never was born, laughed, played, learned, grew up, blessing God and others with his or her precious life, gifts, and unique abilities.

When you don’t know what your purpose is or you aren’t walking in your God-ordained purpose, it’s as if your life, your mission, never was. It deprives people. You have something that others need. You were created for God’s pleasure, to further His kingdom, and to make a difference in the lives of other people.

To learn more about your purpose, be sure to sign up for my teleseminar here.


]]> http://www.bethjones.net/your-life-purpose-is-it-being-fulfilled-or-is-it-like-a-stillborn-child/feed/ 0 http://www.bethjones.net/the-power-of-your-purpose-teleseminar/ http://www.bethjones.net/the-power-of-your-purpose-teleseminar/#comments Thu, 24 Mar 2011 02:13:48 +0000 Beth Jones http://www.bethjones.net/?p=5353 Did you know that you have GOD’S GREATNESS inside of you? Did you know that God has INCREDIBLE plans for you -  a unique, specific purpose that only YOU can fulfill on this earth?  Did you know that you and I as believers also have an enemy, satan, who is ruthlessly opposing that divine purpose [...]]]>


Beth Jones

Did you know that you have GOD’S GREATNESS inside of you? Did you know that God has INCREDIBLE plans for you -  a unique, specific purpose that only YOU can fulfill on this earth? 

Did you know that you and I as believers also have an enemy, satan, who is ruthlessly opposing that divine purpose and fighting us as hard as he can before his (short) time is up? 

But did you know that we have the victory through Christ, and God WILL HELP US to achieve that ordained purpose!

I am so excited about sharing this with you! I’m going to be doing my very first teleseminar on Thursday, March 31, at 11 a.m. Central Time!

To be honest, I wanted to wait a few weeks before doing this teleseminar, but I really felt like God wanted me to go ahead and do it this month. I am so excited and hope to see you there, dear friend!  To find out more information and to sign up, just go to http://www.bethjones.net/purpose.html.

I added an Animoto video to the page, and would love to know what you think. You can leave your comments below, or email me at elizabethdjones@gmail.com. 

If you’re on Twitter, you can share about the fun of this teleseminar with the hashtag #pwrpurpose.


]]> http://www.bethjones.net/the-power-of-your-purpose-teleseminar/feed/ 0 http://www.bethjones.net/learning-from-the-jewish-holiday-of-purim/ http://www.bethjones.net/learning-from-the-jewish-holiday-of-purim/#comments Fri, 18 Mar 2011 19:09:30 +0000 Beth Jones http://www.bethjones.net/?p=5204 Tomorrow, Friday, March 19, after midnight marks the beginning of Purim, going through March 20. Purim is the most joyous holiday on the Jewish calendar, celebrated to commemorate the events found in the book of Esther when God delivered the Jews from complete destruction, using Queen Esther (a Jew) to save her own people.  Queen [...]]]>

Tomorrow, Friday, March 19, after midnight marks the beginning of Purim, going through March 20. Purim is the most joyous holiday on the Jewish calendar, celebrated to commemorate the events found in the book of Esther when God delivered the Jews from complete destruction, using Queen Esther (a Jew) to save her own people.  Queen Esther is one of my favorite characters in the Bible. She was a great woman of faith, prayer, and courage.

What does Purim have to do with us as Christians?

Although Chrisitans typically don’t celebrate Purim, we can remember how God delivered the Jews – and how He has delivered us from our enemy satan - and celebrate in our hearts with them. So many believers don’t get that God’s heart burns with passion toward Israel, and that  as believers we are intimately connected with Israel.

Ray and I have always celebrated Jewish holidays from a Messianic viewpoint, knowing that we’re connected with the Jews. I have  a special love in my heart for them. Years ago Ray and I went to Israel on a missions/pleasure trip – a huge dream of mine that God made come true.   Also, our Savior Jesus is Jewish, and Jesus celebrated the Jewish holidays. Ray and I have done a Messianic Passover each year, and while we may not go “full out” on the other holidays, we do try to remember them in some way.

 The Jews also gave us our Bible. Gentiles (non-Jews) are tied with the Jews by virtue of God’s covenant to all mankind that He would provide a Messiah(Genesis 3:15). The difference is that the Jews are still waiting for their Messiah, but Christians know the Messiah – Jesus – has already come, and will return soon.

What do Jews do to celebrate Purim?

It’s interesting to study how the Jews celebrate this holiday of Purim, that we can apply in our own lives anytime to demonstrate the love of Christ. There are four “requirements” for Jews to participate:

• Bible reading and study – They go to a synagogue to listen to the miraculous events of the Megillah (Scroll of Esther) once during the day and once at night. They listen to the entire reading, which usually takes about 25 minutes. During the reading, they use noisemakers called graggers to show their displeasure and “stomp him out” when Haman’s name is mentioned during the reading. We can thank God that Jesus “stomped out” satan’s power on the cross!
• Charity – They give to at least two needy people.
• Help others – They prepare two ready-to-eat foods for at least one person.
• Celebrate life – They sit down to a royal feast.

Purim and prayer

As Christians we know the importance of prayer.  The Jews say the Al Hanissim prayer at Purim: “And [we thank You] for the miracles, for the redemption, for the mighty deeds, for the saving acts, and for the wonders which You have wrought for our ancestors in those days, at this time -”

“In the days of Mordechai and Esther, in Shushan the capital, when the wicked Haman rose up against them, and sought to destroy, slaughter, and annihilate all the Jews, young and old, infants and women, in one day, on the thirteenth day of the twelth month, the month of Adar, and to take their spoil for plunder. But You, in Your abounding mercies, foiled his counsel and frustrated his intention and caused the evil he planned – to recoil on his own head, and they hanged him and his sons upon the gallows.”

We as believers can praise God every day, too, for the miracles and great things He has done in our lives. We can thank God how He has frustrated satan’s intentions of destruction in our lives, destroying him through Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection.

Foods and fun at Purim

Special foods are made, like the traditional hamantashen cookies, made with strawberry or apricot preserves. They have hidden fillings, which relates to the hidden mystery of God in the story.

While Christians have varying beliefs about the use of alcohol, the Jews also drink to celebrate God’s deliverance of His people on this day, “imbibing more than usual” – the only day of the year they are allowed to drink more than is their custom. Whatever your stance is on drinking, their celebration isn’t a drunken party, but it has an atmosphere of great joy. (I could do an entire teaching on the use of alcohol. There are always extremes on both sides of the coin.)

One fun custom of Purim is for children to dress up in costumes and masks, an allusion to the fact that the miracle of Purim was disguised in natural garments. While God isn’t specifically mentioned anywhere in the book of Esther, His Divine Hand is seen clearly behind the scenes. Kids also play games, do crafts, put together puzzles, and sing songs.

How we can pray for the Jews and Israel

As the Jews celebrate Purim, we can pray for their eyes to be opened to the truth of Jesus Christ and for their salvation, and for the continued protection of Israel. We can also read the book of Esther and model her example of faith, courage, and trust in God, no matter what we may face ahead. As we trust in God, we can have confidence He has us in His hands as He did Queen Esther and the Jews.

Queen Esther

Here were Esther’s brave words of faith and love for her people that she spoke when she learned of Haman’s evil plans to kill all the Jews.  It is why God chose her to be the new queen, to be used as a mighty weapon of warfare against the enemy intending to destroy the Jews. May we cultivate that same believing, faith-filled heart of love for God and others.

“”Assemble all the Jews in Susa. Fast for me: Do not eat or drink at all for three entire days. My servants and I will also fast. After that, I will go to the king, even if it is against a royal decree. If I die, I die.” – Esther 4:16, God’s Word Translation

Video of Queen Esther coming before the king, facing possible death because he hadn’t summoned her (One Night With The King movie)


]]> http://www.bethjones.net/learning-from-the-jewish-holiday-of-purim/feed/ 0 http://www.bethjones.net/the-amazing-grace-of-being-alive/ http://www.bethjones.net/the-amazing-grace-of-being-alive/#comments Thu, 10 Mar 2011 21:29:38 +0000 Beth Jones http://www.bethjones.net/?p=5170 hourglass A dear writer/speaker friend of mine told me today, “Beth, I miss your beautiful writing.” She was referring to the fact that lately I’ve been including more events on blog posts than I am actually blogging or writing articles. After all, a blog is for – yep, blogging!  I shared with her that I’ve just [...]]]>



hourglass

A dear writer/speaker friend of mine told me today, “Beth, I miss your beautiful writing.” She was referring to the fact that lately I’ve been including more events on blog posts than I am actually blogging or writing articles. After all, a blog is for – yep, blogging!  I shared with her that I’ve just been busy, with several projects going on:

• Trying to keep everything in balance without one area getting out of control- family, homeschooling, business
• I’m working still on my new ebook on women and spiritual warfare. Praying to have it ready soon for you!
• A new friend recently contacted me to possibly do a webinar together. She’s putting a power point together for it. I’m very excited abou this and will give you more details asap.
• A teleseminar on the power of your purpose is in the near future and you’ll be hearing more about that soon!

But this blog isn’t just about or for me!

But I want to be sensitive to my readers here – don’t want you to feel neglected or unloved!    So, what is on  your heart right now? What is that you need from God?

What prayer requests do you have?  What hurts?

What needs improvement in your life? What do you think is the solution for the needed change?

What are you working on right now?

What good books are you reading and what are you learning from them?

Who have you helped and encouraged this week?

What did you see today that was beautiful, and you stopped and admired it – or did you pass it by without really seeing?

What’s your secret wish upon a star?

What color is your hair this week? (This joke was for our just-turned-21-years-old-daughter Eden, who is now a red!)

What are you letting go of that will make your heart feel lighter?

Are you living? Really celebrating your life?



Jacob with chocolate cake

This past week we celebrated our middle daughter Eden’s 21st birthday and her 3-year-old son Jacob’s birthday (that was in February) together. We met at Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant, and our oldest daughter Heather brought a chocolate birthday cake.  Jacob loved it so much that he smeared it all over his face and hands trying to eat every crumb, and started licking the bowl. The child likes cake. But it made us all laugh. We enjoyed celebrating their birthdays.

Whatever you’re doing right now, are you so busy you’re forgetting to really live or are you celebrating life each day? I want to share with you from Alexandra Stoddard’s book,

“Value every hour you spend. You are giving a portion of your life. You can always acquire more money, but time is finite. One of life’s great paradoxes is that living “content with small means” increases the value of everything: the stillness, quiet listening, nature’s beauty, and life’s profound mysteries. Only time can give us the opportunity to deepen our sense of purpose. Time is there for us to study truth, to focus on beauty and love, and, when we’re fortunate, “time will tell” – it will lead us to wise ways to give back to the world in gratitude for the amazing grace of being alive.”  (Time Alive, p. 64)

The amazing grace of being alive. Stop a minute. Reflect on God’s goodness to you. Cultivate daily gratitude for life itself.

The other day I was shopping at Kohls and I saw minute and hour sandglasses, all in different soft shades – picket fence white, robin’s egg blue, pale green.  I am planning to buy some this week because God used them to speak to my heart about how fast life is going by.

Savor now, like your favorite dish on your tongue. This moment will pass all too quickly..

Yes, this moment when the kids are whining or fighting, when the money’s too tight, when the spouse is being demanding and selfish,  when you’ve piled on those extra pounds and your jeans are snug, when you wonder if your life is making even a discernible blip on the radar screen of history and if you really matter and if you’re making any difference at all.

You’re alive. Pause. Say a prayer of thanks to God who gave it to you and is using you for His glory. “…accept your blessings, right here, right now.” (p. 63, Time Alive)


]]> http://www.bethjones.net/the-amazing-grace-of-being-alive/feed/ 0 http://www.bethjones.net/artist-anne-neilsons-beautiful-art-at-red-dot-fair/ http://www.bethjones.net/artist-anne-neilsons-beautiful-art-at-red-dot-fair/#comments Wed, 02 Mar 2011 21:53:57 +0000 Beth Jones http://www.bethjones.net/?p=5115 To send light into the darkness of men’s hearts – such is the duty of the artist. ~Schumann Recently God orchestrated for an incredibly talented artist to cross my path via Twitter, Anne H. Neilson. I am not an artist, and have trouble even drawing a stick figure, but my husband Ray, our daughters Eden [...]]]>


Copyright 2010 Leah Jones

To send light into the darkness of men’s hearts – such is the duty of the artist. ~Schumann

Recently God orchestrated for an incredibly talented artist to cross my path via Twitter, Anne H. Neilson. I am not an artist, and have trouble even drawing a stick figure, but my husband Ray, our daughters Eden and Leah, and Ray’s mom and sisters are all extremely talented artists. I love Anne’s motto, “Have camera- will travel.”  Mine would be, “Have camera, write and speak – will travel.”  She and I are kindred spirits!

I admire anyone with this gift of drawing or painting art. I’ve always believed that God is the greatest artist there ever was and is, painting a new sunrise and sunset each day, and all of nature with its glory. Art is one of man’s ways to express worship and praise of God.

Anne has had a life-long dream to be a successful artist, and her oil painting art is breath-taking with its color and light. I especially love her angel paintings.  She also paints inspirations from a sailing trip around Martha’s Vineyard, country scenes from Provence, France – white steepled churches, a country farmhouse and barn, a bowl of fruit, beach scenes. Anne has studied under renown artists.

And I love her heart for God.  She’s driven to use her God-given talent to support those in need, donating a portion of her sales to a number of organizations and causes, especially the homeless and children with disabilities. You can read about those by clicking here.

Anne is exhibiting her art at The Red Dot Art Fair (one of the most presitigous art events in the U.S.)  in New York tomorrow, March 3, through March 6, 2011, to benefit local charities.  Please say a prayer for her as God uses her art for His glory in New York, and that God’s blessings will shower her there.

Anne lives with her husband and four children in Charlotte, NC. She teaches art workshops at her studio. I encourage you to visit her website and to consider purchasing her art. (I am not an affiliate of hers, but buying one of her angel paintings is on my own bucket list!)

It is simply beautiful, and I believe that God wants to use her creative art for His glorious purposes. Are you using your gifts for God today? Leave your comments below.


]]> http://www.bethjones.net/artist-anne-neilsons-beautiful-art-at-red-dot-fair/feed/ 0 http://www.bethjones.net/you-can-still-get-the-talk-a-latte-ultimate-productivity-set/ http://www.bethjones.net/you-can-still-get-the-talk-a-latte-ultimate-productivity-set/#comments Sat, 19 Feb 2011 17:16:15 +0000 Beth Jones http://www.bethjones.net/?p=5046 Were you able to join us this weekend at Cindy Rushton’s Talk-a-Latte’ retreat? I spoke Saturday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. on Do The Next Thing – about us never operating in presumption, but always asking God what to do, like King David before each battle with Israel’s enemies. If you missed it and would still like to [...]]]>


Beth Jones

Were you able to join us this weekend at Cindy Rushton’s Talk-a-Latte’ retreat? I spoke Saturday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. on Do The Next Thing – about us never operating in presumption, but always asking God what to do, like King David before each battle with Israel’s enemies. If you missed it and would still like to hear my workshop and the other great speakers, you can still grab the set for only $19.95 until Sunday, February 20 at midnight, when the price goes up to $29.95.

OR you can join Cindy’s Talk-a-Latte club, and pay the discounted price of $12.95, and receive this set and monthly audios. You’ll love them.

As usual, this weekend Cindy poured into us her secrets for ultimate productivity. We want to be productive and fruitful for God, not just busy all the time. We want to do and to be all that God has prepared for us for His glory.

What has God told you to do next? Maybe it’s:

• Write a book, article, or speech
• Do something you haven’t done before, like using video, getting a coach, doing a webinar or teleseminar
• Take a pottery class, college class, or a class on marketing or social media
• Focus on your physical fitness – start an aerobics class, walk, join a gym
• Forgive someone who has hurt you
• Start taking time out for yourself – a spa day, a hot bubble bath, a new hairstyle or color, a day at the mall or bookstore, going to Starbucks or Mexican with a girlfriend or alone
• Work on your marriage – have a weekend get-away at a bed-and-breakfast
• Go on a missions trip or to that place you’ve always wanted to travel to
• Start using your spiritual gifts. Find out what they are and begin using them. Fulfill your purpose!

What is the next thing God wants you to do? Leave your comments below.


]]> http://www.bethjones.net/you-can-still-get-the-talk-a-latte-ultimate-productivity-set/feed/ 0 http://www.bethjones.net/inspired-women-event-discount-ends-tonight/ http://www.bethjones.net/inspired-women-event-discount-ends-tonight/#comments Tue, 15 Feb 2011 19:43:37 +0000 Beth Jones http://www.bethjones.net/?p=5039 Want to be inspired and encouraged, and meet great women of God? Today is the LAST day to get the $100 discount to the Inspired Women Event, the first annual conference for Christian Women Entrepreneurs! The conference is scheduled for April 27 – 30th in Dallas, TX.  The price will change tonight at 12:00 midnight [...]]]>


Diane Cunningham, NACWE Founder & President

Want to be inspired and encouraged, and meet great women of God? Today is the LAST day to get the $100 discount to the Inspired Women Event, the first annual conference for Christian Women Entrepreneurs!

The conference is scheduled for April 27 – 30^th in Dallas, TX.  The price will change tonight at 12:00 midnight CST.  You can pay in FULL, pay in 2 payments, and even get a discount on becoming a member of the National Association of Christian Women Entrepreneurs too.  

During the conference you will:

• Learn how to create a powerful foundation for your business
• Connect with women from all over the United States and Canada
• Share moments of faith and fellowship
• Learn to do market research and find out what your tribe needs
• Learn how your message is spreading and how to brand yourself
• Learn how to balance your roles and “stay sane” as you build your business
• Learn to use physical exercise as a critical success component
• Learn how to use the powerful “why” question in your business and in your life
• Learn how to work at your best energy time and to “ACT FAST NOW”
• Learn how to “act as if” and create your new business image
• Learn to graciously lead with purpose
• Learn how to build and empower a virtual and/or local team

Best of all, you will be able to meet Diane Cunningham, a beautiful, anointed woman of God, something I hope to do one day!  She is a RARE JEWEL!

You can find out more information by registering here.  Join us at the 2011 Inspired Women Event***

Please don’t wait. Register today and save!

 ***This is an affiliate link.


]]> http://www.bethjones.net/inspired-women-event-discount-ends-tonight/feed/ 0 http://www.bethjones.net/ezine-or-updates-or-both-you-decide/ http://www.bethjones.net/ezine-or-updates-or-both-you-decide/#comments Mon, 14 Feb 2011 23:41:06 +0000 Beth Jones http://www.bethjones.net/?p=5026 After talking with what I’m calling the ”powerful minds, praying hearts” group and praying this weekend, I made a noticeable change to my website. You’ll see at the top of the welcome page an opt-in box for my ezine, with a graphic of the special report you receive when you sign up, Being Who You Were Created To Be. [...]]]>


Which one?

After talking with what I’m calling the ”powerful minds, praying hearts” group and praying this weekend, I made a noticeable change to my website. You’ll see at the top of the welcome page an opt-in box for my ezine, with a graphic of the special report you receive when you sign up, Being Who You Were Created To Be. This special report encourages you to draw closer to God, to discover and walk in your life purpose, and to pursue doing the things you love, fulfilling your destiny in Christ.

You’ll also see another opt-in box on my welcome page, under the red pencil. What is the difference between these two? Which should you choose?  I invite you to sign up for BOTH, but you decide. 

Until now, I’ve been combining my ezine, which gives my subscribers the free special report and goodies each month- articles, audios, ebooks, and other bonuses – with all the latest updates here at Tablet Of My Heart – the newest articles, blogs, and podcasts, my live speaking events, online events like webinars, etc. 

This made the ezine quite long. We all live busy, hectic lives. After brainstorming with others, I decided to create a seperate list. If you want to receive my ezine , which comes out twice a month and is my main subscriber list, you’ll get the free special report, plus regular bonus goodies such as the articles, ebooks, audios, etc.

If you want to hear just the latest updates here – the newest blogs, articles, my next speaking event, teleclasses, webinars, and the news about my newest product – you can sign up on my update list. This list will also give you “first dibs” on special discounts for my products that I’ll be creating, such as my ebook on women and spiritual warfare that I’m writing right now.

Want to make sure you hear first about the ebook? Get on the update list! 

If you have any questions or have any prayer requests, please email me at elizabethdjones@gmail.com. Meanwhile, if you’re not already subscribed, why not get started and sign up for both, or for one of the lists today?  You will be blessed and encouraged to walk in your great destiny and purpose. It’s a great way for us to connect and I’d be honored to have you joining me in this journey!

Let me also know about any ideas you have for articles, blogs, podcasts, teleseminars, webinars, etc.  What are your needs? What topics are you interested in?

I’d also really appreciate it if you shared about this with your family and friends on Twitter and Facebook!  Just click on one of the share buttons here below.


]]> http://www.bethjones.net/ezine-or-updates-or-both-you-decide/feed/ 0 http://www.bethjones.net/secrets-to-ultimate-productivity-retreat-next-week/ http://www.bethjones.net/secrets-to-ultimate-productivity-retreat-next-week/#comments Sun, 13 Feb 2011 05:59:36 +0000 Beth Jones http://www.bethjones.net/?p=5009 Are you needing some encouragement to fulfill your dreams and to get your goals and resolutions done this year? That is the theme of Cindy Rushton’s Talk-a-Latte Mommy Club special retreat, Secrets To Ultimate Productivity. The retreat is this Thursday, February 17, and Friday, February 18. You’ll get great workshops, free doorprizes, friendship connections, and lots [...]]]>

Are you needing some encouragement to fulfill your dreams and to get your goals and resolutions done this year? That is the theme of Cindy Rushton’s Talk-a-Latte Mommy Club special retreat, Secrets To Ultimate Productivity. The retreat is this Thursday, February 17, and Friday, February 18. You’ll get great workshops, free doorprizes, friendship connections, and lots of fun.

I will be speaking Thursday, February 17, at 3:30 p.m. CST, and would love to see you there!  My topic will be Do The Next Thing. I’ll be sharing about my personal challenging journey, learning this important principle in 2010. Cindy has a line-up of anointed speakers who will be such a blessing to you!  Want to find out more?

From Cindy Rushton’s desk….

Kicked off another big year? OR, just got busy with yet another year, doing the same-old-same-old? Reaching your resolutions or are they collecting dust yet again? Running the race or running in circles? Don’t even want to talk about reaching for your dreams right now?

Finding yourself just a bit….

Busy? Stressed? A bit tired and weary? Life spinning right now? Feeling distracted? Sick of the constant chaos, distractions, and crisis situation? Already had too many days that are totally unproductive? Boy, do I understand! And, you are NOT alone!

Sweet friend, do you know what the numbers are? Have you heard the stats on setting resolutions? Peek at these…

Setting Resolutions…
40-45% of all American adults make one or more resolutions each year.

38% absolutely do not set resolutions.

30% of “resolutioners” have “scaled back” their resolutions.

Now, look at how it goes…
25% will ditch their resolutions within the first week of the year.

An addition 11% or 36% total will drop their resolutions by the end of January.

Only 12% WILL achieve their resolutions with 8% achieve their resolutions every year.

24% (ONE IN FOUR) have never reached their resolutions.

Find yourself in there? If you are like so many others, you began this year wanting something MORE. Maybe you counted down to this year hoping for some changes and wishing that you could get on track toward your dreams. It is NOT TOO LATE! In fact, this is the perfect time for us to pull aside and evaluate what IS getting done, what we want to get done, and how we are going to get what really matters done this year.

We ALL need the accountability.

We ALL need the time of evaluation.

We ALL need that shot of encouragement and inspiration.

And, we ALL need friends to come alongside of us and show us how to get it all done!

Sweet friend, are you where you want to be? Are you getting things done? Well, are you getting the things done that you want to get done? Are you constantly battling the STUFF? Busy all of the time, but are you PRODUCTIVE? Stuck and have no idea how to get moving?

This is the seminar just for you!

Let Cindy and her friends take you by the hand and share her secrets to ULTIMATE productivity. If you have known Cindy for any amount of time, you have probably seen how she amazes everyone who peeks into her life, business, homeschool– well…everything that she does! She brings a new meaning to productivity–ULTIMATE productivity.

Not to mention, you should meet the line-up of friends who are joining her this month for this seminar…



Laura Lee Sparks

Laura Lee Sparks–Wife, mom, Productivity coach, founder and CEO of Legal Marketing Maven and homeschool mom. Laura Lee will be speaking on the topic: Looking at the Big Picture. Maybe you have struggled with getting things done in your busy life. Maybe one day you get things done with the children, but you find yourself totally spent and unable to balance time with your spouse. OR, maybe you are doing an amazing job with your business, but there is nothing left for your husband, your children, much less YOU. You MUST HEAR this session. Laura Lee has a way of gently troubleshooting with us so we can get the big picture. This session is going to set you on fire! Don’t miss it! Until then, get to know Laura Lee at: http://LegalMarketingMaven.com and http://TheSimpleSolution.com.



Gerri Helms

Gerri Helms–Wife, mom, grandmother, author, speaker, Life Coach. Gerri will be speaking on the topic: Time: Managing the Unmanageable! I know, you bought that planner and got everything lined up and ready-to-go, but that planner is long-gone and collecting dust. Yes, scheduling always sound wonderful, but just does NOT work for you? Well, this session is going to be an answer to your prayers! In this session, Gerri Helms will take you by the hand and show you how she uses her own Daytimer step by step. She will show you her system for highlighting what is done, evaluating what is left to do (do it or ditch it), estimating how long tasks will really take, and even how to anticipate delays. You will love this session! Gerri always shares practical resources that you can find online. Plus, she always shows us how to use what we have–those free programs collecting dust on our computers. If you have never joined her for a session, you will not want to miss this one because after her workshop, she will take your questions either through our chat room or by phone so she can help you to apply this session. Don’t miss it! And, until then you can get to know her at: http://www.LifeCoachGerri.com (*Don’t miss her amazing blog!) and http://www.TrustGodandBuyBroccoli.com.



Beth Jones

Beth Jones–Wife, mom, grandmother, speaker, author, and homeschool mom. Beth will be speaking on the topic, Do the Next Thing! Are you struggling to get the next “do” on your long to-do list done today? Do you need more clarity in your goals? Are you feeling frustrated and stressed out with all you need to get done – and you can’t quite get there? Is perfectionism holding you back from good relationships or in the success you desire? Well, you have come to the right place! Join Beth Jones, one of our most popular speakers, for her encouraging presentation, Do The Next Thing! In this talk, Beth is sharing some of her challenging journey over the last year, learning this important principle. You’ll be encouraged and inspired! You will love getting to know Beth. She has an amazing website with a blog and AWESOME podcast that you can find at: http://www.BethJones.net.



Susan Scott

Susan Scott–Wife, mom, speaker, author, Life and Leadership Counselor, Certified Personalities Trainer, Leadership Coach, homeschool mom. Susan will be speaking on the topic: 7 Secrets to Spiritual Fitness. Another power-packed session! Join favored speaker, Susan Scott as she shares 7 Steps to Spiritual Fitness which lead us to be fruitful and productive, not just busy. In this session, Susan digs into Colossians 1:9-12. She teaches us how WE can master those 7 steps and become spiritually fit to hear His voice and follow His will for our lives so our days WILL be productive, not just busy. This is going to be a life-changing session that you will not want to miss! OH! When you join us live for this session or grab a ticket, you will receive Susan’s companion eBook on this topic as her special gift. You will LOVE it! And, until then get to know Susan online at: http://SusanScott.org. She has an incredible site full of great articles, freebies, and incredible products that you will LOVE!



Cindy Rushton

And, Cindy Rushton–Wife, mom, grandmother, author, speaker, business coach, and homeschool mom. Cindy will be speaking on several topics during this seminar: Secrets to Ultimate Productivity, Trash, Trinkets or Treasures: Making Time for What Really Matters to You, Stuck? Get UP and Get MOVING, and Make TODAY Count! These sessions are all fresh and new! Cindy has been called the “Queen of Productivity.” Not only does she seem to balance it ALL, but while she does it all, she has been the most prolific writer and speaker that you will find. In her workshops during this seminar, you are going to get a peek into all of her secrets to ultimate productivity that are normally only shared with her business coaching clients. Oh! Don’t think, “But, I don’t have a business….” Remember, Cindy has been CEO of her business without letting that business steal away her time and energy being a wife, mother, grandmother, friend, and ministry leader. You are going to LOVE her sessions. Don’t miss even one! Get to Know Cindy online at: http://www.CindyRushton.com, http://www.CindysDesktop.com, http://www.Talk-a-Latte.com, http://www.Families-in-Business.com, http://www.MomtoMomRadioShow.com.

SO, are you ready to learn the secrets to ultimate productivity? Want to learn how to get more done–well, more of the things that really matter done? Well, don’t miss this event!
 
There are three ways to join us for this exciting event! You can find out more information by clicking here.

*********

Beth’s note:  I have FIVE free tickets for this event. Stay tuned for more information soon how you can get one!


]]> http://www.bethjones.net/secrets-to-ultimate-productivity-retreat-next-week/feed/ 0 http://www.bethjones.net/charlotte-siems-the-magic-of-ordinary-days/ http://www.bethjones.net/charlotte-siems-the-magic-of-ordinary-days/#comments Fri, 28 Jan 2011 16:28:03 +0000 Beth Jones http://www.bethjones.net/?p=4921 If you’ve hung around me for long, you know I am very passionate about people living out their purpose, using their gifts, and fulfilling their destiny in Christ. One way we do that is through being grateful for and cherishing every precious moment – being who God created us to be and making the most of [...]]]>


dinner table

If you’ve hung around me for long, you know I am very passionate about people living out their purpose, using their gifts, and fulfilling their destiny in Christ. One way we do that is through being grateful for and cherishing every precious moment – being who God created us to be and making the most of our days. Even the ordinary ones.

Today’s blog is on just that and is a guest post by my beautiful friend Charlotte Siems, T-Tapp trainer, mom of 12, and home life mentor. The woman is incredible!  You want to be sure to visit her wonderful sites, This Lovely Place and her T-Tapp site, where you will be inspired, encouraged, and strengthened.

Enjoy Charlottes’ post – it’s like chocolate! –  and please leave your comments below.

………..This Lovely Place………

The Magic of Ordinary Days

Late afternoon shadows crept across the barren grass in the yard. Two teen boys were just returning from their paper routes in the neighborhood, cheeks red from the chilly wind. Three little girls had finished the bath that was an excuse to play with dolls in the water and were dressed in their princess pajamas, wet hair dripping. The supper hour had come.

The menu was planned and it was a favorite quick meal–tomato soup, cheese and crackers. There was a strong temptation to direct one of the boys to heat it up and set it on the table so I could finish my work in the den. But suddenly my heart was pricked by the urge to create a memory, not just throw a meal on the table. The Real Man had been gone for many days and we were feeling his absence. I had been “getting by” on meals eaten in shifts between errands, activities and appointments.

The first order of business was a cloth on the table. Not only does it add warmth and color to the table, it cuts down on the clank and rattle of dishes and silverware. The centerpiece was a heart-shaped ceramic bowl surrounded by three red leftover Christmas votives. The little candles were lit, and they cast a cheery red glow. Then the magic began to happen.

A little brown-haired girl with a sprinkle of freckles across her nose entered the kitchen and exclaimed “Ohhhh, that’s pretty!” Her green eyes widened as she took in the scene. She offered to set the table and busily began to brush crumbs off the chairs. While I stirred the soup on the stove, her sisters joined her and set to work, laying out food and gazing at the candles. We got out the little apple glasses and pitcher that are seldom used, to match the red theme on the table.

Soon the boys came in from the cold and helped to stir the soup and rinse the glasses. Everyone began talking about when we first moved here seven years ago, laughing about what they thought of the move at their young age. We gathered at our places, and since some family members were gone, the little children got the privilege of sitting in chairs instead of the bench. The chatter and reminiscing continued through a lovely, simple meal of tomato soup.

How close I came to missing that special meal! We were a minute away from a quick bowl of soup on a bare, cold table with a package of crackers as a centerpiece. You’ll notice that the menu didn’t change or get more elaborate. The only unusual thing about the food was that we had chocolate milk instead of the usual water. The decision to go the extra mile, simple though it was, made all the difference.

Ordinary days are so, well, ordinary. We are busy, to be sure, and we cut corners and look for shortcuts. I’m all for ways to make home management easier and more efficient. The effort required for a big result in making memories with our families is usually small, yet we put it off or never do it. We keep meaning to, then the days and the months and the years pass, and we never got around to it. We are left with regrets and a wiser perspective.

Children of all ages enjoy being involved in setting a lovely table. Everything from Lego creations to scenes made with sticks and flowers can brighten the center. Candles of all shapes, sizes and colors cast a warm glow and create a feeling of “just for me?” special atmosphere. A collection of vintage tablecloths from the thrift store, bargain cloths from the clearance aisle and even pretty sheets add variety. Life is too short to save the special china and crystal for holidays. Use it on a regular basis for the most important people in your life.

The only life you can live is today, ordinary though it may be. Go the extra mile and do the little things that bring magic to ordinary days, for this is what love and life are made of.

*The title of this article also happens to be the title of one of my favorite Hallmark movies.

********
Charlotte Siems is a T-Tapp trainer, mom of 12 children, and home life mentor. Visit Charlotte’s sites, This Lovely Place and her T-Tapp site.


]]> http://www.bethjones.net/charlotte-siems-the-magic-of-ordinary-days/feed/ 0 http://www.bethjones.net/africa-just-believe/ http://www.bethjones.net/africa-just-believe/#comments Tue, 25 Jan 2011 15:24:30 +0000 Beth Jones http://www.bethjones.net/?p=4905 “Up in this high land you breathed easily, drawing in a vital assurance and lightness of heart. In the morning you woke up in the highlands and thought: Here I am, where I ought to be.” ~ Out of Africa, Isak Dineson  Out of Africa, starring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford, is one of my [...]]]>


lion

“Up in this high land you breathed easily, drawing in a vital assurance and lightness of heart. In the morning you woke up in the highlands and thought: Here I am, where I ought to be.” ~ Out of Africa, Isak Dineson

 Out of Africa, starring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford, is one of my favorite movies. While I detest the adultery in it, what I do love about it is how it captures the essence and the beauty of Africa, a place I have been praying about traveling to for years. I hear the drums of Africa in my soul and its land with the beautiful sunsets, wild animals, and unique people groups beckon to me each day.

This year I had the privilege of meeting and interviewing African missionary Alma Jones, who was here in the states until December 2010. She is now back “home” in Africa, in Entebbe, Uganda. 

This week I received her email update. I wanted to share part of it with you so you can pray for her and the people there, especially for financial provision for her and for the people’s hearts to be open to the gospel of Christ. 

Some people I know at a church group in Kansas City are planning a short-term missions trip to work with Alma there in May or June 2011, so I am contacting them to find out more information. My husband Ray, our oldest daughter Heather, and I have been praying for years to go. We will go in God’s perfect timing.   

Where do YOU want to travel to and are praying to go to? God can give you the desires of your heart, as Alma’s life attests. She went to Africa in her 70′s, and has been there seven years!

Alma’s letter:

 ”I’ve been sick quite a lot since I have been back. Missed my usual Thursday night Fellowship that I have taught most of the time I’ve been here. That made the people get serious and pray hard for me, so Friday I felt fine and dandy. Doctors can never find anything wrong with me so I know it is a spiritual attack by the enemy. Praise God, my God is Jehovah Rapha so I always have a doctor on call. Sorry about that, Ray. [Beth's note:  My husband Ray is a paramedic.]

I got a call last night from a pastor on the western side of Uganda. We went there last spring and had a terrific class. The pastor called to ask when we were coming back, but also he called to say his son got saved and has come out of the house. For quite some time he wouldn’t leave the house. Praise God. News like that encourages us to continue. 

As for teaching, right now I am concentrating on two young men. One of the hardest parts of being a missionary is getting the locals to assume some responsibility. 

One of the young men was supposed to be here today, but he has been having some physical problems and today he had severe chest pains so went to the doctor. Haven’t heard yet so be in prayer.

No, I’ve not been on a safari yet, but hope to some day. They do cost a lot of money. Shall I get a figure for you so you can come prepared? In the meantime we can go a couple blocks from my house and see the monkeys at Botanical Gardens. [Beth's note: One of the things I really want to do when I go to Africa is go on a safari and see the beautiful Victoria waterfalls. I know it's not a vacation and that safaris cost thousands of dollars, but those are just two things I really want to do and I shared this with Alma. I have faith God will provide!]

I must close now. I do have one class scheduled in Myuge on the lake side in February and must prepare. Thanks for the good letter and keep dreaming and praying about the most beautiful country in the world — the Pearl of Africa.”

The Pearl of Africa. What a beautiful, descriptive picture.  I can’t wait to go! Alma challenged me to stop hoping and praying this is the year that Ray, Heather, and I go, and just believe. 

I leave that with you today – just believe.

**************If you feel led by God to help and to make a donation to Alma, learn more here and here.


]]> http://www.bethjones.net/africa-just-believe/feed/ 0 http://www.bethjones.net/you-are-beautiful-royalty/ http://www.bethjones.net/you-are-beautiful-royalty/#comments Sat, 22 Jan 2011 23:50:16 +0000 Beth Jones http://www.bethjones.net/?p=4903 This video really touched my heart and made me cry tonight. I pray it ministers to you as much as it did me.  Enjoy. Video of Royalty – Kimberly Rivera]]>

This video really touched my heart and made me cry tonight. I pray it ministers to you as much as it did me.  Enjoy.

Video of Royalty – Kimberly Rivera


]]> http://www.bethjones.net/you-are-beautiful-royalty/feed/ 0 http://www.bethjones.net/taking-time-to-goof-off/ http://www.bethjones.net/taking-time-to-goof-off/#comments Sat, 22 Jan 2011 21:58:02 +0000 Beth Jones http://www.bethjones.net/?p=4895 How has your week been? I’ve been working hard all week for the upcoming webinar and on my new ebook on women and spiritual warfare, that I hope to release by the first of March.  But today I wanted to take some time, as I told our daughter Heather, “just to goof off.”  Sounds lovely, doesn’t [...]]]>


coffee

How has your week been? I’ve been working hard all week for the upcoming webinar and on my new ebook on women and spiritual warfare, that I hope to release by the first of March.  But today I wanted to take some time, as I told our daughter Heather, “just to goof off.”  Sounds lovely, doesn’t it?

This afternoon Aimee at Living Learning and Loving Simply inspired me with her post An Overnight. Her husband booked her a hotel on Hotwire, to give her some much-needed self-care.  I  read her  blog with growing envy interest.

When God created the world and man, after He was finished, He said everything was very good – and He rested. We should take notes from Him.

We may not be able to go away overnight at a hotel right now like Aimee did, but we can find just a few minutes to pull away and be alone with God – to read a good book – to take a hot soak in the tub – to walk in the beautiful, white, crunchy snow – to talk and laugh with our kids – to just read our favorite blogs in the Google reader – to relax in the quiet and sit on the couch, drinking a good cup of coffee.

Be sure to make time to be refilled and refreshed during your week. You deserve it!

“I find that nonsense, at times, is singularly refreshing.” ~Charles M. de Talleyrand

****

Want to learn more about pulling away with God for just a few minutes a day? Check out my Kindle ebook Walking With God


]]> http://www.bethjones.net/taking-time-to-goof-off/feed/ 0 http://www.bethjones.net/great-grilled-ribs-great-2011/ http://www.bethjones.net/great-grilled-ribs-great-2011/#comments Wed, 05 Jan 2011 05:56:39 +0000 Beth Jones http://www.bethjones.net/?p=4807 Have you ever made great ribs on the grill? Tonight my husband Ray made some, and they turned out delicious! These mouth-watering ribs inspired me to make a vlog about accomplishing 2011 goals! Are you curious? Check it out below. (Let the video fully load first.) Enjoy! Video of “Perfect Ribs”]]>


grilled ribs

Have you ever made great ribs on the grill? Tonight my husband Ray made some, and they turned out delicious! These mouth-watering ribs inspired me to make a vlog about accomplishing 2011 goals!

Are you curious? Check it out below. (Let the video fully load first.) Enjoy!

Video of “Perfect Ribs”


]]> http://www.bethjones.net/great-grilled-ribs-great-2011/feed/ 0 http://www.bethjones.net/new-year-new-you-video/ http://www.bethjones.net/new-year-new-you-video/#comments Sun, 02 Jan 2011 16:22:50 +0000 Beth Jones http://www.bethjones.net/?p=4798 This morning I created a video for 2011 for you at Animoto, where you can make free, 30-second videos accompanied by your choice of music. They also have an option to create full-length, longer videos for a minimal fee each month. This video is called New Year, New You. I’d love to hear your comments [...]]]>

This morning I created a video for 2011 for you at Animoto, where you can make free, 30-second videos accompanied by your choice of music. They also have an option to create full-length, longer videos for a minimal fee each month.

This video is called New Year, New You. I’d love to hear your comments on it. Be sure to let it load fully first so you can view it without interruption.  Enjoy!

Video-New Year, New You

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.


]]> http://www.bethjones.net/new-year-new-you-video/feed/ 0 http://www.bethjones.net/position-yourself-for-the-new-year/ http://www.bethjones.net/position-yourself-for-the-new-year/#comments Mon, 27 Dec 2010 20:01:18 +0000 Beth Jones http://www.bethjones.net/?p=4787 The new year is just ahead, and if you’re like me, you don’t even like the word “resolution” anymore. (Too much of a reminder of failure, isn’t it?)  Instead, you want to set some concrete goals to attain the dreams in your heart.  Today’s blog post is a guest post from Michele Pariza Wacek, which will [...]]]>


bulls-eye

The new year is just ahead, and if you’re like me, you don’t even like the word “resolution” anymore. (Too much of a reminder of failure, isn’t it?)  Instead, you want to set some concrete goals to attain the dreams in your heart.  Today’s blog post is a guest post from Michele Pariza Wacek, which will encourage you to do just that.  

Pray. Obey God. And position yourself, for great things are ahead for 2011! God wants to bless His people and use us mightily for His glory! 

Enjoy the article!

(Want to listen rather than read? You can download the Director’s Cut on the podcast here:
www.michelepw.com/blog)

Goal Setting — 3 Tips to Positioning Yourself for Business Success in the New Year

It’s December and you know what that means. Not only is it holiday mania but this is also the perfect time to get yourself ready for the New Year.

If you’re an entrepreneur who is ready to enjoy more business success next year, I would highly encourage you to take a little time to work ON your business (rather than IN your business) before the start of the New Year. Below are 3 tips to help you get focused and ready to shine!

1. Make sure you celebrate your past success. This one isn’t easy for me to do either (much easier to make a list of all the things I want to get done next year). But if you don’t celebrate what you DID accomplish last year, what would be the motivation for achieving next year’s goals?

You need to give yourself a pat on the back. You deserve it! (And be honest, when was the last time you gave yourself any sort of credit?)

Here’s what I would suggest doing — get a piece of paper and write down 50 things you accomplished last year.

Yes I said 50. And no I won’t take “but I didn’t accomplish 50 things” as an answer. You see, by setting an intention to come up with 50 means you’re not going to stop at 3 and miss a bunch that you really need to congratulate yourself for.

Next, celebrate! Buy yourself a nice cup of coffee, sit in a bathtub or call up a friend or associate and tell them what you accomplished. Let yourself feel good about what you accomplished — you did good!

2. Write down your goals for next year. This is important –especially the writing down part. If you don’t write them down, the chances of you actually accomplishing them are pretty unlikely. In fact, it’s pretty close to zero. According to a famous study of Harvard graduates, less than 5 percent of those who didn’t write down their goals actually accomplished them.

And don’t rush this either. I’m not going to give you a number to hit, but take some time and actually think about what you want to accomplish next year. And make them specific — don’t just say “make more money.” Put a number in there — how much money do you want to make. Even better, write down how you plan to make more money — launch a new product? Get X number of people into your coaching program?

3. Now break down your goals into steps. This is probably the biggest thing you can do to make sure you actually achieve your goals.

The more specific you make your goals and the more you break them down into doable action steps, the easier it’s going to be to follow through with them.

So for instance, with the “make more money” goal. Break it down into how you’re going to make more money — like launch a product or get your coaching program going. Get your calendar out and put those milestones in your  calendar so you know what you’re shooting for.

Now the idea here isn’t to make this a big, difficult task. Have fun with it. You’re planning your year and you can turn it into anything you want it to be! This is exciting! Take time to enjoy the process. This is your life and your business — you should be able to transform it into exactly what you want it to be.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

6) ABOUT MICHELE PW

———————————————————-

Imagine: Your potential customers transforming into actual customers: all without you lifting a finger. Sound too good to be true? It’s not…when you hire Michele PW (Michele Pariza Wacek) Your $Ka-Ching!$ Marketing Strategist.

What Michele specializes in is writing copy and creating marketing campaigns that gets people to TAKE ACTION, whatever that action may be (signing up for your newsletter, buying a product, hiring you etc.). In fact, Michele has mastered psychological and hypnotic techniques designed to persuade your target market to become your customers.

She also specializes in warm Web 2.0 traffic strategies that will bring a flood of hungry visitors to your Web site who want to buy exactly what you sell!

Whether it’s online or offline you need, Michele PW knows how to Rev Up Your Results!

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>


]]> http://www.bethjones.net/position-yourself-for-the-new-year/feed/ 0 http://www.bethjones.net/reaching-your-dreams-in-2011/ http://www.bethjones.net/reaching-your-dreams-in-2011/#comments Fri, 24 Dec 2010 04:05:17 +0000 Beth Jones http://www.bethjones.net/?p=4770 Our daughter Heather and her family arrived safely home in Missouri tonight – thanks so much to all of you who prayed!  We chatted on the phone and talked about our mutual desire to move to Florida.  Why?  Here is a postcard they bought as a souvenir, and this pretty much sums it up: We [...]]]>

Our daughter Heather and her family arrived safely home in Missouri tonight – thanks so much to all of you who prayed!  We chatted on the phone and talked about our mutual desire to move to Florida.  Why?  Here is a postcard they bought as a souvenir, and this pretty much sums it up:



We both love the beach – the beautiful, amazing ocean that God created. Missouri? Tonight and tomorrow the weather forecast predicts freezing rains. ‘Nuf said.

What about you? Where do you want to visit, to travel to, to live, to start a new life? What is your dream?

What’s keeping you from it?

It’s important to have not just resolutions for 2011 and the next 10 years, but dreams.  Write them down.  World-traveler Chris Guillebeau, who has visited 140 countries and plans to travel to the rest of the countries in the world, wrote a great post on dreams and life.

God wants to give us our dreams, the desires of our heart. Today think about yours. Hold them up before God, and pray about them. Determine to do what it is that you’d love to do with His help. Then do it!

Blogging soon in Florida and in Africa….   


]]> http://www.bethjones.net/reaching-your-dreams-in-2011/feed/ 0 http://www.bethjones.net/operation-christmas-childs-biggest-drive/ http://www.bethjones.net/operation-christmas-childs-biggest-drive/#comments Sat, 04 Dec 2010 21:49:55 +0000 Beth Jones http://www.bethjones.net/?p=4660 Do you want to help needy kids this Christmas? Operation Christmas Child’s national collection week is over, but you can still pack a shoebox for kids for Christmas. They are having their biggest drive this Christmas.  Operation Christmas Child (OCC) is part of Samaritan’s Purse ministry and is an outreach to needy children around the world. Items [...]]]>


Operation Christmas Child shoebox

Do you want to help needy kids this Christmas? Operation Christmas Child’s national collection week is over, but you can still pack a shoebox for kids for Christmas. They are having their biggest drive this Christmas.  Operation Christmas Child (OCC) is part of Samaritan’s Purse ministry and is an outreach to needy children around the world.

Items you can pack are:

• toys (stuffed animals, games, yo-yo’s, Etch-a-Sketch, harmonicas, kazoos, toys that light up or make noise with extra batteries, dolls, slinkys, etc.)
• school supplies (pens, pencils, sharpener, crayons, markers, stamps and ink pad sets, writing pads, coloring books and crayons)
• hygiene items (toothbrush, toothpaste, mild bar soap, comb, washcloth)
• other items (hard candy, lollipops, T-shirts, sunglasses, hair ribbons and hair clips, watches).

OCC does have a few item restrictions that you can pack such as chocolates, war items, liquids or lotions. You will need to print out a special label from OCC’s website to mail it, designating whether it is for a girl or a boy. There are several drop-off locations around the country, or you can mail it to OCC’s address.

The shoeboxes aren’t expensive to pack, and there is a donation of only $7 for each shoe box to help cover shipping and other project costs. You can write a check or money order and include it in an envelope inside the shoebox, or you can make a convenient online donation for your box’s shipping cost. When you make an easy payment online, OCC provides a special shipping label with a bar code that can be used for you to follow your box to wherever it goes!

If you don’t have time to pack your own box, you can pay $35 to have OCC’s staff pack a box for you or for $35 you can select gifts on their website to personalize the box and have it shipped to a child. I have wanted to do this all year long, so I wanted to pack my own box! Leah and I went out last night to buy the toys and other things to pack our boxes. Walmart, Target, and dollar stores are great places to find bargains for these shoeboxes.

I’m really excited about OCC’s partnership with the upcoming Narnia movie. Our family loves the Narnia series books and loved the movie and can’t wait for this new one! OCC is partnering with the upcoming film, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, which is set for release on Dec. 10. Through this partnership, Narnia fans will be encouraged to participate in the world’s largest Christmas project by packing shoe box gifts that will make a difference in the lives of needy children.

In Narnia, it was always winter and never Christmas until Aslan arrived with hope. In the same way, shoe box gifts filled with toys, school supplies and hygiene items can bring hope to children around the world by reminding them they are loved and not forgotten. Just as God loves and never forgets you and me!

I encourage you to think about packing a shoebox or donating online to Operation Christmas Child. There is still time to practically demonstrate God’s agape love and to make a difference in the life of a child this Christmas. Below are 2 videos for you. Enjoy!

Video of Leah’s and my shoeboxes

Here is a video of Operation Christmas Child. I just cried when I watched it from the happy faces of the children! This is such a great thing to do that will fill your heart with joy.


]]> http://www.bethjones.net/operation-christmas-childs-biggest-drive/feed/ 0 http://www.bethjones.net/live-expo-ended-last-night-but-tickets-still-available/ http://www.bethjones.net/live-expo-ended-last-night-but-tickets-still-available/#comments Sun, 14 Nov 2010 13:20:14 +0000 Beth Jones http://www.bethjones.net/?p=4586 The live, Ultimate Home School Expo sessions for fall 2010 ended last night, and some were sniffling in the chat room because of the comraderie that built over the last 3 days as we chatted.  I met some wonderful women of God during this event. I love making new friends!     Felice Gerwitz as the new owner of [...]]]>

The live, Ultimate Home School Expo sessions for fall 2010 ended last night, and some were sniffling in the chat room because of the comraderie that built over the last 3 days as we chatted.  I met some wonderful women of God during this event. I love making new friends!     Felice Gerwitz as the new owner of the Expo did a fantastic  job with this!

 While the theme was a focus on Christ during the holidays, each speaker’s teaching session for the Expo was unique and anointed by God.  The sessions all flowed together.  God is amazing how He orchestrates details like this.

If you missed the live event but would like to hear the recordings of the teachings, you can still get a ticket here. You will also receive a free ebook by Visual Manna, the song God gave Felice which a friend’s daughter set to beautiful music and sang, and the holiday recipe and traditions book Felice put together of all the speakers – PLUS all the bonus goodies from the speakers (over $500+ of free products!).

I can’t wait to dig into the membership site to all the goodies today! What are you waiting on? 


]]> http://www.bethjones.net/live-expo-ended-last-night-but-tickets-still-available/feed/ 0 http://www.bethjones.net/nothings-impossible-african-missionary-alma-jones-interview/ http://www.bethjones.net/nothings-impossible-african-missionary-alma-jones-interview/#comments Sat, 13 Nov 2010 14:20:45 +0000 Beth Jones http://www.bethjones.net/?p=4551 It’s been a busy couple of weeks flying to Phoenix to speak at Norma Washington Motivational Ministries’ conference, speaking at UHSE 2010 on Filled and Focused, and getting ready for the holidays. This week I also interviewed African missionary Alma Jones at TalkShoe. Alma got cut off twice at the beginning of the interview, which was [...]]]>


Ugandan missionary Alma Jones

It’s been a busy couple of weeks flying to Phoenix to speak at Norma Washington Motivational Ministries’ conference, speaking at UHSE 2010 on Filled and Focused, and getting ready for the holidays.

This week I also interviewed African missionary Alma Jones at TalkShoe. Alma got cut off twice at the beginning of the interview, which was frustrating (gotta’ love technology!), but after that it went well and you will love her!  She is a hoot and has much wisdom to offer.

Alma has an incredible story of how God called her to go to Africa when she was 17 years old – and she finally went to Uganda, Africa at 73 years old!  She has been there for 7 years, teaching the Bible to Ugandan pastors and other people, is in the states right now, and returns December 31 this year.

You can hear this exciting story here, as well as my interview with our daughter Heather Denney doing a missions trip to Nashville this past summer.

Do you have a dream in your heart, something you want to do for God?  Do you feel like it’s never going to happen? Don’t give up on your dream.  God is able. For nothing is impossible with God. (Luke 1: 37)


]]> http://www.bethjones.net/nothings-impossible-african-missionary-alma-jones-interview/feed/ 0 http://www.bethjones.net/rescheduled-interview-with-alma-jones/ http://www.bethjones.net/rescheduled-interview-with-alma-jones/#comments Tue, 09 Nov 2010 16:15:02 +0000 Beth Jones http://www.bethjones.net/?p=4528 Due to African missionary Alma Jones going out of town this coming Friday, I have rescheduled my hour-long interview on Talkshoe with her for this coming Thursday, November 11, 2010, at 11 a.m. CST.   You can click here to listen to the show. You will just love Alma, so be sure to tune in!]]>

Due to African missionary Alma Jones going out of town this coming Friday, I have rescheduled my hour-long interview on Talkshoe with her for this coming Thursday, November 11, 2010, at 11 a.m. CST.   You can click here to listen to the show. You will just love Alma, so be sure to tune in!


]]> http://www.bethjones.net/rescheduled-interview-with-alma-jones/feed/ 0 http://www.bethjones.net/videos-of-october-2010-conference/ http://www.bethjones.net/videos-of-october-2010-conference/#comments Mon, 01 Nov 2010 23:07:32 +0000 Beth Jones http://www.bethjones.net/?p=4454 This weekend I flew to Phoenix, AZ, to speak at Norma Washington Motivational Ministries’ conference. Here are a few videos from the weekend to give you a nice visual. Enjoy!  Video of waterfall and beautiful palm trees – I love waterfalls and the palm trees are so incredible! Video of Norma Washington preaching – she’s [...]]]>


Me by pool waterfall & palm trees

This weekend I flew to Phoenix, AZ, to speak at Norma Washington Motivational Ministries’ conference. Here are a few videos from the weekend to give you a nice visual. Enjoy! 

Video of waterfall and beautiful palm trees – I love waterfalls and the palm trees are so incredible!

Video of Norma Washington preaching – she’s such an inspiration!

Video of incredible worship at conference – man singing “The Potter’s Hand”

Video of Beth Jones- Norma Washington conference, Phoenix, AZ


]]> http://www.bethjones.net/videos-of-october-2010-conference/feed/ 0 http://www.bethjones.net/recap-of-womens-conference/ http://www.bethjones.net/recap-of-womens-conference/#comments Mon, 01 Nov 2010 22:49:13 +0000 Beth Jones http://www.bethjones.net/?p=4460 Bishop Norma Washington This weekend I flew to Phoenix, AZ, to speak at Norma Washington Motivational Ministries’ women’s conference. In return, I was greatly encouraged and inspired by the other speakers there, and was physically refreshed by just relaxing near the hotel pool’s waterfall and admiring the tall, elegant palm trees in the background. I [...]]]>



Bishop Norma Washington

This weekend I flew to Phoenix, AZ, to speak at Norma Washington Motivational Ministries’ women’s conference. In return, I was greatly encouraged and inspired by the other speakers there, and was physically refreshed by just relaxing near the hotel pool’s waterfall and admiring the tall, elegant palm trees in the background. I also made some great new friends! 

Everyone attending the conference was blessed with:

• God’s sweet presence and His words of truth
• Norma’s on-fire preaching Friday and Saturday night
• Praise and worship from singers who had me just in tears at times from the power of their anointing
• Teachings from different speakers who were such a blessing
• A dramatic skit of the woman with the issue of blood
• Lots of fun fellowship with women of God
• A luncheon on Saturday
• A cute, colored handbag with a free copy of. Matt D. Watt’s 3-cd set, The 8 Principles of Goals and Success.

***Norma’s public consecration

On Friday night, Norma was set apart for public consecration and installation to the office of Bishop. It was a great privilege and honor to be there witnessing this, and to now be officially part of her Preach Woman Preach Alliance. Preach Woman Preach Alliance is a non-denominational alliance of anointed women who feel a call by God to preach and teach God’s word. Its goal is to empower women to live abundant lives in Christ, and the Alliance serves as a spiritual covering for women in ministry.

Do I mean this alliance is some sort of club, clique, or even a new type of church?  No!  It’s just basically women of God encouraging and praying for each other!  What we should be doing each day anyway, because God knows we women all need the encouragement in thisbusy, stressful life – women who are wives, mothers, sisters, daughters, grandmothers, women who work outside the home, women with on-line businesses, women with trials, women in tears, women who just want more of Jesus!

Bishop Ben Washington installed his wife Norma into the office of bishop, and it was a powerful time in the Lord. After she was installed, Bishop Norma got up to the podium to teach out of Zechariah 4: 6-10 on the capstone, and was her usual firey, preaching self. She is inspiring and so funny!

One thing she said that struck me was that we can NOT do this apart from God!



Me by hotel pool

***My speaking session

I spoke early Saturday morning. The topic God gave me for speaking was on “secrets” – our secret sins that we need to bring to Jesus at the cross to be forgiven, and the secrets God desires to speak to us in prayer like He did with Deborah, Daniel, and Abraham.  One of the secrets I shared about that often has women so bound in shame and condemnation is abortion, which they feel is the unforgiveable sin.

Dear friend, God will forgive you if you have had an abortion. His love and mercy are unconditional. The blood of Jesus was more than enough to cover any sin that anyone has ever or ever will commit, if they will receive Him as Savior.  (I do urge you, though, if you are considering abortion – don’t do it! God will help you through this time of pregnancy!)

God used my message of His love and forgiveness to free other women more. One woman said:

“The conference today was very motivating. After listening to Beth Jones speak today, I left the conference feeling very liberated. Thank you for a life changing word today.” ~ Minister Vanessa Ferrell, Phoenix, AZ

After I spoke, two women at this conference publicly announced that they had had an abortion years ago, the first time they had ever publicly admitted to this. Through this confession – exposing the darkness and bringing it into the light – they experienced more freedom this weekend. God’s heart longs to forgive, heal, and restore us.



Sister Kay Nabors

***Sister Kay’s testimony

One of the other speakers was Karen Nabor, also known as “Sister Kay.” Prior to coming to the conference, she had her presentation organized and well prepared with a great visual aid – and then God changed everything she was to share at the last minute!  She winded up hurriedly writing what He was giving her two hours before she spoke, on loose notebook paper! Don’t you just love the Holy Spirit?

So instead of her original speech, Karen spoke on “The Call of God,” sharing from the book of 1 samuel when God was speaking to young Samuel for the first time. She gave her testimony on being delivered from drugs, immoral relationships, and especially addiction to alcohol even when she was a pastor’s wife. It was a powerful testimony that ministered to those attending. And it clearly conveys the message that we as Christians are NOT perfect and we have problems – it is why we need Jesus!

Kay and I discovered to our amazement that God has given us the same life scripture, Isaiah 61: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, He has sent me to heal the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

The way God brings people together astounds me.



Sherry Clements

***Sherry Clements’ dramatic skit

My room mate at the conference was Minister Sherry Clements of the Non-Perishables Ministries & Productions, Inc. Sherry did a powerful teaching and dramatic skit at Norma’s conference this weekend, on the woman with the issue of blood, reaching to touch the hem of Jesus’ garment and being healed.

Sherry is a author and poet, and she has written some great books on poetry, which I encourage you to check out. Here is one of her books on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Even-Adam-Book-Poetic-Ministry/dp/141379808X/ref=sr_1_1? 

Here is Sherry on You Tube.
http://www.youtube.com/user/poetsherry#p/a/u/0/rzI36IIQKMk. 

***My new sisters in the Lord!

One of the women I met at this conference who I felt an immediate connection with was Pastor Theresa Buckner. She must be at least six feet tall (I felt SO short beside her!), she has long black hair, and she is just beautiful, gifted, and very funny.  We talked, we laughed, and we had a great time sitting together – and we hated saying bye to each other!  She’s like my new sis!  

Evangelist Beckie Porter-Watt was a powerhouse in prayer, and I would just love to hear that woman preach! I was so blessed meeting her!

Another impressive woman I met was Pastor Verna McGee, who with her husband is planting church fellowships in Ohio now and is about to go to Africa with him in December to minister there.

What has God put in YOUR heart to do?  What’s holding you back from doing it?  Remember, it’s all for God’s glory, not our own!



The Washington family

As always, it was a blessing to see Bishop Ben and Norma again, and to hear them preach God’s word. Bishop Ben has an amazing singing voice that fills my eyes with tears when I hear it.  Bishop Norma gave me an encouraging word this weekend and my response to that is, “Yes and amen! Lord, here am I, send me!”

 The Saturday night meeting when Norma preached was POWERFUL, and we were uplifted and encouraged. What I love about their church is that they don’t hold back from worshipping God in song and dance. They have FUN praising God and enjoy laughing, too!  The Washingtons are a man and a woman after God’s own heart. May God bless them exceedingly in their ministry.

***Spiritual authority and spiritual gifts

The spiritual authority and the anointing and talents of the people at this conference was just incredible. I was so encouraged to meet so many gifted women of God.  It was truly a blessing and an honor to be there.



Bishop Norma ministering

What on earth does all of this long post have to do with YOU?

When you’ve got good news, you can’t keep it to yourself!  I had to share all God did!

Also,  I just want to encourage you to take some time and attend conferences or retreats to be filled up and renewed- and remember to have lots of fun like I did! 


]]> http://www.bethjones.net/recap-of-womens-conference/feed/ 0 http://www.bethjones.net/my-own-little-world-prayer-about-cholera-in-haiti/ http://www.bethjones.net/my-own-little-world-prayer-about-cholera-in-haiti/#comments Sun, 24 Oct 2010 20:59:43 +0000 Beth Jones http://www.bethjones.net/?p=4431 Recently Christian singer Matthew West went  to a cabin alone outside Nashville, TN,  for two months to pray, to read the letters of his fans about painful things in their lives, and to write songs from them.  There were about 10,000 letters that came from people all over the U.S. and from 20 countries. One of the songs God [...]]]>


Houston-KSBJ radio host Liz and singer Matthew West

Recently Christian singer Matthew West went  to a cabin alone outside Nashville, TN,  for two months to pray, to read the letters of his fans about painful things in their lives, and to write songs from them.  There were about 10,000 letters that came from people all over the U.S. and from 20 countries. One of the songs God inspired in him was My Own Little World from the album The Story Of Your Life.

Matthew had been sharing with his audience in his concerts that their lives mattered, that God cared about them and had a plan for their lives. He wondered, “What if I turned the microphone around?” where his audience could share their lives with him.  This record features songs that cover painful stories like abuse, divorce, cancer, and adoption.  It ends with an appropriate song,  The Healing Has Begun.

The song My Own Little World challenges us to unselfishly step outside ourselves for just a moment and to look at all the people around us who are hurting.  What can you and I do today to help someone else? How can we reach out to others in a practical way?

One way we can help greatly is to pray. As Matthew sings in his song, “What if there is a greater purpose that I could be living right now?”  Right now in Haiti there is an outbreak of cholera that Fox News says has killed 200 people, left 2,674 people sick, and is a possible danger to the 1.3 million earthquake survivors living in camps in Port-Au-Prince. 

Cholera can cause vomiting and diarrhea so bad that it can kill someone from dehydration in hours. Fox news said that cholera hasn’t been a problem in Haiti for decades. and emergency workers are doing all they can to teach the people the importance of washing their hands and with other preventative measures.

Our dear friend Pastor Jay, his family and his ministry are located in Port-Au-Prince. Please pray for God to protect them, to miraculously heal those who have cholera, and to stop the outbreak of this disease.

Prayer is one way we can step outside our “own little world, population me” and to make a difference in this world, as Matthew so truthfully sings.  May our hearts be broken with the things that break God’s heart, and we have open hearts, open hands, and open doors to do God’s will here on earth.

Video of Matthew West, My Own Little World



]]> http://www.bethjones.net/my-own-little-world-prayer-about-cholera-in-haiti/feed/ 0 http://www.bethjones.net/lifes-accessories/ http://www.bethjones.net/lifes-accessories/#comments Thu, 21 Oct 2010 21:14:04 +0000 Beth Jones http://www.bethjones.net/?p=4403 Today I was shopping for jewelry at Kohl’s and found some beautiful things on sale.  Having just the right accessories make a girl’s outfit complete and most of all, FUN! In our lives, we also need “accessories,” along with the basics of shelter, food, clothing, etc.  Things like: friendships good books to read walks in [...]]]>


Vera Wang jewelry

Today I was shopping for jewelry at Kohl’s and found some beautiful things on sale.  Having just the right accessories make a girl’s outfit complete and most of all, FUN!

In our lives, we also need “accessories,” along with the basics of shelter, food, clothing, etc.  Things like:

• friendships
• good books to read
• walks in the fall when the leaves are changing and the wind is on our faces
• hot, creamy, sweet coffee first thing in the morning (or however you like yours!)
• fun hobbies like scrapbooking, sewing, hunting, or horseback riding
• writing or emailing a friend
• shopping
• dancing, running, fencing, or some other type of exercise that gets your blood pumping & your mood lifted
• a time of quiet solitude
• a loyal dog or cat who loves you unconditionally
• a romantic dinner date with your husband or wife
• a game or tickling session with your kids
• going someplace new
• a funny movie.

What about you? What are some of life’s “accessories” that you enjoy? Leave your comments below. I’d love to hear them.


]]> http://www.bethjones.net/lifes-accessories/feed/ 2 http://www.bethjones.net/small-changes/ http://www.bethjones.net/small-changes/#comments Sat, 16 Oct 2010 02:07:22 +0000 Beth Jones http://www.bethjones.net/?p=4371 The seasons are changing, and you might notice some changes around here, too, at Tablet Of My Heart. For one, I have permanently deleted some old blog posts and podcasts. My husband Ray, who rarely throws anything away (and I do mean that literally and, yes, opposites definitely attract!), mildly PANICKED when I told him this. Did [...]]]>


stacks of papers

The seasons are changing, and you might notice some changes around here, too, at Tablet Of My Heart. For one, I have permanently deleted some old blog posts and podcasts. My husband Ray, who rarely throws anything away (and I do mean that literally and, yes, opposites definitely attract!), mildly PANICKED when I told him this. Did God inspire me to write these posts, he asked.  But what if I needed them one day?  Well, I thought, they weren’t exactly the holy canon!  Really, as I read them in retrospect, they were more like – for lack of a better word – ramblings. (Some of you may be thinking, “You mean sort of like this blog post?”)  :O

Besides, sometimes we need to get rid of the old to make room for the new.  (Such as last year’s clothes in the closet, so we  have an excuse to go shopping!)  I certainly wish this was Ray’s philosophy, with all the stuff he’s accumulated over the years.  (One person’s treasure is another person’s stress!)

But I digress. You will see that I’ve also created another special report for brand-new subscribers,  A Strong Current: Being Who You Were Created To Be. This report will encourage you to discover your life purpose and to pursue your passion(s), so that you can do the things God has called you to do and to be, and to be happy!  Like a strong ocean current, I desire to be a strong current of God’s love, mercy, and power.

What about you?  Are you fulfilling your destiny in Christ? If not, what is holding you back or stopping you? God has great things in  store for you if you will pray, believe, and obey Him!

There will be some other minor changes around here in the weeks ahead, step by step. We need to evaluate our lives, our schedules, our time, even our websites from time to time, with a praying ear, a sharp eye, and to get laser-focused. What needs to be pruned and can go? What can we tweak or improve?  How can we change things for the better? What needs to be transformed in our lives to be more like Christ?

What in your life needs changing today?  Pray and ask God to show you. I have a small ad on my vision board that encourages me, which you might like, too: “Small changes, big results.”


]]> http://www.bethjones.net/small-changes/feed/ 0 http://www.bethjones.net/autumns-mosaic-savoring-this-season-of-life/ http://www.bethjones.net/autumns-mosaic-savoring-this-season-of-life/#comments Wed, 13 Oct 2010 20:31:29 +0000 Beth Jones http://www.bethjones.net/?p=4263  Autumn leaves on the tree from our neighbor’s yard “Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting  and autumn a mosaic of them all.” -   Stanley Horowitz This morning as we left the house in the autumn morning chill, Ray asked me, “Tell me again why you LIKE this time of year?” [...]]]>

 Autumn leaves on the tree from our neighbor’s yard

“Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting 
and autumn a mosaic of them all.”
-   Stanley Horowitz

This morning as we left the house in the autumn morning chill, Ray asked me, “Tell me again why you LIKE this time of year?” (He can’t stand cold weather at all!)  I do love the changing leaves and cooler weather of  fall, and the Missouri snow in winter. It’s beautiful and invigorating!

So often many of us gripe about the weather. “It’s so cold!  I can’t wait for summer!” or my mantra, ”It’s so hot! Turn up the a-c!”   We’re always waiting for the next season, wanting the time to rush by, instead of enjoying the season we’re in right now.

A young mom says she can’t wait until her little ones are out of diapers, finished potty training, or in school so she has more time to herself.  A teen says he can’t wait until he can drive or move into his own place ”to do just what I want.” As the saying goes, to a 3rd grader a 5th grader is a god. Teenagers are counting the days until they’re 18 or 21, young adults in their 20′s and 30′s can’t wait until they’re reached “success,” mid-life, hard-working men and women look forward to retirement, and on it goes.  Then grandpas and grandmas look back with longing at the flawless beauty of youth and their carefree days!

Will we ever be satisfied with our lives right now, aware and present of this moment, which is a precious gift from God?

To feel the cool wind on our cheeks in the fall, to perspire in the summer sun, means that we are alive.

Every season of the year and of our lives is a beautiful picture painted by God, His incredible handiwork of creation. And we are a part of that masterpiece for His glory. No matter what season we’re in today – winter, spring, little child, young adult, mid-life, or senior citizen, we should slow down, pay heed to who and what’s around us,  and savor the moment – for it won’t come this way again.

“How do you know what will happen tomorrow? For your life is like the morning fog-it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.” (James 4:14, NLT)


]]> http://www.bethjones.net/autumns-mosaic-savoring-this-season-of-life/feed/ 0 http://www.bethjones.net/rays-haiti-mission-this-week/ http://www.bethjones.net/rays-haiti-mission-this-week/#comments Tue, 12 Oct 2010 22:40:39 +0000 Beth Jones http://www.bethjones.net/?p=4257