DeneenTB

Helping you to do MORE for God through your Work

Habits

Quiet Retreat Day

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Quiet Retreat

But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.   Matthew 6:6 (NLT)

Your Day

The Quiet Retreat day will begin with a group discussion and instructions for your day in a common area. Each participant will have a room and restroom to themselves at the Retreat Center. There are various trails and places to go outdoors as well.

You may leave whenever you wish or need to do so. Before you go you will be asked to write a letter to yourself that will be given to the instructor to mail to you one month after. More detailed instructions will be given at the beginning of the day as to what to write about.

What to Bring

You will need to bring your own lunch and items for use of the beds ‘on top’ of the covers.  Recommended list of possible items: Bible, journal, writing instruments, devotional book, yoga mat, covers, pillow, etc. For outdoor activities: Tennis shoes, blanket, bubbles, etc. You may ‘do’ whatever you like in your room as long as it does not entail any noise. More detailed instructions will be given at the discussion group time if you are lacking ideas about your day.

Connect with God

The Quiet Retreat is a great way to connect your heart to God’s heart. He does speak when you take time to listen. AND, OCTOBER will be a Beautiful time to spend with Him. Do you need a Strategy Session with your CEO?

A Quiet Retreat is a very powerful way keep focused on where God wants you to go and how He wants you to continue this year.

This time is for YOU to connect to God in a way that is intimate and a true time of discovery. I look forward to guiding you through this important Spiritual Practice as you learn true intimacy with HIM.

Be filled to overflowing,

Deneen

Four Acts of ‘Hospitality’

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When you think of hospitality, what comes to mind?

Entertaining family and friends?

Martha Stewart?

A laborious chore?

Something done by only a few who have the ‘gift’?

Hospitality for me means: welcome, warmth, kindness, generosity, reception, friendliness, taking care of, anticipating needs. It is an action. Something you do for someone you know, or for a stranger.

Martha Stewart didn’t invent hospitality. More radical still, she hasn’t perfected it either.  Hospitality, as presented to us in the Bible, is not a practice for a few but is a way of life for us all.

It is a Kingdom function that offers us an opportunity to show God’s goodness.

Hospitality Actions

1. Get to know someone better.

Food is always a good place to start, right? Remember, food shows love. BUT, it doesn’t have to be at your home, with three other couples, at an appointed time.

It can be with one person on the spur of the moment, it can be a gift, it can be your time & attention, it can be anything that makes the person feel valued by you.

If we all stopped for a moment and thought about who we could encourage today through hospitality it would make a super difference in their life, in your own life, and I would dare to say, in society.

2. Make it a heart connection.

Today’s world is full of people who have lost their sense of real connection. We are wired into the world but separated from one other more than ever. So, the challenge to hospitality is our perception of how we fit into the world with others when we are face-to-face.

We all want to matter to someone else. We want to know that someone cares.

How can you show that care? First, choose to develop a friendship with a co-worker, a business partner, a person in your sphere of influence. It is amazing how far a smile will go to ease tension. An invitation for coffee or lunch is a natural step. Find a way to invest in the friendship through mutual interests and then do it.

3. Learn to use active listening

This type of listening is called ‘listening INTO’ another person. Imagine putting down your phone, turning off the television, not thinking about what you are going to say, and just listening.

The INTO also means using not only your ears and eyes to listen but using your heart and body. Physically positioning yourself for a ‘good listen’. This is when the person feels heard and you can discover what’s going on inside them. It is listening from their there instead of your here.

It also requires you to pause often from your own thoughts and reactions, eliminate distractions, and be mindful. Stay present in the moment. When you are with another person this can mean asking probing questions about how they feel or think about the situation or, ask for clarification on what it means to them.

You will forge the stronger connections you crave. AND, in the process, you will become the best listener your family, friends, clients and colleagues have ever known.

4. Let others know you are thinking about them

We are all busy, yet we all crave attention. God came to us to give us His love and now we are to share that love. How can we do that? What are some practical ways we can use hospitality as a tool to serve and love others?

  • Talking over the fence to the neighbor; asking how they are
  • Shooting off a text, email, fb message to say you are thinking about them
  • Meeting someone after work for an hour for a drink
  • Hosting a game night at home or somewhere else
  • Organizing a get-together at the park
  • Meeting at a restaurant with someone

We don’t know how much people think about us because we are too busy to tell them.

Like I said, this is not about a dinner party. It is not about impressing someone with your clean house, expensive dishes, or terrific recipes.

It IS about letting people know you care about them and in return they will show you that they care about you.

Jesus is our biggest example of displaying hospitality. Not all the people he welcomed were welcoming to him. Yet, he still extended hospitality to each as if the outcome didn’t matter. AND, since we don’t know the outcome, we need to extend hospitality to those in our lives.

Hospitality Challenge

Write down one goal for yourself about deepening relationships through hospitality. This could be a person at work, a person you see often, an acquaintance, even a family member. Write down the steps you will take to reach your goal. Make the steps small and attainable.

Keep this information where you will see it and remember to continue to work on it. When you have reached your goal, thank God for His provision and then set another goal for yourself.

Creating goals and actionable steps allows you to see progress. Need help in this area? Connect with me for a FREE (no obligation) Clarity Session. Together we can get you on the path God designed for you.

 

Be filled to overflowing,

Deneen

What do I have to sacrifice?

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Paul says in Romans 12:1-2, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

Let’s tear these verses apart today, OKAY?

  • Give your bodies to God- a living and holy sacrifice

Sacrifice is a word we don’t really like or want to use. But, sacrifice can look like giving up your ambition while you raise your children, it can be moving your family for your spouse’s position, it can be forgiving a debt of one of your clients.

Sacrifice can also mean serving others through your business by leading them well and helping them.

Are you committed to doing everything God is asking you to do even if it means sacrifice on your part?

 

  • This is the way to worship Him

By our willingness to give over everything we are to God and to the Call He has put on our lives, we are worshiping Him through our work. Each time we serve other’s needs over our own we are practicing that Living Sacrifice. It can only be accomplished if we have God helping us.

On our own we are selfish and want our own way. We truly worship God when we put others first. In your business, God is calling you to serve your clients to show His glory.

Are you willing to really serve the needs of your clients so it reflects your heart to the Father?

 

  • Don’t copy behavior and customs of world

There are many ways to do business. We look for methods, processes, and means all the time to do better. God asks us to do things His way. Sometimes that means He brings a resource to us that we can use to improve our businesses.

Sometimes though, we strive to learn all we can about how others have been successful and try to replicate it. God is Calling you to do it His way and that may look very different from how others are being successful.

Are you willing to go counter-cultural to have the success God wants for you?

 

  • Let God transform and change the way you think

This is the most difficult challenge for many of us. We simply are not taught a Christian or Biblical Worldview. We must run our thoughts through the filter of God’s Word. This means we must also know God’s Word.

Only when we sit and allow God to saturate our minds can we truly do business His way. Take time each day to allow God to teach you His promises, His ways, His character. When you are as madly in love with Him as He is with you, then you will be transformed.

Are you spending quality time with God each day?

 

  • You will know God’s will for you

God speaks to our hearts when we take the time to listen. Again, this is counter-cultural, instead of being busy with all the things we think we must do, what we really need is to slow down and sit with God.

Journaling is a great way to allow your brain to calm. By writing, drawing, doodling and coloring― your mind becomes focused and you can hear the stirring God is placing in your heart. By cooperating with Him you automatically align with what He wants you to do.

Are you willing to be quiet before God each day so you can know for sure you are in His will?

 

  • It will be good, pleasing, and perfect

God promises to give us the desires of our hearts. In fact, my experience is that He gives us desires we didn’t even know we had. It is so much MORE than we can imagine. When we are totally satisfied in where God has us, only then He will move us forward.

God wants you to be satisfied in Him, then He will make sure you are satisfied with your work. He will give you the stamina, the passion, the will to go after exactly what He has called you to do. AND, He will make sure you are equipped to live it out brilliantly.

Are you believing that God will work it all out perfectly for you?

 

So, for today I just wanted to share these verses. It has hit me so profoundly this week as I seek to do Business God’s way. I want my perspective to always be God’s perspective. I pray for you today as you work, play, love and grow in God. He is ALL, right?

Be filled to overflowing,

Deneen

P.S. Are you still thinking, “I want to go to the Clarity Leadership Conference & Retreat”? Now is the time to sign up, don’t delay! Click HERE for details.

 

Reach Your Potential

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“The secret to success can be found in people’s daily agendas. If they do something intentional to grow every day, they move closer to reaching their potential. If they don’t, their potential slowly slips away over the course of their lifetime.” John Maxwell

Business & Faith-life

Working to reach your potential begins with working on YOU from the inside out. It is like a three-tiered fountain from which water bubbles up through the center and fills the first cup, you. As this first cup slowly fills it begins to glide over the edges to the other parts of the fountain, this is you, overflowing to the other parts of your life. You cannot be the person you want to be, the person you are called to be, if you have not filled yourself up first.

Ultimately it is your Faith-life that defines how you are filling up because only by drawing from God can you hope to live in the purpose and potential you were designed to live in.

How’s that going for you? Are you setting apart time for thinking, reflecting, and sharing your heart with God?

Faith-life

There is a super-abundance of power available to you by meeting with God each day. Power to handle the day’s stresses, power to overcome the negative thoughts in your mind, power to rise above the temptations that are presented to you. You can access His Power by learning more about Him and communicating with Him.

I have been studying many Spiritual Disciplines and have come up with these eight.

Prayer & Meditation

Bible Reading, Study, & Memorization

Praise & Worship

Service & Hospitality

Fasting

Journaling

Sabbath

Creative Silence & Solitude

You can find a more detailed explanation of each of these Practices as a FREE e-book to download on my website.

Daily-life

Start today with one of these practices. The first two are internal practices. This is where your first cup on the fountain fills up, YOU. Not only do you ‘pencil in’ an appointment with God into your daily agenda . . . come to this appointment with enthusiasm and excitement about what you are going to learn about God and how your relationship with Him will grow.

Where are you stuck? How are you showing up when you attempt Bible Reading and Prayer? You CAN make time for God. You CAN be filled with His presence. You CAN tap into His super-abundance. You CAN live up to your potential. It is all found in your daily agenda and being intentional.

Business-life

John says-

Good Decisions – Daily Discipline = A plan without a payoff

Daily Discipline – Good Decision = Regimentation without reward

Good Decisions + Daily Discipline = A masterpiece of potential

Apply this in your business life as well. Fill up on good things so you overflow in all parts of your life in a way that is meaningful and in alignment with your calling.

God has called you to the marketplace and He wants you to live up to your potential. He has called you to show His goodness to those in your sphere of influence. He can only work through you if He is IN you.

Are you looking for something MORE to help you connect to God’s super-abundance and tap into His power in your life? Do you want to do MORE for God in your day-to-day activities?

Join me for the Clarity Leadership Conference & Retreat. This interactive, hands-on experience will give you the tools to access God’s power in your life and live out your calling as you serve others.

Be filled to overflowing,

Deneen

Philippians 1:9 I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding.

Leaning In and Working Out

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“We hold ourselves back in ways both big and small, by lacking self-confidence, by not raising our hands, and by pulling back when we should be leaning in.” Sheryl Sandberg’s book Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead.

After I read this book I was intrigued with the idea of Leaning In . . . to God. Throughout the book one message rings clear, if you want something or want to do something then you have to stand up for it and sometimes fight for it. Are you, as a Woman of Faith, ‘fighting’ for the ONE relationship that matters most?

Let’s look into this concept LEAN IN. I love acronyms so I have devised this one to help you visualize the actions behind it.

L- listen to God

E- evaluate and reframe your viewpoint

A- access His power

N- note or place your attention, reflect

I- imitate the Father and Christ

N- His name, your reputation and whose you are.

Only by pulling together each of these actions can you grow your faith in a way that is not dependent on your church attendance but is dependent on God.

What is possible by Leaning In to God? Everything. How? First, you need to fill up on Him each day by taking time with Him. Then you can access His super-abundance by creating habits that matter. You take control of your spiritual growth by cooperating with God. AND, you show your commitment to the Father in your actions each day.

Leaning In to God takes your Heart, Soul, Mind and Strength. It begins with looking on the inside. Your Heart represents your feelings and emotions. Your Soul is that part of you that is imaginative and just knows when something is right, your intuition. The Mind incorporates your intellect and also gives you your ability to reason. Your Strength includes your actions and your experiences.

God tells us to love Him with all these parts of ourselves. Only by cultivating practices that grow your faith in a way that makes sense to you will you actually follow through and be consistent in Leaning In to God.

Imagine, Leaning In– to God, in your way; Leaning In to God the way He designed you. Don’t hold back from Him out of your fears or out of a lack of self-confidence. You can do it through the Personalized Faith Plan. Download it now and start your adventure connecting to God in a whole new way.

Raise your hand and say, “I will do it”. Step forward and make a commitment TO do it. And, Lean In to God . . .

Be filled to overflowing,

 

Deneen

 

P.R.A.Y.E.R.

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Prayer, What does it mean to you when you hear the word? Do you see yourself kneeling in church, lifting your arms toward the sky, or holding hands in a group? What does it mean to Pray without ceasing? How can Prayer help your life and your business?

PRAYER is-

Purposeful. Research shows that prayer is a powerful tool for self-control; making you a nicer person; increasing your ability to forgive; increasing trust; and, offsetting the negative effects of stress. But you probably don’t need to hear this. You know that prayer and praying are good for you, right?

And, prayer is part of your planning process. In the Bible, we learn that God used Rahab, a woman with a questionable reputation, to be part of the lineage of Jesus. She trusted God when she didn’t even know Him yet. She started with a Plan. Her thoughts were her prayers. She wanted to save her family, she wanted a different life, and God redeemed her through her Planning.

Make your prayers purposeful by bringing all your plans to God.

 

Real. Talk to God in the way you would talk to a friend. God wants your vertical relationship with Him to be your most intimate. How do you connect with people in the world? Through conversation, right? When we open up to God and are honest with ourselves before Him, then we are being real.

Our deepest need is that soul longing connection with God. In a conversation with a friend there needs to be authentic communication. Guess what? It works the same way when you are talking to God. He invites you to spend time with Him. You have to agree to have real connection with Him through prayer.

Charles Spurgeon said, “You learn to pray by praying.” That is the best communication practice you have that makes connection with God Real.

 

Adjustment. We are all following a path in this life. Some paths are straightforward while others meander in different directions. No matter where they go or how they are travelled we are each on our own path. It is okay. Galatians 6:4-5 says, Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. For we are each responsible for our own conduct.

God wants us to align with Him for our success. He will give you the vision for what He wants you to do. AND you know what? He also equips you to do what He is calling you to do. By staying in communication with Him through daily prayer you stay close to Him, know His will, and have no fear for the adventure.

Prayer can look different too. Find a way to pray that helps you connect to God. (For me it is using my colored pens & pencils in my Journal.)

 

Yielding. God’s will for you is better than you can imagine. The vision you have for your business was put there by God. He asks us to be satisfied in the place He has us now; then we are ready to move into the next phase. Do you really believe He has your best interest at heart?

Remember, 10% of life is what happens to you and 90% is how you react to it. So, the more you pray then . . . the better you can handle any situation. Do you see the logic? God wants to transform you into His image. He wants you to see your work as your way of serving Him. AND, He wants you to place Him at the head of life and business. Trust Him by doing what He is asking you to do.

Plus, prayer is your first line of defense so you show up in your business exactly as God planned for you.

 

Expectation. Your definition of success needs to be what God has designed for you. Many times, we can be caught up in the world’s definition of success. God has so much more for you. Celebrate successes along the way. Each time you obey God, success. Each time you make progress, success.

Expect God to show up in BIG ways for you. Ask Him for outrageous things. That vision He gave you when you began your business is small compared to where He wants to take you. And, don’t worry about feeling equipped. He will bring the resources you need to help you when you most need it.

Pray prayers of gratitude for all He has given you so far AND prayers of expectation as you plan the future together.

 

Routine. Have you found it hard to find time to pray? Do you think you are not good at praying? Are you not able to focus when you pray? You are like me (and a lot of others who are not being honest). I want to share a simple technique. Instead of working through an entire hour, stop what you are doing at the end of a ‘50-minute hour’ and allow yourself to switch gears by re-charging your brain. (This is science.)

Sit comfortably and quiet your mind by focusing on your breathing. Close your eyes or focus on an object/picture. Just breath normal and bring your attention to the breath moving in and out of your nose. Then feel the breath moving your chest and stomach as you inhale and exhale. Give yourself a minute or two just focusing on it. This gives your brain needed oxygen (yes, you will start to breath deeper, it is natural).

Now move into intentional thinking: Prayer

  • One thing you are Grateful for
  • One thing that is a Concern for you
  • One Friend
  • One Family member

No more than these four points. You can write it down or just think through it. By doing this exercise at various times during your day you will accumulate several minutes of prayer that will be better for your brain, your body, and your soul.

 

Pray, Plan, Pray MORE.

Be filled to overflowing,

Deneen

 

 

 

Time Blocking and Serving God

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My day is broken down into time blocking tasks. For example, it is Monday morning and I have time blocked to write this blog. I ‘try’ to take away all distractions and just write.

During any day I have time carved out to get tasks and projects completed. I also have time blocked out for preparing dinner, going on appointments, and working with coaching clients. Is your day similar?

One thing I like about time blocking is that I get a lot more accomplished. Another thing I like is that I have an excuse not to deal with every distraction from others. I think that’s called, boundaries.

Advantages of Time Blocking

When you have many different things to do in a day, time blocking can make it easier. I am not just talking about in your business. I use it for everything (like when I said, ‘preparing dinner’). It gives me a way to break up my day and prioritize what I need to do.

So, with such a great tool for my schedule . . . How can I FIT serving God into my day? Since I believe I am called to the Marketplace, and I am assuming you are too, I need to figure out how to do it during my work day.

It may be simpler than you think. ? AND, I have an acronym to help you remember.

FIT in Time Blocking

The F in FIT is for Flair. The definition of flair is a natural ability to do something well. Some of the synonyms are Style, Aptitude, and Gift. You are exceptional, a one of a kind. God wants you to be your true self, not someone’s image of you or even someone you think you should be. You have something special that makes you the perfect person to do His work at any time.

The I in FIT is for Individuality.  This definition says, ‘a specific personality, character, or characteristic that distinguishes you from others’. Whoa! You need to grasp how special God made you. You are distinct from anyone who has ever lived or who will ever live. AND, He has called you to a specific job that is different from anyone else. He is shaping your character to be more like Him every day.

The T in FIT is for Timely. Again, you were born and live in this generation for His purpose. The business you’re in is no mistake. You are there to do the work, the calling, He has for you. Your service to coworkers, friends, and others belongs to you alone. God tells us that the ‘time is short’ and we are to make the most of each moment. Use your day-to-day moments to see God opportunities to serve Him.

Did you notice there was no time blocking in that? It’s because you have a unique ROLE that God has called you to. That ROLE also fits into your time blocks because it is designed for you.

Your Time Blocking ROLE

Of course, I have another acronym to help you. ?

R- Be the REAL you. God wants to grow you into His image so you shine for Him. Do it, every day, at home and in your work, while commuting and when having fun. See the people in your life as your way to serve God. Share yourself with them in ways that are natural and build relationships.

O- Be Obedient to Him. Have you ever felt the Holy Spirit pulling at your heart to do something or say something? Don’t squelch those promptings. Ask God for courage to act on them. He will not give you an assignment He has not equipped you for. It is in the little things, the care and attention you give someone that can show them Jesus.

L- Love others. On our own we are incapable of really loving others. Let’s face it, many people are not lovable. That coworker, boss, intern . . . will feel love when you allow God’s love to show through you. Make sure to fill up on God each day so you have His power to love others.

E- You will have an Effect. Those around you will take notice. Each day you will make others stop and think about you by the way you interact with them. Your depth of influence will grow. AND, opportunities will open for you to share your faith.

Time Blocking is a Tool

While time blocking is a great tool for you to grow your business and to take control of your life, it is not something you can utilize to serve God well. He doesn’t want you to FIT Him in along with your other activities. He wants to be woven throughout your day, your week, your life.

When you understand that your ROLE is to show others God’s goodness all the time then it becomes as natural as breathing. This Christian adventure is ‘figureoutable’ because it is simple.

Let me help you ‘figure it out’ with the Calling Clarity Course. God wants you to shine for Him in the way He has uniquely designed you. You have it inside of you to know how to FIT service into your life and how to live out the ROLE God purposed for you.

Check out the info and sign up today.

 

Be filled to overflowing,

 

Deneen

 

Re-frame your Thinking and See God Opportunities Everywhere

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Lean In

One of my favorite ‘secular’ books is Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg. In it she says, “We hold ourselves back in ways both big and small, by lacking self-confidence, by not raising our hands, and by pulling back when we should be leaning in.”

Are you leaning in to what God has for you?

I am intrigued with the idea of Leaning In . . .  to God.  Throughout her book one message rings clear, if you want something or want to do something then you have to stand up for it and sometimes fight for it.

Are you, as a Woman of Faith, ‘fighting’ for the ONE relationship that matters most?

Lean In to God

Connecting Faith & Business starts with your Faith. Let’s look at the concept, LEAN IN. Since I love acronyms, I have devised this one to help you visualize the actions behind it.

L- listen to God

E- evaluate and reframe your viewpoint

A- access His power

N- note or place your attention

I- imitate the Father and Christ

N- His name, your reputation, and whose you are

Lean In through God

Start with the vertical relationship to fill up on God. This is a daily habit that needs to be nurtured so it grows. Sitting with God each day gives you His perspective and aligns you with His plans for your day and your life. It allows you to LISTEN to what He wants to say to your heart.

Next, think about how you view your service to God. Do you think it is only when you are involved in a ‘church sponsored’ activity? When do you really think about asking God for opportunities to share Him? EVALUATE your pre-conceived ideas and ask Him to change your thinking so you see it more in your day-to-day activities.

Then ACCESS God’s power that lives in you. Because you are a believer in Jesus you have the Holy Spirit living inside of you. You have God’s power to do what He wants you to do. God only asks that you trust Him and take the next step. Is that next step giving someone a smile? Is it asking someone to do something social outside of work? Is it doing something that is important to someone else? Get over any fear and know that God’s power will give you exactly what you need when you need it.

Take NOTE of what God is doing. We have heard slogans like ‘pay it forward’ and ‘acts of kindness’ BUT do you think to do those things? It is an opportunity to show God’s goodness. When you ask someone how their weekend was and their eyes don’t match their ‘fine’, take a minute to ask what is going on. Find ways to invest in the people around you.

As a believer in Jesus we are called to IMITATE the Father. What does that look like when we are reframing our opportunities to show God? Kindness, caring, attention and time. How did Jesus let others know He cared? He spent time with them, asked them questions about themselves, and listened to what they had to say. Start with a cup of coffee in the break room. Take someone to lunch who is having a hard time. Talk on the phone or skype and just be present with the person.

The people in your world are looking for hope and guess what, you have it. You can make God’s NAME known by being the woman He is calling you to be at work and in your business. Your reputation grows and in turn gives God glory. Don’t hide from Whose you are. Stand up and fight for your position at the table. Fight to show God to others as you LEAN IN to Him.

 

Be filled to overflowing,

Deneen