Hear Me

Have you ever cried out for help and it seemed like no one listened? Have you ever felt so overwhelmed that you didn't know what you were going to do? Have you ever went through something difficult and the pain seemed to last for such a long time? Your thoughts seemed to overflood your mind. You were filled with terror, fear, confusion, sadness, depression.

You thought you could trust your best friend but they ended up betraying you. You went to your family but they didn't understand. Instead of helping, people seemed to take advantage of you during your toughest moment. Your world seemed to turn upside down and no one understood.

When people don't listen, God does. He sees your tears even the tears of your heart, the ones you don't show. He will not afflict you when you need care. He will love you despite the mistakes, the bad choices, and the wrong decisions. He will forget your past and wipe the tears away. He is there with open arms waiting for you to reach out to him. He will stop at nothing to help no matter how ugly the situation because He is bigger than your problems. He looks towards you with an eagle's eye view. He understands when it happened, why it happened, and why you did it. He looks at your motives. He is gracious, kind, and He wants to set you free from the mess and stress.

Kelly Clarkson, Hear Me performed by Reliance Youth Dance Team

Passion and Drive

When someone is passionate and has a motivating drive, they will not just sit down. These are determined people who will make a difference despite the odds. These are visionaries who see the world through different lenses. When they notice a flaw or see something critically missing, they will work their best to perfect that mistake and fill that void. There is no stopping people like this. They are people with made up minds. They will find a way to make it happen no matter what and will link with people of like minds. The world admires people like this although they may not necessarily understand them.

These are the creators in the world, the "movers and shakers" if I might say. Resources needed to get the job done are miniscule compared to the overall purpose and vision. They are visionaries first, hunters and gatherers later. They all have an understanding that riches are a by-product of their vision. Their first goals are to help make the world and the people around them better.

Great things are birthed out of passion and desire. Passion and drive count for more than what you may think. Visionaries have their vision stamped in their mind but the difference between a visionary and a thinker is that a visionary will take the necessary steps to bring their vision to reality. Their thoughts are not just thoughts but they add planning and action to those thoughts, extensively labouring until they see it happen.

The vision becomes a part of them like a mother who gives birth to a child. That vision becomes their "baby". Can a mother and child be separated especially one that came out from her own womb? I think not. She doesn't see the baby but she knows it is coming forth in it's due season. That's why no one can take your dream away from you. Your dream is a part of you. Your dream is you. It is what makes up your DNA. You see what you see and how you see it for a reason.

Please read this powerful story of a man who had a passion and desire in the arts and is now having a tremendous impact on the lives of many people.

Rob Kalin - Etsy - 2009 Crain's New York Business Top Entrepreneurs

For more info on the Characteristics of Entrepreneurs and Visionaries, please read and follow one of my favorite blogs, http://www.doingbusinessgodsway.blogspot.com/

Intimacy

It's the stuff that serious relationships are made of. Being close to one another, developing a friendship, a partnership, and discovering each other are all a part of intimacy. Two artists who bring you into a glimpse of an intimate relationship is David and Nicole Binion. Their music not only brings you into their relationship and marriage but most importantly into their personal intimacy with Jesus Christ. I always loved their music ever since I saw them on an episode of Praise the Lord but I never knew why until today. I was listening to a song titled, My Heart Belongs to You, from their new album, Marvelous Light and wow was I struck with quite a revelation!

Every word in this song is a language of love. If you listen carefully, it's almost as if they're singing to each other. I personally think they are and to God. God is the ultimate friend and partner.

Think of a serious relationship you've had where nothing else mattered, the entire world was shut out and it was just you and your partner alone. This relationship with Jesus you're always hearing about is much like that in every way. It is a marriage. It's not a religion, a demand, or command. It's an agreement, a covenant, a willful surrenderance. It's loving, gentle,and kind. It's love in it's purest form and essence. There's just you and Him. There are no limits to what you two can accomplish together. Your faults and flaws actually become accessories to your greater purpose.

If you tell your partner, "My heart belongs to you", you've just committed yourself to a serious relationship. Some call it being "head over heels" but that it's whole-hearted affection, the utmost dedication and committment. We all know that marriage is not complete bliss. There will be bumpy roads and rough edges. The same with your heavenly relationship but through love, faith, and patience with each other you will get through these difficult moments maybe even leap right over them.

So you're asking me what in the world does all this have to do with creativity, creative people and the arts? Well, it's the foundation for any creative act. Love is the driving force behind creation, a longing desire to see beauty in what doesn't appear to be beautiful, wanting to hope for something better, and a deep desire to see things in a new way for the good, a passion and zest for life. You must be inspired to create. Your relationships have to be right, not necessarily perfect but loving and nurturing before you can birth something new into this world.

Love, giving, and sacrifice are at the center of a solid relationship. Imagine the feeling one gets when they know you are solely dedicated to them. There is nothing like it. So now can you imagine how God leaps and dances when he discovers you are devoted to Him? He is the beginning of creativity and the author of intimacy.

David and Nicole Binion, My Heart Belongs to You: (Give the video about 28 seconds to load)

Father's Day

I usually have a problem when there is a specific day set aside for families to celebrate one another. Personally, I think everyday is Father's day but anyway Father's Day was yesterday and I saw only a few shows on television talking about the bond between a father and his children or his family. There were mostly advertisements to spend money on some new suit or to buy your dad that brand new watch. What about our relationship with our fathers? What about the relationship that no new tie will patch up or show the depth of gratitude that we owe our fathers?

Maybe all of us have not been privileged to have such caring and loving fathers in our lives but can you think of a male who played a father figure role in your life? Aren't they worthy of the praise and honor for encouraging you and stepping in when you needed it the most? If you show your father love on a daily basis than you don't need a designated day to tell you to love him.

Men are created in the image of God. They are creative just like God. Fathers should instill this creativity into their sons and daughters. Creativity is not limited to the arts but to every aspect of life from relationships to technology. Maybe they're not always thinking about the finer details in life like where the flowers should be placed but they are thinking of other ways to make an impact on the world. The video below will touch you as you learn about fathers who dedicated their lives to make the world better for their families.

Women, you are there to facilitate and birth that creative spirit out of the men. I know you have your own hopes, desires, and dreams but he should be there to help push you into those dreams. You don't stand alone. This is a partnership. You are nurturing and caring. You're the glory of the man. If you make him look bad, you're making yourself look bad. Don't be so quick to count him out. Men are loving and can be laser focused on a goal. Here is where lots of love, patience and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ comes in ladies because you may feel neglected.

Forget about all the magazine articles on how to make him stay, pay attention to you, and how to get a "good catch". Often your destiny is right in front of you and no magazine article can tell you that. Only God knows your perfect match. Maybe it didn't come in the package you expected it to but there is something special in there. There is something that compliments you, that motivates you and that will make you stronger and better in the end.

Yes, father's must take responsibility but they can't do it alone. They need support. They need to know they are accepted, loved, and special in an unaccepting world. So let's help our dads achieve greatness through our words and actions. It will take them way further than any gift we can purchase for the sakes of Father's Day.

The Story of Father's Day:

Don't Focus On the Small Stuff

As artists, we tend to care about the thoughts and opions of others. We care about what they are saying about our work. Whether we have gone professional yet or not, we will at some point have to face the critics. Oftentimes, we are our own worst critics but we can prepare ourselves now by sticking out our chests, holding our heads up high, and knowing that we are unique and created with destiny and purpose. We're not just here to consume and spend. We're here to motivate and to cause action. Keeping the bigger picture in mind, we can become unstoppable!

Today, I got caught up in the small stuff. My hair wasn't right, my skin was breaking out, and I found a few ingrown hairs on my face - yikes! I have been talking about appearances being deceiving yet all day today have I been focusing on my appearance and how my life appears to others.

The truth is that these things really don't matter. What really matters is what am I thinking about? How is my character? What is my ultimate vision for my life? What are my long term goals to better my relationship with God, myself, my family, and others? What is the glue that ties my relationships together? It just can't be my new hairstyle.

I made the mistake of getting caught up in what they call "Tinselton" where everything appears to be great on the surface. Generations are counting on me to create a better future for them. What does a few hairs on my face have to do with that?! Am I making my life count for something? Whether you seem to have just the right look and have all the right things or not, it will not stop people from forming their own judgemental opinions about you.

Purpose is at hand. Focus on the bigger picture. You must have a plan. Don't focus on the small stuff. There is a bigger plan that is not just about you. Make sure your life counts for something first and eventually out of that, you will be able to get those resources needed to make you look "fabulous".

I came across this rap video. The lyrics are powerful. The title is FOCUS:

Appearances Can Be Deceiving

One of the most important attributes to success in life, success in business, or success in anything is forming the right relationships and partnerships. How do you determine the value of a relationship? Is it first impressions? Did you ever meet someone that looked good on paper, had the right education, qualifications, eloquency of words, and even a good strong handshake but when you actually began interacting with them, they ended up being void of character or integrity? What about appearance? For those of you who ever watched Ashton Kutcher's and Tyra Bank's reality show, True Beauty, you saw that beauty had nothing to do with character. Character and heart must be built. It cannot be bought, caked over with make-up, or imitated.

That being said, why do we automatically count some people in and others out? What are our personal standards for successful partnerships? Do we enter into partnerships because we think lots of money will be brought to the table or do we enter because of character, vision, and value?

Wealth is good but why do we chase after it like our entire breath of life depends on it? In our pursuit for success, we tend to push the "insignificant" people out of the way. We turn up our noses at homeless guys in the street because they're "no benefit" to us. Did we ever stop to consider that as homeless as they may be, there may be truth and value to what they have to say. They may have stories to tell. That person whom you just stepped over might be a former Wall Street broker that happened to fall on hard times. He may be able to teach you something. But no - he's a dirty, lazy bumb with "no value". So we cut a potential valuable relationship. We lose out on life so many times because of our prideful standards. Some are accepted into our clicks while others are not.

Don't be so quick to cut off a relationship because of a person's outter appearance or difficult circumstance. Listen to what they have to say and offer besides notoriety, fame, and money. Appearance has nothing to do with the heart of a person. Integrity is invaluable. Loyalty and truth are invaluable. Pursue meaningful relationships as you build your life and your business, working towards your purpose. Remember that everyone on the planet is unique with something different to offer, irregardless of social status, class, or race.

Anyone who ever did anything great was ostracized, ridiculed, put down, and marginalized so could it be that "these people" including that homeless man on the street" could have greatness in them? Bill Gates, Ted Turner, Eric Schmidt and Larry Page, the list goes on and on. They were all entrepreneurs who went against the norm. They had to start somewhere, right? Doesn't it sometimes take starting at the bottom to get to the top? Don't we love success stories of people who started with nothing and went on to build multi-billion dollar corporations and brands? So then why do we ignore the people with nothing? Don't wait until they become what you think they should be in order to treat them with respect and integrity. Once they start making millions, you want to call them up, give them a handshake, congratulate them, and offer encouraging words. That's what we like to call "gold diggers".

For all of you who have been told the words, "can't", "impossible", and "insignificant". Pick yourself up and know that there is greatness in you! Your outward circumstances have nothing to do with where you're going, the way you think, and especially your heart and attitude. You were meant to do what they said couldn't be done. It's your purpose, your dream, your destiny, and you will acheive it through meaningful relationships, not fake copycats or substitutes for authenticity. Always keep in mind that every person has value and appearances can be deceiving.

Great read, Radicals and Visionaries:Entrepreneurs Who Revolutionized the 20th Century by Thaddeus Wawro .