There was a series of commercials back in the day that was always followed by a tag, “Beatrice” on a red background and the words spoken, “We’re Beatrice”. Unbeknownst to me this was my first awareness of superb branding. The products were as dissimilar as they could be, but the tag is what always grabbed my attention and made me want to know who is this “Beatrice”.
Apparently, those commercials not only sparked an interest in me, but they also sparked an interest in the chairman of the TLC Group Reginald F. Lewis. Several years later after the death of Lewis, I garnered more knowledge about Beatrice, but even more about Lewis when I read his book, “Why Should White Guys Have All the Fun.”
In l987, TLC Group under Lewis’ leadership masterminded one of the largest buyouts when it acquired Beatrice. The part that intrigued me the most was that Reginald F. Lewis was an African-American. Yet, most people I knew then and now have not heard of this man who grew up on the streets of Baltimore and became one of the wealthiest men in the world. Needless to say, he is one of my heroes.
In these times of economic insecurity, you have to reach deep down and realize what you are made of as Lewis did. Although it appears as though things are dismal, this is the time when God performs the best. There are so many out there with ideas and business acumen waiting to be unleashed. These are your passions and your dreams, in essence, your intellectual properties. More than likely, at some point when you were young you tapped into them and you have to tap into them again. Many of you are entrepreneurs.
What are you waiting for? Not God! He has already given you all the necessary wisdom, counsel, understanding, might, and knowledge for you to be successful.
Lewis had many things working against him as a young kid growing up in Baltimore, but he didn’t allow that to stop him. One thing I’ve come to realize is that fear is going to be there and you just have to proceed forward anyway and just do it. FEAR poses three options—Face Everything And Remain, Face Everything And Run, or Face Everything and Rise! I propose you select the latter.
It amazes me when I pose the question, “Who is Reginald Lewis,” the majority of people, young and old, are clueless. Our children need to know that they can do more than sing, dance, and play sports; they have to know that they can own it all as business owners. Not only our children, but we have to know it as well.
You see, the days of working 30 years and receiving your gold watch are gone. In the lifetime of a career, you can expect to have at least five jobs or more before you retire. After having been let go many times because of downsizing, right-sizing, or whatever they wanted to call it, I’ve come to realize that you have to have more than one revenue stream of income. You have to use your God-given skills and talents to amass wealth within the legal framework of our society. Your confidence and loyalty have to be in God and not man.
In celebrating Black History Month, I celebrate those who would never give up. I celebrate those who, against all odds, overcame to excel in arenas that had been closed to African-Americans. Lewis was one of those. We have to teach our children about the Lewis’ of the world. We have to teach them that just because of the color of their skin, or whatever the perceived limitation, they can excel against all odds. We have to teach them to pursue owning their businesses and becoming business owners so they can truly make a difference through influence as an entrepreneur. We have to teach them that true wealth comes from God. He has given each of us the gift of the power to get wealth. Each of us must exercise the gift every day by making money and generating wealth to fulfill our Kingdom assignment—which includes owning our own business.
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But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day. Deut 8:18 (KJV)
Any enterprise is built by wise planning, becomes strong through common sense, and profits wonderfully by keeping abreast of the facts. Prov 24:3-4
Wisdom is better when it’s paired with money, Especially if you get both while you’re still living.
Double protection: wisdom and wealth! Plus this bonus: Wisdom energizes its owner. Eccl 7:11-12 (MSG)
But divide your investments among many places, for you do not know what risks might lie ahead. Eccl 11:2 (NLT)
Plant your seed in the morning, and don’t let your hands rest until evening. You don’t know whether this field or that field will be profitable or whether both of them will {turn out} equally well. Eccl 11:6 (GW)
Prayer
Father, I will no longer be afraid to become the entrepreneur You created me to be, but I will seek Your guidance to lead me down the right path for success. I am tapping into the wealth of resources You have placed inside of me for me to own and operate my own business. I will also encourage young people to realize the greatness within them and teach them that they can become entrepreneurs as we glorify You in the marketplace. Amen.
In an award winning essay a young boy expressed his desire to have a Christmas tree. His mother would not allow him to have one because of the connotations of idol worship. This young boy made his case by outlining how his mother had taught him about Jesus and he understood the true meaning of Christmas. His prayer was that his mother would let him have a Christmas tree.
I was touched by the young boy’s earnest and sincere plea. You see, all too often we grasp a hold of something and stand on it as gospel. How many of us worship Christmas Trees? Not many, if any.
Perceived idol worship can be visualized in many forms. You see many of us take pride in wearing designer clothes and other paraphernalia. Is that worshipping them? This young man made a valuable point that if he completely understands the meaning of Christmas as being the birth of Jesus Christ why would he be denied having a tree.
You see, Christmas is a sacred time. Although our society has commercialized Christmas beyond recognition, you must always keep at the forefront what Christmas is all about. It is about a selfless act of love that God bestowed upon the earth with the priceless gift of His Son, Jesus, so we could not only have an abundant life here on earth, but we would have eternal life as well.
I ran across an article in the World NetDaily by Gary DeMar that identified some key elements to reinforce this young boy’s debate.
“Just because pagans might have used trees to worship their gods does not mean that we can’t use them to teach us something about God who has given us the “indescribable gift” of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 9:15). The Christmas tree, as it is now designated, is an evergreen that reminds us that we have “eternal life” in Jesus Christ (John 6:40). The shape of the tree reminds us that we are “born from above” (John 3:3). The needles on the branches remind us that Jesus was “pierced through for our transgressions” (Isaiah 53:5).’
The lights hung on the tree remind us that Jesus is “the light of the world” (John 8:12) and through Him we are to be “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). The ornaments we hang on the tree and the presents we place under the tree remind us that “every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow” (James 1:17).’
Instead of condemning the Christmas tree as some pagan object brought into our homes from the pagan cold, it can be used to remind us that God promises us “the right to the tree of life” (Revelation 22:14).”
Apparently the mother had done a good job in teaching her son the meaning of Christmas. Yet, she did not have faith in her son and trust in what she had poured inside of him.
During this Christmas season, we must use it as an opportunity to share its true meaning. This is the time we celebrate God’s ultimate gift to mankind, the birth of His only begotten Son so the breach for our eternal existence would be repaired so we could have the right to everlasting life. God who loved us so much gave the ultimate gift for us to be free of the limitations of this world.
We don’t celebrate the Christmas tree, but we do celebrate the One who created the trees. We celebrate the one who gave man wisdom to design a Christmas tree so we can use it to share the blessing inherent in the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, and the gift of eternal life.
Will you share the symbolism of Christ inherent in decorations to others in the marketplace? Can you see them yourself?
For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good. Jer 10:3-5 (KJV)
But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation. Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens. Jer 10:10-11 (KJV)
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. John 3:16-18 (KJV)
Father, This is such an awesome time of year for me to share the goodness of the birth of Your son Jesus. What a gift You bestowed on humankind to redeem us as Your own so we can enjoy eternal life with You and Your son. Bless us not to squander this time, but to use it wisely to share the good news to a hurting world in order for them to be reconciled so they too can receive the same gift of eternal life. Amen
Visit http://www.jassaipublishing.com to purchase Prayers for Success: Igniting the World to Achieve Success, Affirmations for Success: Daily Affirmations for the Marketplace, and I DECIDED: Move from Resolution to Execution.
Anyone who knows me knows if there is any dancing to be done, I will do it. Praise is simply what I do. I’ve been told that I replicate the dance of David. In essence, I simply enjoy playing with my God.
Praising moves beyond the act of dancing to a state of being. You see, it is more than a dance or running around the church. It is a lifestyle. Every day we praise God with what we do—with our vocations and interactions. This is even more apparent for those of us who work in the marketplace. How we manage ourselves has more to do with our praise than we think.
It is beyond the words we say to encompass the life that we lead. Every single day we go out into the marketplace and encounter people as we meander throughout our day. Our praise has more to do with our interactions with those who come into our spear of influence. How we treat them. The words we say to them. A big-gee is how we act when we think no one is watching.
How well we do our respective vocations provides praise because we realize that we don’t work for men, but God. Everything we do it is to praise Him. Regardless if someone is standing over our shoulders or not, we work heartily unto the Lord because we know that He is watching. It is as exhilarating as when I dance across the floor. Your adrenaline increases and an excitement explodes inside energizing you to keep dancing and never stop praising.
Our vocational praise translates into how well we do our respective vocations. It has nothing to do with if you are a business owner or you work for someone else, everything we do we do it with a spirit of excellence. Excellence always ignites praise!
Praising God with your talents and gifts eliminate procrastination, lack of confidence, and a host of other things that prevents you from praising your way to success. I encourage you to get up and dance…to praise as though you are out of your mind. The more you praise God, everything you do will succeed.
Are you praising God in the marketplace with unbridled excellence of spirit? Or, are you afraid to praise Him with your skills, talents, interactions, and commitment to Him?
Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Colossians 3:22-23 (KJV)
Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD. Psalm 150:1-6 (KJV)
Father, I am praising You not only in the dance, but in my praise in the marketplace. Every skill, talent and encounter I will praise You so others experience Your glory. With unbridled joy I will praise You with a spirit of excellence executing a precision of rhythmic movements leading to success. Amen.
Visit http://www.jassaipublishing.com to purchase Prayers for Success: Igniting the World to Achieve Success, Affirmations for Success: Daily Affirmations for the Marketplace, and I DECIDED: Move from Resolution to Execution.
“I was afraid of you and avoided you,” a colleague once told me. Again, I received those same words from another person who attended my church. Wow! I learned their feelings after I got saved. Even then, I was amazed at their words, and even more that they avoided me because of fear.
I thank God for those whom I met along the way who represented Christ to the point I coveted what they had. They were not brow-beating me with a fire-brimstone message trying to force me to being saved, but they simply displayed love and devotion to God through their actions and deeds. Neither were they afraid to engage in conversations with me that included a broad spectrum of topics including faith.
Every day we encounter people in the marketplace. We cannot be afraid to interact with them. We cannot become so holy that we can’t even hold a decent conversation with them, because we use religious jargon that repels and not compels. Love and kindness is what draws, not pious conversations that are steeped in condemnation and judgment.
You want to make such an impact that you love people to want what you have. How do we love people to want to serve the Lord through business? How do we become that person of influence for someone to say that I want to live for the Lord? You may never say that you need to be saved, but your life speaks volumes that causes them to want to be saved. It worked for me!
We have to be that way in the marketplace where people covet what we have. Not because we are beating them down and not because we are afraid to associate with them, but because we love them. Love and kindness, have I drawn thee. As they watch us, they see God through us in our actions, our work ethic and how we extend love to them regardless of how they treat us. God is calling for us to go out into the 21st century mission-field, the marketplace, and draw them through love and kindness.
How loving is your light? Do your words align with your actions and deeds? Are you afraid to engage others in a conversation?.
Father, Bless me with the boldness to ask and not just assume that all of my customer’s needs have been met. Bless me to do my due diligence in understanding, assessing and anticipating my customer’s needs. Bless me with the initiative to uncover and provide new opportunities and solutions for my customers, as You expand and enlarge my territory for optimum growth. Amen. #showersblessing #prayersforsuccess
Father, It is time to arise, become seriously intentional and move full-speed ahead in starting the business. You have provided me with resources, talent and people I need to make the business a success. As an entrepreneur, I am more than capable of operating the business with integrity, expanding the business and providing spirit-centered leadership for unparalleled success. Amen. #showersblessing #prayersforsuccess
Father, Every day I’m ignited to succeed. The passion ignited inside of me propels me forward at accelerated speed. Nothing can prevent me from accomplishing phenomenal feats and experiencing illimitable success. I am successful every day, because You have ignited me to succeed. Amen. #showersblessing #prayersforsuccess
Father, Thank You for boldness, confidence and courage. Every day door after door after door of new opportunities are being flung open. I am walking boldly, confidently, courageously through every door, regardless of how big it is. I knock on big doors and big doors of opportunities are flinging open. It’s awesome! I am so excited about my future. Amen. #showersblessing#prayersforsuccess
Father, I am so excited! Nothing but great things are coming my way. The little foxes that seek to destroy my harvest of increase are being annihilated. I am vigilant. I am relentless. I am steadfast. My faith increases exponentially every day. There is nothing I cannot do knowing You are with me every step of the way. Thank You for continuing to make my way prosperous and I am experiencing unfathomable success. Amen. #showersblessing #prayersforsuccess
Father, I am working on this major assignment and I am committing everything to You. All my confidence and trust is in You. Lead and direct every step of the process as You provide me with divine revelatory instructions. I am confident that the assignment is guaranteed to succeed, because You are in charge of it and Your favor is on it. Amen. #showersblessing #prayersforsuccess
THANK U 4 Sending & including me N THIS Prayer 4 Success! I receive & believe with U 4 every
Thank you Felicia,. I am glad these prayers and blog is an inspiration. Pray much success in your li
Felicia. I am glad that these prayers and inspirations have been a blessing to you. Blessing to ya’
Your sharing is such a inspiration & encouragement , have learned from it in the year I’ve follo
This is a beautiful sentiment ...thank you for sharing.....❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Showers' Blessing Inspires 