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From Our Hearts

Meet the Supporters of Working for the Lord

Proverbial Ethics~Little White Lies; I Don’t Think So! by La'Tara Ham-Ying

Instructions from the Lord~Proverbs 10:9

Acknowledging Christ~Acknowledging Christ at Work by Patty Benton

Christian Resource of the Month~American Family Association

Fishers of Men~Get to know our members-one at a time

The Basics of Life~From a strictly mathematical viewpoint

Special of the Month~Healthy Computing E-book

The Great Commission~The Father's Love

Meet the supporters of A.C.T. at Work

Click Here if you know someone who would benefit from this newsletter, and send them the link!

Dear A.C.T at Work Family,

Welcome to the first issue of Working for the Lord! We praise God for leading you to A.C.T. at Work. Our prayer is that it benefits you in your daily walk with Christ and will be a blessing to you. Please know that each and every day we pray for all of you!

We have many exciting things that are being put into place for the members of A.C.T. at Work, with this newsletter being the first.

Beginning March 1, we will hold our first annual membership drive. We would be honored if you would help spread the message about A.C.T. at Work. For every person you refer and they become a member (be sure they let us know you referred them), your name will go into a drawing for a gift basket filled with a lot of really nice gifts. As of now, we have a free coaching session with Kimberly Chastain of www.christianworkingmom.com,  a $25 gift certificate to www.TheCoffeeNut.com, 4 free hours of virtual assistance (or $140 off of a web design project) with JERPAT www.moretime4u.org, and much more. If you have a product or certificate you would like donated to the gift basket, please send an email to info@actatwork.com for more details. What a wonderful way to promote your business and show others you are not ashamed of the gospel of Christ.

Other events planned include a weekly discussion on the A.C.T. at Work discussion group. If you haven’t registered with the group, send an email to membership@actatwork.com and we will get an invitation sent. This is a private discussion group and only our members are allowed into it. We will also have once a month “Tell us about your business/job” so that we can all get to know what the other members in our group do. If there are any other ideas or activities you would like to see, please send an email to info@actatwork.com.

If you haven't been to the site lately, we have made some changes based on feedback from you. We have updated the resource pages to make the flow easier. We have also updated the membership directory so you can get to know the members better. So visit www.actatwork.com to see the changes and check back often as we are updating regularly. Don't forget that you can get a new verse, Christian news, and a new devotional fresh each day just by visiting us!

Do you know a church, person, or association that would benefit from information about A.C.T. at Work? Our official printer Lesa Witherington of Print Design Studio www.print-design-studio.com has graciously printed 500 brochures for us. We would be happy to send out brochures to anyone who requests them. To request a brochure(s), send an email to info@actatwork.com with your address and the number of brochures you would like.

If you haven’t gone to the A.C.T. at Work website lately (www.actatwork.com), be sure to check it out. We are constantly adding new resources to help you with your spiritual journey. While there if you know of a resource, be sure to let us know as we are always on the lookout for resources.

May God Bless you as we faithfully Acknowledge Christ Together at Work.

Dolly Norris-Hooker
dolly@actatwork.com
http://virtualvacoach.com

Patty Benton
patty@actatwork.com
www.moretime4u.org

Wondering how to you can support Working for the Lord for only $10?  Visit us at www.actatwork.com/sponsorshipreq.htm for all the details!

JERPAT VA Coaching
http://virtualvacoach.com
877.506.2673 ext. 702
We train Virtual Assistants (VAs) for the future! Our coaching program is designed for the new VA and the established VA. We are here to help guide you and hold you accountable in your business no matter what stage of business you are in. We help you set goals, hold you accountable and guide you in the daily operations of building your business.  We do all this at for an unbelievable deal.  Our next group is scheduled to begin in April, so contact us now for more details!  jerpatvas@comcast.net or visit us at our site www.virtualvacoach.com.

Little White Lies; I Don’t Think So!
By LaTara V. Ham-Ying
www.s2s4christ.org

Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished, but he who gathers by labor will increase (Proverbs 13:11)

Little white lies seem to get people everywhere. On taxes, there are lies. On our medical records, there may be lies. There are even lies in business to gain customers and sales.

As Christians in business there may even be some of us that tell little white lies. It is so easy to do and a slip of the tongue never seems to bother us. Before we know it we are making promises that we can’t keep and gaining customers based on lies. This is not how it should be. As children of God we have a responsibility to follow His Word and set the example of proper business etiquette. It is our privilege to draw men to Christ, so that they too can relish in the blessing that is salvation.

Proverbs 13:11 warns about what will happen if we are dishonest in business. All that we have gained will disappear before our very eyes. So are we not to have nice things?

The problem does not come from the material things we gain; God wants us to be blessed materially. He never said that we are to live the lives of poor paupers. He is the owner of the cattle on a thousand hills and in His house are many mansions. Think about that. In His house are mansions for each of His children. Did you hear that? Do you understand or can you even fathom the concept. Now if God owns all of that, why would He not want His children to have nice things and be able to enjoy a life of wealth? That does not mean that we will all have our mansion here on earth; but is does mean that all things are possible with God.

The problem with gaining wealth is how we do it. Those who are evil and wealthy are going to lose it all and so will we if we gain our wealth with dishonest ways God wants us to have integrity in our life and that includes business. You see for the Christian there is no separation of anything that we do. It all goes together. What we do in business will be judged as well.

As you read this, I am sure that you are thinking if you are dishonest in anyway. Well, think about it long and hard because the only wealth that will be honored by God is wealth gained by honest work and a fair business ethic. Little white lies don’t count either.

The ones who will be blessed are those of us who strive to run a business truly based upon the Word of God.

So what are some of the little white lies we might fall prey to?

1. When we advertise we may add more about our product or service that is not all true. Many advertisements are based on lies and we need to make sure that we are honest when we advertise our business.
2. This is the time of year for taxes. How many of us suddenly find deductions that were not there before?
3. How often have you made a promise to your clients that you did not keep and then you made an excuse as to why you did not follow through?

Those are just a few of the ways that dishonesty rears it ugly head in our business walk.

I would like to encourage each of you reading this article to take a moment and go through God’s Word, especially Proverbs, and see what God has to say about how you should run your business. Everyday take a scripture and pour over it before you go about your business for the day. As you read through, ask yourself what is it that God would have you to do in business today.

Give Him the CEO seat in your business and watch the blessings flow beyond measure.

LaTara Ham-Ying is a wife, homeschooling mom, author, and a woman on the move for God. As the co-founder of Sister 2 Sister 4 Christ, www.s2s4christ.org; a ministry dedicated to bridging the gap to cultural healing, through the strength of women. As the owner of MBS Connections for Life and Biblical Business Development, her goal is to be a resource for enhancing the life of women one day at a time. MBS Connections Message Boards can be found at http://xsorbit30.com/users5/heznmechristiannetwork/index.php  and the blog is located at http://heznme.typepad.com/heznme_christian_network. LaTara is known as the “Creative Communicator for God” and “The Woman’s Coach” because of her zeal in ministering to the whole woman: Mind, Body, and Spirit. To reach LaTara by email you can go to lhamying@s2s4christ.org. 

The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out.  Proverbs 10:9 NIV

Let’s take a closer look at this verse. The dictionary defines integrity as:
1. Steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code.
2. The state of being unimpaired; soundness.
3. The quality or condition of being whole or undivided; completeness.

The word securely means free from danger or attack; safe; free from fear, anxiety, or doubt; reliable; dependable; assured; certain.

If we use the above definitions we can then say; “The man who steadfastly adheres to a strict moral or ethical code walks safely, free from danger, fear, attack, anxiety or doubt and is reliable and dependable."

As a Christian in the workplace we are to adhere to strict morals and ethics. If we don’t, look what the second part of the verse tells us will happen; we will be found out. Our deceptive and dishonest ways will be discovered and we will be punished.

Father God,
Help us to live our lives according to your purpose for us. Help us to strive to be more like Jesus in our everyday business dealings with others. Let us be men and women of integrity so we may walk more securely and be a good witness for you.
In the precious name of Jesus we pray.
Amen
 

Acknowledging Christ at Work
by Patty Benton
http://actatwork.com

(Note: This is the article that the vision for Acknowledging Christ Together at Work www.actatwork.com was born from!)

Every day in the United States, we continue to take steps to further separate Christ from our daily lives. Yet in looking at the statistics, the majority of the citizens in the United States are Christians. Why then, are the words of the minority listened to and made laws, as if they were the word of the majority? What effect do these cries of the minority have to do with Christians in the business world? What can we, as Christians in the business world, do to counteract this tide of separation?

If we advertise as Christian businesses and express our faith openly in our business communication, we come under fire. Why would anyone want to advertise this way, with the potential to endure persecution as is foretold in the Bible?¹ Why, because we are instructed by the Lord, “whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”² For “if anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.”³ Are you ready to make the choice to be public about your faith, knowing that eventually you could befall criticism and anger from the secular world?

We must recognize that it is God building our businesses or our careers. Because of Him, because everything exists through His mercy and His graces, you have a career to be proud of, a family to love and a home with food on the table.⁴

How, as Christian business owners or Christians in the workforce, do we stand proud and tall under the criticism? Faith! The Bible tells us “do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's.”⁵

Recently, in one of my networking groups, while discussing something not at all related to faith or religion, I was put on the battlefield for Christ with this direct quote, ”Why would the fact that they are a ‘Christian’ company have anything to do with the quality of their secretarial or virtual assistant work? Or, for that matter, make them better ‘coaches’?” How many times have you heard comments similar to this in your business or at work? I personally do not proclaim that my skills are better than the next person’s in my professional field. What I do proclaim is that every part of my business is built on God. When I have a satisfied client, God gets the glory, not me, because I am just doing as He instructed in the Bible.³ Is it a person’s choice to decide if they want to work with a Christian company? Absolutely! Every individual has a choice, but that does not mean Christian business owners have to hide Who they place their faith in or attribute their successes to.

Have you heard the following, “Religion is a personal thing, it does not belong in government or in business?” Look at the history of our country and you will see that our country was built on the belief of God and religious freedom. Look at our Pledge of Allegiance, “…one nation, under God...” Yet our children are not allowed to pray in school, and we are told to be quiet when we proclaim God’s blessings for our businesses. Why is this? It is because the majority of Christians have not walked as God has told us to, and now we have let the secular world take charge! Is God a part of business and government? Absolutely! Look at our history starting with the Bible and working up to and past the foundation of our great country!

So what can you take away from this? Put your foot down and stop letting the secular businesses tell us that we need to leave our Christian lives in our personal lives, and not bring it into our businesses. Stand proud as a Christian. Don’t just save it for Sunday. Be a bright, blinding light for Him every day of the week. Put on your armor. Satan will be frightened, and for this reason, he will retaliate against you. Remember, it is not you fighting this battle, but God.⁵ The Bible tells us that it is not easy but “we must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.”⁶ Are you prepared to fight? Or will you continue to hide?

I encourage every Christian business owner to stand up and proudly proclaim the glory and success of your business as His, Almighty God’s!

Verse references used in this article:

American Family Association
http://www.afa.net/

AFA is for people who are tired of cursing the darkness and who are ready to light a bonfire. We are a non-profit (501(c)(3)) organization founded in 1977 by Don Wildmon. The American Family Association represents and stands for traditional family values, focusing primarily on the influence of television and other media – including pornography – on our society.

AFA believes that the entertainment industry, through its various products, has played a major role in the decline of those values on which our country was founded and which keep a society and its families strong and healthy. For example, over the last 25 years we have seen the entertainment industry "normalize" and glorify premarital sex. During that time we have suffered a dramatic increase in teen pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases such as AIDS and abortion as a means of birth control.

We believe in holding accountable the companies which sponsor programs attacking traditional family values. We also believe in commending those companies which act responsibly regarding programs they support.

AFA supporters receive a monthly letter about a specific issue with a recommended action such as sending a postcard or making a phone call. In addition, supporters receive the AFA Journal with news on various moral and family issues.

(Are you interested in be a regular monthly columnist or have an article you would like to submit for consideration for Family Keys?  Send an email to editor@actatwork.com.)

Guilt Free Parenting
By Kimberly Chastain
http://www.christianworkingmom.com/

I don’t know about you, but I do guilt very well. At times, it seems like I can feel guilty for almost anything. Also, as a parent I mess up routinely. I can be short with my temper and my words are not always pleasant. Also, there seems to be a new parenting article out daily that tells you how to parent and of course it feels like to me anyway that I always come up short. My hunch is I am not the only one that feels that way. So, how do I have the audacity to come up with an article entitled, “Guilt Free Parenting”? Actually, it wasn’t totally my idea. God placed the idea and burden on my heart to share it with you.

Let’s look at Psalm 139:16, “Thine eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Thy book they were all written, the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.” Basically, before you were born God marked out your days and may I add also your children’s days. God has a plan for you and He has one for your children as well.

What does all of this have to do with guilt free parenting? I’m glad you asked. God is truly in control of your life and your children’s lives as well. We cannot always see His hand or plan, but He is there. That means on our worst parenting days God is still working His plan in our lives and in our children’s lives in spite of us. There have been so many times in the Bible where at first glance God’s plan did not make sense and then on later inspection it made perfect sense. So, when we are not doing a good job of being parents, God is still working in our lives and our children’s lives.

I want to quickly say this does not give us permission to say, “I don’t have to parent, God is in control.” I’m not saying that at all. What I am saying is quit beating yourself up when you feel you have not done a good job or had a less than stellar parenting moment. God does not expect us to be perfect parents or have perfect children. If He expected that or required that we would not need Jesus.

May I suggest when you have that guilty feeling or bad parenting moment run to God and readmit how much you need Him. Also, rest in Him and thank Him that He is still in control and His plan will happen. Sometimes I even say, “God these are your children too and I know you love them even more than I do, please help me. Give me strength to be the parent you would have me be.”

Guilt Free Parenting means relying on our Abba Father and trusting Him to guide us in parenting our children. It means we won’t be perfect, but we can rest assured that God is still working out His plan in all of our lives. To me Guilt Free Parenting means realizing how deeply I need God and His wisdom in every area of my life and how I need to run to Him daily for strength and encouragement.

Can I promise you that if you truly realize how God is in control of your life and your children’s life that you won’t feel guilty? I wish I could. I have to admit I still feel guilty from time to time. I’m learning and resting in my Abba Father who loves and cares for me and who has a perfect plan for my life and for my children as well. I’m so thankful I’m not parenting alone, but with someone who is the Perfect Parent. So, are you willing to try Guilt Free Parenting for a change? I think you will like living without guilt.

© 2005 Kimberly Chastain
About the Author
Kimberly Chastain, MS, LMFT is the Christian Working Mom Coach and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She was recently featured in the book the Myth of the Perfect Mother. She is the author of “Help My Preteen/Teenager is Driving Me Nuts!!!” To purchase a copy of this e-book please visit www.kimberlychastain.com/parenting. To schedule a free, initial coaching session send an email to free@kimberlychastain.com or visit http://www.christianworkingmom.com.
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Would you like to be featured in Fishers of Men?  Send your request to editor@actatwork.com.

We would like to honor our members and show our appreciation of all your hard work.  If you would like to share how you are a Fisher of Men, please send an email to editor@actatwork.com.  We look forward to getting to know each member and see how you are working for the Lord!

(Do you have an article, poem, or story you would like to submit for consideration for The Basics of Life?  Send an email to editor@actatwork.com.)

From a strictly mathematical viewpoint:

What Equals 100%?

What does it mean to give MORE than 100%?

Ever wonder about those people who say they are giving more than 100%?

We have all been in situations where someone wants you to give over 100%.

How about achieving 101%?

What equals 100% in life?

Here's a little mathematical formula that might help you answer these Questions:

If:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Is represented as:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26.

Then:
H-A-R-D-W-O-R-K
8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%

And
K-N-O-W-L-E-D-G-E
11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5 = 96%

But,
A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E
1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100%

AND, look how far the love of God will take you
L-O-V-E-O-F-G-O-D
12+15+22+5+15+6+7+15+4 = 101%

Therefore, one can conclude with mathematical certainty that:
While Hard Work and Knowledge will get you close, and Attitude will get you there, it's the Love of God that will put you over the top!

Author unknown

 Healthy Computing E-book
Stay Healthy and Avoid Injury While Working Long Hours on Your PC
http://actatwork.com/aff/healthycomputingwflnspecial.htm

Normally $9.95 but for the month of March, 2006 April 2006 get it for

ONLY $5.95
100% of the profits from this sell goes to Acknowledging Christ Together at Work!

Be it a free time or working hours many depend on a computer to get their jobs done.  After revolutionizing the world, the health hazards of long time computer usage became a real revelation for the millions of computer users.  This guide has everything you need to know about the computer work hazards and the preventive techniques you need to follow to make your stay in front of the computer, trouble free.

We Invite You To Become An Ambassador Of The Father's Love
http://fathersloveletter.com/Ambassadors/

We are all called to be ambassadors. Ambassadors of Jesus Christ, calling the lost & the broken to be reconciled with God the Father (2 Corinthians 5:18-19).

Becoming like Jesus, means that we will do the same works as Jesus did. Jesus came to show us what His Father was really like. He came to tell us that God is for us, not against us and that He really does loves us. Not only did He tell us that His Father loved us, but He demonstrated it by laying down His own life, that we might be born into His wonderful family.

Wondering how to you can support A.C.T. at Work for $25 or less?  Visit us at www.actatwork.com/sponsorshipreq.htm for all the details!

Career Impact
Dr. Scott Rosenthal
http://www.careerimpact.org
Offering career and life coaching to enhance your personal and professional life, all from the perspective of a Christian. As well, providing you with cutting edge books and programs that provide biblical solutions to your work-related challenges.

Christian Working Mom Coach
Kimberly Chastain
http://christianworkingmom.com
Kimberly Chastain is the Christian Working Mom Coach and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Kimberly provides coaching services to women and men to encourage, support, and hold them accountable in achieving their goals. Kimberly encourages her clients to work from a Biblical worldview and not what the world is telling us. Be prepared to be encouraged and renewed for whatever is going on in your life.

Failure is NOT an Option; Guide to setting up your Virtual Assistance practice SUCCESSFULLY!
Patty Benton
http://virtualvacoach.com/vaguide.html

Patty Benton shares her experience in setting up a virtual assistance business in this no nonsense, no fluff, direct e-book.  She guides you through the steps of getting your virtual assistance business set-up successfully.  Depending on your time and commitment, you can have your VA business set-up and ready to go in a couple of weeks or a couple of months.
 For more info click here!

Whole Mangosteen Fruit in One Nutritious Drink
Patty Benton
http://mymangosteen.com/pattybenton
Visit us to start maximizing your health with the nutritional power of the whole mangosteen fruit.  One ounce of this drink contains concentrated amount of xanthones. Research shows xanthones have antioxidant properties that may help maintain health, strengthen the immune system, and much more.  Contact me for my personal experience with this powerful drink patty@jerpat.org. Just a side note, but 7% of each bottle sold goes to charity.