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I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME.

The road to success is not straight.

There is a curve called Failure,

a loop called Confusion,

speed bumps called Friends,

red lights called Enemies,

caution lights called Family.

You will have flats called Jobs.

But, if you have a spare called Determination,

an engine called Perseverance,

insurance called Faith,

a driver called Jesus,

you will make it to a place called Success.

– Author Unknown
(excerp from emails)

Starbucks Spirituality by Brett Lawrence

Excerpt from ChristianityToday.com

Daniel Hill holds a steady part-time job
working one or two shifts a week at Starbucks. It’s hardly a
career-track position, and it’s not that he needs the extra cash or
battles a secret caffeine addiction.

It’s the people.

Purple hair, belly-button rings, tattoos, black-painted fingernails—those people.

For Hill, whose day job is ministering on staff with
Willow Creek Community Church’s Axis outreach, Starbucks provides a
context to build meaningful relationships with postmodern, Gen-Next
twentysomethings who are far from God.

"Nothing has been more transforming for me than working at Starbucks," says Hill, "These people matter to me."

But the moonlighting gig isn’t a free pass to easy
evangelism. His coffee colleagues are like a good cup of triple
espresso—plenty of steam, a little bitter, and enough kick to knock you
on your backside if you aren’t careful.

Exhibit A: "The first day Debbie worked at
Starbucks, one of the shift supervisors points at me and asks her, ‘Did
you hear what his real job is?’ After she hears I work at a church,
Debbie freaks out. She says, ‘Three years ago my 16-year-old daughter
was raped and murdered. Tell me, what kind of God would let that
happen? I believe in God. I just have a real problem with him.’"

To read more click here.

Mirror mirror on the wall

Mirror mirror on the wall

BUSINESS MATTERS (Beyond the bottom line)

By Francis J. Kong

One businessman complained and said:

"The other night, my wife and I were going out for dinner."

She put on eyebrow pencil, eye shadow, eyeliner, eyelashes, mascara,

toner, blush and lipstick, then turned to me and said, "Does this

look natural?"

Men find it hard to understand women and that’s the beauty behind

it, the mystery of discovery.

Another one said, "Today is the fifth anniversary of my wife’s

39th birthday."

Now you tell me whether you can understand that or not.

Have you ever watched Fashion TV?

When I was still with the garments industry my wife and I watched a

great deal of them and I realized that we were watching many of the

world’s most beautiful women. The clothes may not be great all the

time but when these women wear it and walk with it, the beauty comes

out. The next thing I discovered is that many fresh and young faces

would walk the ramp. And it’s only a matter of time before the once

hot faces disappear from the scene only to be replaced by the younger

ones.

NO amount of cosmetics could ever fight off a woman’s terror and

trepidation: aging. Age catches up with everyone and there’s no

exception to the rule.

One woman I know who is in her mid-forties prohibits her children to

call her mom. She commanded that all of her grown up kids call her

Auntie and of course it breaks the children’s hearts. I wonder

how long she could stay in the stage of denial. Yes. Some people live in

denial and somebody says it correctly that denial is not a river in

Egypt.

Vanity? A refusal to face one’s real age?

Mirror mirror on the wall, who’s the prettiest of them all?

What an unforgettable scene in the immortal Disney Classic Snow White.

Are women vain?

Some are of course and then some are not.

Today there are many men who are vain too. Look at the rise of cosmetic

products for men.

The cosmetics industry is a major money making industry this is itself

would reveal the fact that men and women do pay a lot of attention to

how they look.

It is important to look good especially when you are in the work place.

In my seminars I always warn my audience to be wary of speakers who say

otherwise. When you hear speakers tell you that "beauty is not

important I can assure you that the speaker is ugly."

Of course beauty is important and we have to make ourselves presentable.

The way we look represent the company we are working for.

But looking good is not as important as being good in person and

character.

I got me an article that deals with this issue.

The title is How Females Look in the Mirror.

Age 8: Looks at herself and sees herself as Cinderella/Sleeping Beauty.

Age 15: Looks at herself and sees herself as Cinderella/Sleeping

Beauty/Cheerleader or sees fat/Ugly. (Mom I can’t go to school

looking like this!)

Age 20: Looks at herself and sees "too fat/too thin, too/short/too

tall, too straight/too curly" but decides she’s going

anyway.

Age 30: Looks at herself and sees "too fat/too thin, too short/too

tall, too straight/too curly" but decides she doesn’t have time

to fix it, so she goes anyway.

Age 40: Looks at herself and sees "too fat/ too thin, too short/to

tall too straight/too curly"- but says: "At least I’m

clean" and goes anyway.

Age 50: Looks at herself and sees "I am" and goes wherever she

wants to.

Age 60: Looks at herself and reminds herself of all the people who

can’t even see themselves in the mirror anymore. Goes out and

conquers the world.

Age 70: Looks at herself and sees wisdom, laughter and ability, goes out

and enjoys life.

Age 80: Doesn’t bother to look. Just puts on a purple hat and goes

out to have fun with the world.

That’s the way to live life.

But why wait until 80 to develop this great attitude?

Beauty is in the character not on the skin.

A wise guy says: Beauty always comes from within ”within jars, tubes,

and compacts. That’s not what I mean.

A French proverb says: Beauty without virtue is a flower without

perfume.

True beauty is that which reflects the beauty of Her Maker.

A godly life and a great positive disposition.

Who can resist such charm?

You don’t need those low waist-hip hugging-panty revealing jeans to

be beautiful.

Show the love of Christ and exhibit His character by being a woman of

virtue and I can assure you you’re beautiful anytime all the time.

So relax. Be happy and be beautiful.

-excerpt from CCOWE emails