INTRODUCTION   This book is about an extraordinary couple, Paul and Jane Meyer.   As a Christian minister, I have performed many marriage ceremonies over the past 59 years. My pastoral goal in pre-marital counseling, writing marriage ceremonies and participating in the total wedding celebration, always has been based on Biblical principles for husband and wife.   My challenge to husband and wife centered on Ephesians 5 "giving and forgiving" in their sacred relationship is based on God’s plan for a successful and productive family.   I have often contemplated where all of these brides and grooms are today as I have not been able to keep up with many of them but Paul and Jane are the exception. I had the privilege to perform their wedding ceremony and I have been fortunate to evaluate their marriage from the vantage point of friendship over the years. Their strong and successful marriage relationship has been based on personal and corporate "giving and forgiving."  It has always been a "team response" by Paul and Jane that reveals the joy of giving.   In this book I want to introduce you in a detailed way to the fact that you can experience the joy of giving with this remarkable couple.  I recognize that one book does not do justice and cannot encompass all that Paul and Jane do with their time, talent and treasure.  In the area of stewardship:  · One Texas governor said that Paul and Jane have been instrumental, both directly and indirectly, in influencing more funding to assist the economically disadvantaged to attend college (over 6,000 kids thus far) than any other couple in America.   · They give to many women’s causes such as domestic violence, Christian Women’s Job Corps, single women in trouble and more.  · They support and provide funds for buildings and other things to do with the extremely poor and disadvantaged.  · They funded the training of over 1,200 leaders in Third World countries who, in turn, have trained an average of over 100 each to present the gospel national to national in 184 countries in the world.   · They have started several foundations and have encouraged others to start scores of other foundations.   · They have funded development directors’ kick-off salaries in numerous major ministries across America.  · Hundreds of pastors in churches of many denominations have used Paul’s Christian writings in their sermon preparations.   · Paul and Jane’s mission statement is a take-off of John Wesley:   To do all the good we can In all the ways we can For all the people we can In all the places that we can For as long as we can.  · Their first prayer each morning begins with: "This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it," followed by, "Please, Lord, give us someone to minister to and help today."  As a young pastor, I first met Paul Meyer over 50 years ago. He helped me start a church under a tree and that church is now Wayside Baptist in Miami, Florida. Paul headed up the fundraising efforts and did an incredible job.   I have used all of his leadership courses that he has authored since 1960 in my ministry for myself and my staff at four different churches that I have pastored, plus as Assistant to the President of Baylor University.   I had the great honor for a few years of assisting Paul and Jane with their ministry through the Paul and Jane Meyer Family Foundation. I have taken what I have learned from our relationship into my various positions that I have had over the past 15 years with the Haggai Institute.   Needless to say, I have gained tremendously by being associated with Paul and Jane.   That is why I have been trying to get them to let me write this book for the last 25 years. They have said "no" again and again but I was finally able to convince them to permit me because their inspiring story and example and insights could influence others to reconsider their thinking, belief, faith and action concerning stewardship.  Paul and Jane have permitted me to include personal stewardship examples that have never been published before.   When I worked with the Family Foundation, I was personally blessed to read the letters of grateful recipients whose lives were changed by Paul and Jane’s generosity. You too will find inspiration in the letters I have included in this book that reveal the joy of giving.   Paul and Jane are the only married couple I have met in my lifetime of ministry who set a goal to die broke — to give it all away because they know at the git-go that it’s all God’s by right of creation.   I’ve heard them say many times:  "You thought it was fun making it. Well, you don’t know what fun it is until you start giving it away."   "We feel guilty because we feel so hilariously happy today and explosive with joy!"   "We may have less because we gave it away, but we gained much more in return, so much so that we don’t think it was a fair trade."  These words come from the hearts of stewards. They can be trusted.   William M. "Bill" Hinson

The Joy of Giving: The Paul & Jane Meyer Story

Hinson, William M.

Pilot Communications Group

In Developing Personal Leadership -- Maximizing Your Success, Rex Houze brilliantly explains the four fundamental concepts (positive attitude, self-motivation, goal-direction, and effective communication) that will enable you to take charge of your life and become an even better leader in every area of your life. 
 You will discover how to: 
 * Develop a winning attitude
 * Increase your self-confidence
 * Clarify and achieve your goals
 * Stimulate top performance in yourself and others
 * And, much, much more!

Developing Personal Leadership: Maximizing Your Success

Business & Money

Houze, Rex

Management & Leadership

David Rust was born on July 4th, 1924, in Shreveport. Brought up in north Louisiana during Depression, he joined the Army on his 18th birthday in 1942. He became a pilot and flew a combat tour in China, during 1944. His unit was the 23rd "Flying Tigers" Fighter Group. He graduated from Tulane University in 1949 and returned to Air Force active duty. Drawn into the Korean War, he was shot down on his 43rd mission and rescued by helicopter. His next assignment was to the 20th Fighter Bomber Wing, the first fighter unit to be equipped with A-bombs. This unit flew F-84 Thunderjets and formed the first line of defense in the Cold War. After a three-year tour in England with the 20th, he returned to the States and soon hired on with Schlumberger Limited as an oilfield engineer. He served a most successful 25-year career with them, becoming a writer and editor in the process. He retired at the end of 1981 to follow the Lord Jesus full time. The transforming events in his life were his surrender to Jesus in 1973, and his baptism in the Holy Spirit soon after. In 1984 he was led into ministry as a prison chaplain, where he remains at this writing. He married Eugenia Durham in 1950, and recently celebrated their 58th anniversary with joyful gratitude. They have two daughters, Beth and Julia, and three grandchildren, Peter, Katy, and Timothy. God has been very good. He counts himself as the most successful person he knows of, a testimony to the redeeming grace of God.

Gritty Grace

David Rust

Are You Pink Slip PROOF? You should be! Have the job you want, make the income you need and know that your neck isn’t on the chopping block. THAT is being pink slip proof. Make this a reality in your life by learning and implementing the truths inside this book. · Discover how to never be fired! · Learn how to make more money than before! · Uncover the secrets of all top performers! · Apply what you learn … today! · Enjoy the benefits of being pink slip proof! Everything you read has been tried and tested. It works. "I’ve never seen a book that encourages you to choose selling but that is what this book does and for a very good reason. To succeed beyond your wildest dreams, selling will play a part. Let Paul J. Meyer, the master of selling, be your guide." – Ken Blanchard, coauthor of The One Minute Manager® and Leading at a Higher Level

Pink Slip PROOF: How to control all future paychecks

Meyer, Paul J.

"You See Me Free" Steps on a Journey of Faith Through Fear Beyond Forgiveness Into Freedom

Debbie Rarick

Chosen is dedicated to helping 8 to 12-year-old girls live their lives in a way that is honoring and worthy of the Savior, Jesus Christ. We have often looked into the eyes of a precious pre-teener as scripture is being read, "The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance..." (Galatians 5:22) and watched as they developed a blank stare. You can tell what they are thinking, "I know I am supposed to be loving, joyful, gentle, but how do I pull that off in my middle school while my friends are going out, going wild, going behind my back, going overboard and going wrong? What in the world does that mean to me?" If we were being honest, we would have to say that we have oftentimes felt just that same way. The truth is our girls can be all God has called them to be. Chosen will train them in Godly character and to lead. We will have a ton of fun along the way! Chosen offers many things to help any level of leader. Chosen is divided into 4 sessions; each containing six lessons with the 4th session containing 8 lessons. This set-up is a benefit because it gives longevity and consistency to the program. Chosen could be done continually for 26 weeks or broken into four semesters; whatever best fits your group. The Leader's Guide contains all 26 lessons. Each of these lessons include a letter to moms that will help keep parents in the loop and help them come alongside their daughter as she learns and grows through Chosen. Also, included in the book is a resource code that can be used to access additional resources on the Chosen website such as registration forms, additional video resources, printable mom letters, and more. DVDs containing teachings for each lesson are included in the Leader's kit. Each lesson walks you through activities that correspond with and enhance the lessons. The website offers valuable resources. You can use your resource code found in the Leader’s Guide to access additional resources. You can find out more about the author and heart behind Chosen. Also available on the website is an online store for purchasing student journals that girls can use to learn how to begin having their own personal quiet time with the Lord. The journals have scriptures that correspond with the lessons the girls are learning each week. In the back of the journal a poster for each session is included. The posters are prints of Ginger Nelson original paintings created especially for Chosen based on the theme of each session. We hope you will journey with us as we seek to know the One who chose us!

Chosen: Holy and Dearly Loved

Christian Books & Bibles

Gibbs, Candy

Christian Living

From Chapter #1 Apathy: A Natural, Human Instinct I had just finished my introductions in front of more than 70 top executives of an international organization when I made a shocking and somewhat risky statement. I told them that all the organizational problems they had identified on their introductory worksheets were merely symptoms of the same universal problem ― apathy. The individual annual incomes of this group ranged from $250,000 to $500,000, and I had just told them they were apathetic! At least that is what they heard. I quickly asked them to withhold their judgment for a moment, and give me a chance to explain before collectively deciding that a high-priced development expert had just insulted them. As a hush fell over the room, I began to verbally review the general list of people problems that they had provided for me prior to the meeting: - indecisiveness - lack of drive - lack of creativity - lack of focus - stagnation - burnout - imbalance - the list went on and on. This was their list, not mine! I paused for a second and just looked at them. Then I asked each executive to write down the following developmental definition for apathy: A natural, human instinct, common to us all, that consistently encourages us to seek a comfort zone in which nothing ever changes. Pens began to move across legal pads. After a few moments, I asked the group this question, "How many of you know someone in your current organization who is impeded by this description of apathy?" The entire group raised their hands in unison. Then I asked the hard question, "How many of you have, at some point, suffered from this same description?" You could hear a pin drop. Finally, one person started laughing and courageously raised her hand. Her actions stimulated other colleagues to raise their hands, and the entire room broke into laughter of genuine confession. Facing the Facts The word apathy is an unfriendly and threatening word to most people, and that is probably the reason I never hear executives use the word to describe problems within their organizations. Instead, I hear the listing of symptoms, such as: - burnout - stagnation - indecision - lack of creativity - lack of motivation - lack of productivity - and so on. These symptoms may sound more professional, academic, clinical, or forgiving, but symptoms, if worked on exclusively, lead an organization on a wild goose chase, fixing symptoms but never solving real problems! Comfortable with the Truth Apathy is a very useful and effective word for me now after years of experience. In fact I have learned that until a person gains an awareness of how the forces of apathy work to impede effectiveness, behavioral change and improvement are out of the question. Awareness begins with an understanding of apathy as a natural, human instinct common to us all. Usually when someone is called apathetic, he or she is being accused of indifference. But the working definition I am using for apathy has little to do with indifference. It has everything to do with describing the relationship between the basic motivation of security and the natural, human instinct described as apathy. Take a close look at my working definition of apathy: A natural, human instinct, common to us all, that consistently encourages us to seek a comfort zone in which nothing ever changes. Now, ask yourself this question, "What is one of humankind's basic, motivational drives?" According to Maslow's famous book, A Theory of Human Motivation, most all human behavior can be traced back to the basic motivation of self-preservation and security. Some may be motivated by higher-level needs, but as soon as their security is threatened, they quickly revert to self-preservation. This process of seeking security and building unproductive comfort zones, if left unchecked, leads to behaviors that are usually described as the causes of people problems and ineffectiveness. In order to demonstrate how the forces of apathy as a natural, human instinct act as the root cause of most individual and organizational dysfunction, I have included the following real case studies, which are typical examples out of hundreds. (Names have been changed and do not relate to the actual client case.) John, a Senior VP John is a senior vice president in a large international company. He is 52 years old and has been with the same company for over 27 years. In talking with John, I asked him this question, "John, do your employees have any consistent criticism of you or your leadership?" He quickly replied, "Indecision." I asked if he believed those critiques to be accurate. He said, "I don't think so because with the company in transition now, I have to make sure my decisions are right. It's better not to make a decision at all than to make the wrong one. After all, I'll be retiring in the next few years anyway." I interviewed several of John's employees, and what I heard most often was this: "John is a good man, but he keeps us waiting forever for an answer to our basic requests. His indecision is causing severe delays in production." The forces of apathy are the cause of John's problems. Indecision is the symptom. John has constructed a comfort zone for himself to avoid the fear of making a bad decision and risking his security. As a result, his unconscious goal is never to make a mistake. John's comfort zone is a place in which nothing can ever change and mistakes can never happen. John's leadership behavior is unproductive but comfortable.

The Tripping Point in Leadership: Overcoming Organizational Apathy

Byrd, David

Religion & Spirituality

In an age of constant virtual connectivity, mainstream media has been adopted as a member of the American family, and with this unique amalgamation of sibling status and digital domination comes an inherent power of persuasion. Emerge exposes the subtle socialization that has taken place over the last six decades in Western society, unraveling a compelling cultural timeline that has laid the foundation for media's primal, intoxicating influence on human behavior. Outlining the depth and breadth of the cultural shift through the lenses of sociology, psychology, religion, and neuroscience, the authors analyze the strategic thrust of entertainment media and its ultimate impact on worldview, offering tools to crack the cocoon and break free of the stronghold of media socialization. "I can't stop underlining! Shock . . . awe . . .grief . . . hope. The authors not only accurately diagnose what's ailing us at the personal, familial and societal levels - they offer us the simple, yet powerful,

Emerge: Cracking the Cocoon of Media Socialization

Lisa Dunne

Reference

We had taken a trip to Austin and Kyle Lake always, any time he sees me, he comes up and hugs me. I’ve got like personal space issues and that just eggs him on, so as soon as I walk into the room, he’s gonna come hug me. We’re sitting at Pappasito’s down in Austin and he tried to embrace me. I deflected the embrace really well. He’s a strong man and really works out a lot and I don’t. I had done a good job and he kind of pauses for a second. He looks at me and he’s being really serious. You never can tell, but you know, he was looking really serious. So, anyway, he was like, "Why don’t you like to be hugged? Did your parents, like, beat you?" So I answered, "Yes," just to put him off. "Yeah, that’s what it is. I’m real sensitive." And then he poked me! And I said, "Dude, don’t poke me." He said, "Seriously." And I said, "No, seriously! Seriously!" And he said, "Tell me, what’s the deal?" And I said, "Kyle, I’m skinny." He snickered and poked me anyway. I said, "No, I’m serious. Like, I get real self-conscious, you know. People hug me and then they say, ‘Dude, go get something to eat!’ It makes me feel bad." And he poked me again. So, I said, "Dude! Quit poking me!" And before I knew it, the dude is chasing me around the restaurant that’s full of people. He’s chasing me around Pappasito’s until he corners me and full on hugs me! That’s Kyle. Anybody that’s been around the guy knows … he just throws his arms around you! It doesn’t matter how you feel about yourself or what’s messed up about you! — David Crowder

That's Kyle: Living Life to the Fullest

Lake, David

PRELUDE “Two souls with but a single thought, two hearts that beat as one.”  ~John Keats, Finding true love is priceless. For many, living a lifetime falling more in love with the one you love is only a dream. Can you put a price tag on finding the one who loves you―heart &amp; soul―solely for your heart? There’s no monetary equivalent to finding the Love-of-your-Life. Wouldn’t it be great if you had someone, versed in the ways of love, to help find your One-and-Only? That’s what hundreds of men and women do on the hit reality TV show The Millionaire Matchmaker. For tens of thousands of dollars, millionaire bachelors hire Patti Stanger, the Millionaire Matchmaker, to help them find the only thing they haven’t acquired, their True Love. Patti has a massive index of the most eligible men and women in Southern California and boasts of having a 98% match success rate. Watch out e-harmony! If we all had a matchmaker this successful to help us find Mr. or Miss. Right and avoid Mr. or Miss. Wrong, it might make some of us feel a little better about our chances of finding our true love. Though Patti’s operation is impressive, wouldn’t it be great to have a matchmaker who had an even bigger Rolodex than her? Let’s say someone who had access to the most eligible individuals across the country or, for you international types, across the world? You might even feel better about your chances of finding your soul mate, if this matchmaker was a personal family friend, had watched you grow up, knew pretty much everything about you and had offered their matchmaking services when ever you were in need of them? I think many of us would. I hope it won’t come as a surprise, when I tell you that I employed someone much like this to help me find Casey, the absolute Love of my Life. Without hesitation, I can say, that the time, training and money I invested totally paid off. Like my matchmaker told me, you can’t put a price tag on finding everlasting love. If you’re single, you might be thinking you would be interested in getting his business card. (Even if you’re not “in the market” right now, it might be good to have his contact info for some other time.) I promise, if you’ve seen the film Hitch, He’s the real life Alex Hitchens, only better. He’s incredibly smooth―a true Love Doctor. He’s helped even the most romantically challenged individuals find their way down love’s, occasionally bumpy, path. His staff services a 24-hour a day help line. He has a global database and connections everywhere. He is the world’s foremost expert on love and a divine matchmaker. I relied upon his advice every step of the way and now I am hopelessly in love with the woman of my dreams. He led me into a romance with the right person at the right time and for that I am forever appreciative. Surprisingly, most people have heard of my matchmaker, but had no idea that he was so proficient in the art. You may be asking who this love guru is? His name is God. While many lovers often believe they are truly a match made in heaven, few would go as far as to say that God, himself, was their Matchmaker. I think this may be an expertise of his that many grossly under acknowledged today, but is clearly attributed to God throughout the Scripture. Abraham was a believer in God’s keen matchmaking ability. This is undeniable, just look at the instruction he gives to his servant sent to pick up a wife for his son, Isaac. He says, “God will send his angel ahead of you to get a wife for my son.” (Gen. 24: 7). Now if you’ve heard this story before, you might gloss over this verse and continue with the story. But if you stop and really think about what Abraham is saying, it is a bit bizarre. I’ve never heard anyone talk like this. I’ve never heard a pastor preach on this? Actually, if anyone did say to me that God’s angel was going to pick out my spouse, I would probably recommend an excellent twelve-step program I know of. For most of us, the idea of winged angelic beings making people fall in love isn’t totally a foreign concept, but we just expect to find this type of thing on Valentine’s cards or in Greek Mythology, not in the Bible. So either Abraham was in need of some serious rehabilitation or maybe the person whom God called his “good friend” was on to something (Is. 41:8). The man sent to get Isaac’s “unknown” bride also believed God was a matchmaker. Abraham had instructed him to get a wife from his hometown, Nahor. The servant came to a spring outside the city, where all the young ladies came to get water. He prayed that God would reveal the young lady to him by a specific sign. He would know it was her if when he asked for a drink of water and she would not only give him a drink but also offer to water all ten of his camels (an act that would take hours of labor to accomplish). When this happened, he would take it as a sign that God was “working graciously behind the scenes.” (Gen 24:14) The servant knew God was working behind the scenes―the Matchmaker was on the move―but asked for God’s help to uncover who that person was. As soon as the servant finished his prayer, he saw God begin to work. A “stunningly beautiful” girl came with her jug to draw water from the spring (Gen. 24:16). Her name was Rebekah. The servant asked her for a drink and she obliged him and then proceeded for the next few hours to water all of his camels until they had “drunk their fill” (Gen. 14:19). The servant silently watched her wondering, “Was this God’s answer? Had God made his trip a success or not?” After she was done, the servant gave her five very expensive pieces of jewelry. Can you imagine Rebekah’s shock? Her dinnertime spent serving at the well was rewarded with breakfast at Tiffany’s. The Bible says she ran back home to tell her parent’s (and if her neighborhood was as rough as mine growing up, I would have ran too, if I was carrying that much bling!) The servant came to Rebekah’s house and discovered it was the very family Abraham desired his son’s wife to come from. He told them about the sign he had asked God for. How Rebekah fulfilled it by watering his ten camels. How he prayed, “Let [that] woman be the wife God has picked out for my master’s son” and God worked behind the scenes to help him find the perfect match for Isaac. The family agreed and replied, “This is totally from God. We have no say in the matter, either yes or no.” (Gen. 24:50). The next morning, the family asked the servant to let Rebekah stay a little while longer, but the servant said, “Oh, don’t make me wait!―God has worked out everything so well―send me off to my master.”(Gen. 24:56 emphasis added) Rebekah’s family asked her, “Do you want to go with this man?” (Gen. 24:56) Rebekah replied, “I’m ready to go.” (Gen. 24: 58) When Isaac met her, he fell completely in love. Rebekah had a ravishingly beautiful exterior, but her interior must have been just as captivating to Isaac, because he let her wholly into his heart. Though there is not a lot of description of their early years together, we do know that after she came into his life, something shifted in his soul. His heart became healthier. His life became richer. We know that at least one of the deepest wounds in Isaac’s heart was healed through their union. Through Rebekah, Isaac’s heart finally found “comfort after his mother’s death.” (Gen. 24:67) They were truly a match made in heaven. If God is a matchmaker and knows everything about you, and everything about everyone, wouldn’t he know who your perfect match is? If he’s truly working behind the scenes trying to match you up with the right person, wouldn’t it make sense to ask God for help uncovering who that person is? It worked out well for Abraham’s servant and, ultimately, for Isaac and Rebekah. It might just work out well for you too. God’s divine handiwork has united many hearts with their True Love. This can be observed all throughout Scripture and attested to by many who have followed his matchmaking advice today. I followed his matchmaking advice and it worked out wonderfully for me. He brought me to my true love, Casey, and I could never adequately express my gratitude to him for this. In the pages ahead, we’ll look at a few Biblical examples of the Divine Matchmaker at work, but mostly Casey and I will share about our experience working with him as he divinely orchestrated our love story. We’ll share some of his time-tested tips, secrets, and wisdom―so if you decide to use his services, you’ll know how he works and be a little ahead of the game. We really hope you’ll use him. There’s no one who’s been at it longer or is better at it than he. However, if you do choose to go with him, you must remember―though his principles on love are timeless―he never brings two hearts together the same way. Here’s to your match made in heaven! We hope you’ll send us a wedding invitation.

The Divine Matchmaker

Johnson, Joel

Johnson, Casey

Literature & Fiction

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