DeneenTB

Helping you to do MORE for God through your Work

Spiritual Practices

Quiet Retreat Day

By Leave a Comment

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

Creating Disciples

By Leave a Comment

In Jesus’ day a disciple meant that you were so devoted to your Master that you would have gotten the dust of the road all over you as you walked with Him because you followed so closely.

What does discipleship mean to you?

As a follower of Jesus, you are a disciple. And, we are called to make disciples too. How can we do this through our work each day?

Here are four ways to get you started:

  1. Meet with Jesus.

Show you are a disciple of Jesus by making it a priority to meet with Him each day and listen to what He wants to say to your heart. The word discipline comes from the same root as disciple. Make this meeting a priority. You can only do what God is asking you to do if you align with Him for your success.

  1. Model the behavior you want others to follow.

This is a form of discipleship. In your work that may look like working without complaining, being helpful to others, and going beyond the expectations of your clients. It may also include the way you express yourself ‘thanking God’ for good things and talking about faith-based activities.

  1. Grow intentional relationships.

Ask God for the who and start to simply pray for them. Then look for opportunities to meet with them socially. Forming intentional relationships is the first step in discipleship. Relationships take time and can get messy. Look for ways to support and encourage before you ever share Jesus.

  1. Share your own adventure with Jesus.

Part of who you are as a believer is sharing Jesus with those around you. There are many ways to ‘show’ you are a believer, but God expects you to ‘tell’ others as well. Don’t be afraid of answering questions. Give honest answers based on your own experiences and don’t shy away from hard questions. Be willing to find the answers together.

One discipline I love is Silence & Solitude. I go on a ‘Quiet Retreat’ every quarter so I can spend the day with God and check in for a long strategy meeting. This is where I get insights as I reflect on my last quarter and plan for the next. I allow Him to speak to my heart and I evaluate how I am aligning with Him.

The hardest step is always the first one. God is calling you to live for Him 24/7. That means you are the same person in the Sunday School class, at the PTA meeting, and in the Boardroom. What is God saying to your heart about sharing Him with those you encounter every day?

What do you need to do first so that you become the disciple He desires you to be?

Be filled to overflowing,

Deneen

P.S. The next Quiet Retreat is scheduled for Monday, October 8th. Sign up HERE.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reach Your Potential

By 2 Comments

“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

By Leave a Comment

“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

 

Trust God for the Results

By 5 Comments

God gave you the vision for your business. . . trust Him. Only you can accomplish the purpose of your life. God gives supernatural gifts so you can live out His calling on your life. Are you confident in His plan and His provision for every decision you make?

The Spiritual gift of Faith is the ability to believe God will do things that are impossible for us apart from His involvement. Do you have Faith?

Rahab’s Trust

Rahab did. Her trust in God was real. She believed in a power more than herself and put her faith in that power.  She knew she could not control the situation she was in or rely on her own strength for survival.  She saw a BIG God and was overwhelmed with fear by what He had done.

The rumors and reports were true. The Israelites had wandered in the desert east of the Jordan for 40-years and had defeated all the powerful kings of the land. Now, they were poised to come into Jericho. Everyone was terrified.

This is where we meet Rahab.  Described in many commentaries as a hardworking business woman, labeled a prostitute, but also the owner of an inn. Her residence is in a strategic location on the city wall and she has the attention of the king. This suggests she has a somewhat respected reputation. Even with connections in the community she probably feels on the fringe of society, not really accepted.

We all feel like this at times. Her situation is like yours if you work in an environment where you can’t say no to others and are stuck in a place where you are devalued.  Plus, we have all played the recording in our heads that if someone finds out that ‘one thing about me’ they won’t accept me, they won’t like me.  I imagine she feels stuck with no way out.  And now, with the Jewish nation on the doorstep, she has nowhere to turn.

Rahab’s Plan

But, Rahab is a woman with a plan. This industrious, hard-working, multi-hat wearing woman has a plan. Maybe motivated by fear of what was going to happen, but I think she was motivated by what she heard God could do.  I imagine her sitting on her roof, scutching the flax she had laid out to dry and formulating what she would do if she had the chance, how she could save herself and her family.  As she scraped the wooden knife along the long strands of flax a plan formed.

How do I know? By her quick and decisive actions when she hides the spies and then lies to the king’s men.  She had made the decision to trust God before she even knew who He was. She was watching and expecting God to move and had already decided to follow Him. If God acted swiftly and powerfully in your life right now, would you be ready?

Her actions are courageous and she is given supernatural faith to stand up on the side of God’s people. Using faith in your business means you are looking to God to do big things.  Trust God to give you exactly what you need, when you need it, to do exactly what He wants you to do to move forward and work in your business.

Your Plan

Rahab’s plan formed as she worked on her roof, sitting alone, in the quiet of her day. This place of silence and solitude gave her heart time to listen and allowed God to fill her with the supernatural gift of Faith. Where do you go to take time to listen to God so He can fill you with a supernatural Spiritual Gift?

Find YOUR space to connect with God to ask Him the important questions at the CLARITY RETREAT. Start 2018 Listening to what God wants to tell your Heart as you connect your Faith & Business. Sign up today.

God’s in your Business

By 1 Comment

We have been talking about principles for your business for the last few weeks. There are many examples of business women in the Bible who can show you how to show up in your business. But today I want to turn it around and show you how God showed up for two of them in their faith and business adventure. He will do the same for you.

Huldah- Working in obscurity

Have you ever heard of Huldah? She spent her entire life in the pursuit of knowledge.  She loved learning and God rewarded her by giving her the gift of discernment.  Huldah was not famous but she was known.  During her time in Jewish history (2 Kings 22:8-20) the temple was destroyed and the Jews were worshipping other gods.  Her sphere of influence was very limited because of this disarray. Life was full of turmoil for the Jewish nation and there is no stability.

Our own world today is the same.  Everyone is doing their own thing and there is no moral authority.  We can feel like it doesn’t matter what we do or how we act; that no one is paying attention, no one is watching.  But someone is always watching. They are looking at your behavior, your reactions to situations, and how you respond to others.

Keep working, keep moving in the direction God has for you because in the right moment the doors will open and you will fulfill the exact calling He has for you. It happened to Huldah eighteen years after Josiah became king. He called on Huldah to verify a scroll found during the restoration of the temple.

Her reputation proceeded her. Someone had been watching. Huldah first authenticated the scroll.  Her years of study and experience had taught her to recognize God’s Word. She was clear in the work she was being called to do. She didn’t try to make herself look more important but worked at the job she was asked to do.

Too often we choose to do the work we want to do instead of the work that is in front of us. We must continue to build a good reputation, by doing the job given to us; only then, can we move up and be used of God in a big way.

There is no fast lane in building a reputation even when you feel no one knows. It is in the choices you make every day, the things you do that go beyond the expectations of your customers, clients, colleagues and co-workers that builds your reputation and brings you out of obscurity to what God intended for you.

Keep doing what is right and moving forward. God honors that at the right time. He did it for Huldah. She is credited as being the catalyst for revival in the Jewish nation.

The Widow in Debt- Giving all to God

Do you remember this woman and her two sons? She owed her creditors and they were about to take her sons as slaves when she reached out to her spiritual leader, Elisha.

She reached out to him either because she blamed him for her predicament or because she expected him to give her a miracle. Either way, she was in front of Elisha asking for his assistance. She was bold in her request and told it straight forward in a way this prophet respected.

His response was quick and simple. He asked, ‘How can I help and what do you have in your house?’ (2 Kings 4:2) In Hebrew, the word for widow literally means, empty house.  How ironic that Elisha asked her that question.  Her immediate response was, ‘I have nothing’. I can almost hear the irritation in her voice. Then, in the same breath, she said, ‘Well, I have a little oil’.

You might feel empty, but I bet you have a little oil.

God wants you to trust Him with the little things. He builds your faith on what you hold out to Him. You may feel you have nothing to offer, but you do. Think about those tasks that come easily to you. In your business, you shine in one area and it gives you joy. Give it to God for His use.

Elisha’s response was not to give her a hand out, it was to give her a means of helping herself. She may have been expecting him to just give her a miracle but God had another way to heal her heart. Healing for her came from acting. There was no pity from the prophet about her predicament. He gave her a plan.

There is a saying that the more you give the more you get. I think a truer saying is, the more you give God the more He can bless it. It is in our obedience to Him in the little things that we can be given larger responsibilities. God wants it all.

She gave what she had and God multiplied it. If you know the story, then you know her ‘little oil’ flowed until she had enough to pay the debt and live on the rest of her earnings. God blessed all she gave.

 

God allows each of us to go through times when we feel our business is more of a burden than a blessing. But, He gave you a vision to do it so you continue. Remember, there are many lessons along the way to success. God’s plan for you is to be more like His Son. If you never make a dime or build a following that is okay. Your success may look different than anyone else’s, but in God’s eyes you are exactly where you need to be.

Be filled to overflowing,

 

Deneen

3 Authentic Business Strategies

By Leave a Comment

As a Christian Business Professional, you have the unique responsibility to show up in your business as whole, holy, and authentic. That happens when you understand how God has equipped you to fulfill His call on your life through your business. And, He has given you examples from the Bible to guide and teach you along your Faith & Business adventure.

There are many principles that will grow your business and grow your faith as you serve others in the Marketplace. Here are a three from what I call the Business Babes of the Bible. Let’s explore. . .

  • Lydia- You have unique influence in the Marketplace

You are unique and so was Lydia. She was a woman with her own style!  Flamboyant, friendly and successful.  She knew her customers and their tastes. Lydia was the fashion mogul of her town and I am sure she dressed the part.

I love that we never see her apologize for doing well in business and having wealth. She owns a home, has her own servants and makes all the decisions for her household.  She is the whole package.  And, she loves God! (Acts 16:15) She is a woman just like you, merging her two worlds by staying culturally relevant as she stays positioned to share her faith.

Lydia’s faith was expressed in her individuality and your faith needs to be expressed in your personality and distinctiveness too.  That’s what makes it authentic. Open your heart, give your resources, and keep your style. It is your unique influence in the Marketplace that God will use.

  • Priscilla- Build Relationships that matter to you

Strong-minded, enthusiastic in her love for God and Jesus, loyal to her husband and a mover and a shaker, this was Priscilla.  They were a power couple in business and in the early church.  Imagine Paul’s surprise to meet followers of Jesus in Corinth. A commercial city with two waterfronts, known for its rough characters and loose morals.

Priscilla and Aquila worked in leather, making tents and other goods.  Upon meeting Paul, Priscilla invited him to stay with them because they had the same profession! Working day in and day out together, created and deepened their friendships.

Priscilla and Aquila traveled with Paul and became the leaders for the church in several places. She was a mentor and friend to many other leaders as well. They built friendships that were deep, meaningful and lasted a lifetime. Working together for a common goal will do that for a group of people. Priscilla may have met Paul as a follower of Jesus but she became a true disciple and leader through building relationships.

Your business can support your ministry work in the same way as Priscilla’s. You don’t need to be selling Christian merchandise or have a Christian coaching business to show up in the Marketplace as a believer in Jesus. God called you to the business that is perfect for you. Develop relationships with other believers for support; reach out to others and share Jesus.

  • Martha- Give God glory with your Business

When we first meet Martha she has Jesus in her living room and she is worried about being the perfect hostess. Instead of being present and mindful in the moment she had been given and connecting with Jesus, she was trying to earn her way into Jesus’ heart (through His stomach). By ‘doing’ things for Him, she did not realize her work was cutting her off from the one relationship she wanted most.

But she learned by being in relationship with Jesus and she changed from the inside out. Her personality was still bold; she still organized events and ran her household. But, by being touched by Jesus she was given a new way of looking at her work.

Is there a difference between the sacred and the secular?  Martha shows us there is not.  As she led her household she had many responsibilities.  She was never asked to give that up as she followed Christ.  Her work served the kingdom and was God-given.  It was necessary work to fulfill God’s plan for her and to bring Him glory.  Jesus wanted Martha’s heart but never told her to separate her work-life from her faith-life.  He wanted her work to have purpose and meaning.  He wants that for you too.

Each day as we plan our activities we must focus on three things: Required, Return, Reward.  What is required of me today, what activities give me a return on my investment (not always financial), and what is the reward for being involved in what I am doing. Seeing the activities of your entire life, specifically your work, as a way to give God glory is the starting point.

These three simple principles are just the beginning of the adventure. God has so much more for you to learn and experience. He wants you to know how He has equipped you to fulfill your calling. There are many Business Babe examples and each has an important principle to teach.

How are you showing up in your Business? Do you know He has a perfect plan for you? Are you ready to move forward in your Marketplace calling?

Connect with me to find out more about the Calling Clarity Course (sign up for Free Gift too) designed to move your business to the next level.

Be filled to overflowing,

Deneen

 

Your Calling, God’s Examples

By 3 Comments

Twelve women, twelve principles. These amazing Biblical women are examples for you to live out God’s calling on your life.

You are meant to work.

God calls you to work. From the beginning with the creation of Eve all women were meant to be helpers in the work. He has a plan for your work and it is good.

You are called to the Marketplace.

You are called to be royalty in the Marketplace. Just as Esther was true royalty; you also have royal responsibilities in your work.  You provide for others, you protect your sphere of influence and you sacrifice to make things work out for you, your family, and your employees.

You are to show your personality.

You have unique influence. Only you can show up as you in your Business. Your talents, skills, values, personality, etc. make up the only you that will ever exist. Use this distinction to shine in your industry. Lydia shows us that you do not have to apologize for being exactly who God created you to be.

You are to trust God.

You move forward because you trust God for who He is. Rahab trusted God before she knew who He was. Your faith will help you make correct choices and move you ahead in your business.

You are to create relationships.

The apostle Paul created relationships that sustained him during his years of missionary travel. One of those relationships was with Priscilla and her husband. These relationships of mutual support in the workplace are an important part of the ministry of the workplace.

You are to build a good reputation.

Take the opportunity each day to make choices that do good and get others to know, like, and trust you. It is important to continually build your expertise and show up the same every day. Huldah built her reputation over many years without the expectation of a raise or recognition, but God used her at the right time for His purposes. He will use you too.

You are to give God glory.

Everything you do should be in worship of the Father. Martha was given the distinction of stating that Jesus was the Messiah. By being in relationship with Jesus she changed from the inside out. God gets the glory in your life when you are so filled up by Him that He can’t help but stick out all over the place in your life. This includes your business.

You are to be consistent.

Your devotion to God gives you the strength to be consistent in your work and life. Ruth may have not wanted to glean from the fields but she did it faithfully day in and day out so that she and Naomi could eat. The work might have been beneath her pay grade but she showed up each day and worked with excellence. Showing up with a good attitude and doing your job well is important to God.

You are to be a leader.

No matter if you are leading one or one-hundred you are to be a leader. Deborah’s example is of a woman who was respected for her leadership. She knew she could not do it without God’s help.  She continually gave God first place and He allowed her the honor of being commander-in-chief of an army. You too are to lead your family, your co-workers, your business.

You are to do what is right.

Integrity is doing what is right no matter the cost. Puah and Shiphrah were women of integrity when they refused Pharaoh’s direct order to kill newborn boys. These midwives feared God more than Pharaoh and knew they were to do the right thing no matter the consequences. They devised a plan to save many Hebrew children, including Moses. You will be asked to compromise your beliefs but be strong and know God is helping you do the right thing.

You are to give God all you have.

Every part of your life and business God wants you to give him.  You may feel like you have nothing more to give after a long day of chores and responsibilities. God wants you to give over your schedule and your priorities. The Widow in Debt did not plan to be in the predicament she found herself. She reached out to her spiritual leader.  He put her to work and then performed a miracle. God does this for each thing you give over to Him. When you release it to Him then He can bless you.

You are to be whole, holy and authentic.

Only by learning from each of these women here can you become the Woman of God you were meant to become. God gives blessing to those whose lives are surrendered to Him.  The Proverbs 31 Woman is the embodiment of each and all these women. She is a Woman of Valor. You are also a Woman of Valor if you are doing your very best with where you are in your life and business. Let’s celebrate together each act of valor: promotions, pregnancies, volunteering, philanthropy, cancer, etc.

God has given you all you need to fulfill His calling on your life. To learn more about your own Calling Clarity join ‘the List’ to get more information about a Course designed to discover how God wants you to show up in your business so you can show Him to others.

Be filled to overflowing,

Deneen