Check out the latest release from Curtis Florence and his book Success: The Beaten Path.
I have found that success leaves a trail of clues for us to follow if we so will. This book is a guide to those things that lead to success. I wrote this guide for myself as much as anyone else.
Download the book HERE
Find out more about Curtis here:
Today I have a piece from Lynn B Fowler and her book Real, Radical and Revolutionary – Building Kingdom Relationships with God, with Each Other and with the World.
God is calling His people to a kind of Christianity that is vastly different from what we see in most of the church today.
He is calling us to a kind of Christianity that is first of all real: it is about our relationship with Himself. Many in the world – and even in the Church – today see Christianity as simply a philosophy or a set of moral standards that are loosely followed. Others see it as a “religion” in which set formats and rituals are observed. True Christianity, however, is all about an eternal relationship with Father God through the Lord Jesus Christ. It is about spiritual reality, not natural observances.
Man is a three-part being, spirit, soul and body, and it is man’s spirit that was created and designed for a relationship with God. True Christianity is spiritual. That is not to say that the soul faculties of intellect, emotion and will do not operate, but rather that they operate under the control of the human spirit. So true Christianity does not seek to come to Christ through emotion, but rather by the drawing of the Holy Spirit, who will then transform our emotions and fire us with passion for God. It does not follow intellectual rabbit warrens trying to find “the real Jesus,” but allows the Spirit of God to reveal Him. It does not grit its teeth and try its hardest to do its best to serve God, but rather allows the life of the Spirit within to transform the human heart and will.
True Christianity is real in its relationships. It does not put on a religious facade and pretend, either with God or man. Nor is it shallow, seeking to relate to God and man at only the surface level; rather it gives itself fully. It seeks God for Who He is, not just for what He can give; and it makes itself available to God not just in outward performance and appearance, but at the deepest levels of intimacy.
It is real in its honesty. It knows that God knows every area of the human heart, and it does not try to cover up sin, but comes to God in open repentance.
God is calling us to a kind of Christianity that is radical in its relationship to others in the Body of Christ. In its original meaning, radical referred to “from or of the root.” True Christianity is the kind presented and practiced in the Bible. It is not satisfied with a westernized, comfortable, demand-free version of the Gospel. It insists on getting back to the standards of the Word of God.
Nor is it willing to accept a religion that puts band-aids over problems rather than getting to the root cause. It wants to see the ax laid to the root of the tree, to see the old life done away with not just prettied up. Its God is not a benign grandfather who pats people on the head and turns a blind eye to their continued sin, but the One who comes as consuming fire to burn out all that does not measure up to His glory.
Neither does it hide behind a facade of “niceness.” Of course, it does not go out of its way to be obnoxious, but it recognizes that there are times when issues must be confronted; that there are times when the most loving thing to do is to be “not nice.”
At the same time, it is prepared to humble itself and admit both guilt and need.
In its modern, commonly accepted meaning, radical also refers to something that is different from the norm, even to the point of being extreme. True Christianity moves out of its comfort zone, being prepared to be totally different from the world around it. It is bold enough to say, “There is only one God, and only one way to God, through the Lord Jesus Christ.” It is courageous enough to call sin, sin; and to proclaim the reality of hell as well as heaven. It knows that compromise and “tolerance” were never part of the Gospel.
God is calling us to a kind of Christianity that is revolutionary in its relationship with the world. It was said of the disciples in the book of Acts that they had turned the world upside down. Revolutionary refers to an overthrow of the existing government, and the installation of a new government. True Christianity overthrows the old government of self, sin and Satan in our lives and installs the government of the Lord Jesus Christ. From there, it seeks to go on to overthrow the old government (that of Satan and his cohorts in the spiritual realm, not necessarily the human government) over our neighborhood, our city, our country and our world, and to bring each under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. True Christianity knows that the Gospel is not about us, it is about the King and His Kingdom, and it will settle for nothing less than establishing the Kingdom of God throughout the world.
Like all radical and revolutionary ideas, this kind of Christianity is dangerous. It is dangerous to that within each of us that would prefer a comfortable, easy existence. It is dangerous to the kingdom of darkness. It is dangerous to those who embrace it, for it confronts both ourselves and those around us, not to mention the predominant spiritual forces in the world.
Find out more HERE
I have a new release coming up. Walking on Custard by Neil Hughes will be released on 31 March 2015 but you can pre-order it now here
Inner critic: I can’t believe you’re doing this…
Shh.
Inner critic: I mean, it’s bad enough you WROTE this damn book, now you’re TELLING everyone about it as well? You do realise how embarrassing this is going to be, right? You’re like a chimp driving a stolen car. You have no IDEA of the consequences. Just stop already!
My inner critic has some reservations about this article, it seems. But then he had a number of reservations about the book, too.
He reckoned that a comedy book about anxiety was a guaranteed disaster.
Inner critic: In fairness, that’s mostly because it was an idiot like YOU writing it. The idea is fine.
But I went ahead and wrote it anyway. Walking on Custard & the Meaning of Life explains how I learned to be less anxious, mostly by telling embarrassing personal stories… mixed with flights of outright fantasy, badly-drawn graphs and philosophical discussion of anxiety and happiness.
Inner critic: I’m in it too! I’m the best bit. Tell them about me!
Sigh. Yes, my inner critic is in it too. But don’t let that put you off. It’s still a fun read. And even a helpful one for those struggling with anxiety, or who want to get to know themselves better.
Or, I suppose, for those curious enough to want to know the Meaning of Life. But who would be interested in that…?
Inner critic: Really? THAT’S your attempt at a hook? Pretty obvious and lame, Neil. Lucky your book is better than that, or –
Aha! I knew you liked it really! And you just admitted it publicly!
Inner critic: Aw, nuts.
If your inner critic is as annoying as mine – or if you’re anxious, self-critical, unsure, in need of a laugh or confused – then check out Walking on Custard & the Meaning of Life: A Guide for Anxious Humans.
AN EXCERPT FROM Walking on Custard & the Meaning of Life (999 words!)
It was late 2010 and I was sitting at my desk at work. My life was broadly satisfying. I was settled into a new job, and my social life in a new city was budding. I was writing a book (I wrote one, it was rubbish), and had just done my first stand-up comedy gig, to mostly universal acclaim (of the people who’d been there, which was more than enough for me). And I was dating a girl I’d secretly liked for months. All was well.
Yet, on this day, suddenly, I felt awful. I had noticed a slight unease earlier, but now my head was spinning and my heart was pounding. I was terrified. I imagined the embarrassment of falling apart in front of my colleagues, and forced myself to sit still, hoping that no-one had noticed what was going on. Whatever it was.
I went to the little office kitchen and looked outside at some trees. Possibly somewhere in the back of my mind I thought this would help me connect with nature and make me feel better.
It didn’t.
In fact, the normality of everything outside contrasted with my spinning sense of falling apart, and I felt worse still.
I returned to my desk. At lunchtime I liked to watch a comedy show, a treat I usually looked forward to all morning. As the familiar sound of the theme tune started up in my headphones I put my fingers to my neck to feel my heartbeat thumping. What is that… like… 120 beats per minute? Am I dying?
I couldn’t concentrate. I closed the browser tab. I wasn’t even in the mood for laughter. Something was seriously, seriously wrong.
I left work early and went to the doctor convinced I must be ill. Something was wrong with my stomach, perhaps. In the back of my mind was an insistent thought that I was severely sick. I could not shake the thought.
This non-event began a lengthy anxious period. Every day I woke up feeling a heavy dread, my chest tight and my heart pounding. I couldn’t concentrate, only pretending to engage while my inner monologue desperately screamed about how awful everything was. I said no to social engagements in case I fell apart and embarrassed myself and everyone would know what a fraud I was.
I dreaded everything. Mostly, I dreaded continuing to feel like this. But I couldn’t see how it would stop, so I sought to explain how it started.
I was certain there must be a physical cause. I had stomach aches, headaches, bowel problems, racing heart, dizziness and shortness of breath. Surely these must point to the underlying cause. I simply had to find what was wrong and then all would be fixed. Or so I hoped.
I searched online. I diagnosed myself with every disease humans can catch, and probably some that they can’t. I saw multiple doctors, and signed up for blood tests, urine tests, fecal tests, scans, allergy tests, reaction tests and the bar exam.
(Well, maybe not the bar exam. But I would have, if I thought it might help.)
One day I even had a surprise endoscopy.
I should probably explain the endoscopy. It wasn’t exactly a surprise. Obviously I knew I was having an endoscopy. A certain amount of co-operation is required, after all.
The surprise was that, somehow, I hadn’t really considered what an endoscopy meant.
If you don’t know, it involves a scope going, er… in your end. Pleasingly, the word describes itself: End-o-scope-y.
I optimistically believed it would be a quick in-and-out procedure, so to speak. I’d nip to the hospital, there’d be a momentary discomfort, and I’d soon be on my way, finally armed with the answer to what’s wrong with me.
Five minutes, at most.
Two hours later, as I lay in a hospital bed, naked but for a backless gown (having reluctantly been forced to hand in my clothes, my mobile phone and my wallet), I wondered if perhaps I should have told my colleagues – or in fact, anyone at all – that I was going to the hospital for a procedure and that I might be late to work.
Several hours later, I uncomfortably boarded the bus home. I never made it to work that day. But I did have a story that greatly amused my housemates that evening.
Some days I’d feel better, some worse. But every day I feared that today would be the day I’d “lose control” or “lose my ability to cope”. I wasn’t sure what I was failing to cope with, exactly, but it was clearly something. I became terrified of driving, of getting trapped in traffic, or being on a train, or in a crowded place like a theatre. I was afraid that there was something deeply and irretrievably wrong with me.
And every day I searched for more possible causes, figuring that if I could just understand why then I’d finally be able to fix everything.
Maybe it’s subconscious trauma. Or delayed grief for the death of my father. Maybe it’s carbon monoxide poisoning. Or brain cancer. Or an allergy. Am I getting enough exercise? Or doing too much? It could be my environment. My life choices. Did I say brain cancer already?
Even – finally – accepting that there was nothing physically wrong with me didn’t help. Now I couldn’t understand how to fix myself mentally. My frightening online research indicated I had several anxiety disorders. At least.
I was afraid of the feelings. I was afraid they’d never stop.
This book is the story of how I came to understand and handle these feelings. Maybe you’re in a similar situation. If so, you have my sympathy. At the risk of getting uncomfortably poetical, this is a pilgrimage I’ve travelled myself, and I understand how arduous it is to pass.
But before we talk about exactly how, I’m afraid that there are things we must discuss regarding custard and physics…
Title: The Ultimate Guide to Consulting in the Networked Age
Author: John Watson
Paperback: 238 pages
Genre: Business Non-Fiction
Format: Paperback/Kindle
ISBN-10: 1507578210
ISBN-13: 978-1507578216
John Watson is a highly experienced investment management professional and founder of Margate Financial Research Solutions, providing cost-effective third party research, marketing, and business development services to leading financial market businesses.
John has a strong reputation for delivering consistent first quartile investment performance and substantially increasing funds under management. His clients include Morgij Analytics and BlueSky Alternative Investments. John also offers business coaching; sales training; strategic planning consulting; project evaluation; presentation skills and design training; social media strategies; and mentoring for small and medium sized businesses across all industries.
The Ultimate Guide to Consulting in the Networked Age by John Watson is a step by step guide to starting your own consulting practice with proven strategies to build a consulting practice with global reach by capitalizing on technological innovation including the latest in social media marketing trends.
“Many people have the operational skills to strike out on their own as a consultant either in the B2B or B2C space, yet hesitate to take the leap into establishing their own consulting practice. This step-by-step guide will assist prospective entrepreneurs turn their dreams of establishing successful consulting practices into reality.” – John Watson
The Ultimate Guide to Consulting in the Networked Age features articles contributed by leading business, marketing and sales authorities including: Kendra Lee, bestselling author of The Sales Magnet; Robert Klaric, CEO of The Property Expert; Richard DiPilla, Market Development Expert at Berkshire Hathaway Media Group; Steve Klaric, Principal Engineering Consultant in Chicago; James Fredric, Specialist Consultant at What’s Your Plan?; and Jamie Cawley, Publisher at QuickGuideTo.org.
“I want to share the knowledge I have built up over my two decade long business analysis career to assist emerging entrepreneurs apply world class business success strategies to their own small and medium sized businesses. With rapid technological change including the rise of social media, disrupter technologies including new payments systems , global e-commerce platforms, and advances in website design and development transforming websites from e-brochures into automated, interactive lead generating sales funnels; it is now becoming commonplace for small businesses –even ones initially run out of home offices – to have global reach not just in terms of sourcing supplies but also in terms of servicing international clients – both firms and individuals.” – John Watson
Title: The Financial Planners Guide to Business Best Practices and Client Engagement
Author: James Fredric
Paperback: 124 pages
Genre: Business Non-Fiction
Format: Paperback/Kindle
ISBN-10: 1503171426
ISBN-13: 978-1503171428
James Fredric is a specialist consultant assisting financial planners refocus on their clients, and is also the author of The Financial Planners Guide to Business Best Practices and Client Engagement.
With extensive experience across the financial services industry with companies such as National Australia Bank, MLC, Anne Street Partners, Millenium3 in varying capacities as well as several boutique firms including one where James was mentored in how to run a small business, James takes an innovative approach to helping financial planners grow their business.
The Financial Planners Guide to Business Best Practices and Client Engagement features innovative techniques for professionals in the financial planning industry to maximize their success.
Covering a number of issues that financial planning professionals face in business every day, the strategies in this book will help financial advisors to focus on their core business, develop meaningful relationships with clients, and improve the value of their business.
Filled with inspirational strategies and practical advice from the author, The Financial Planners Guide to Business Best Practices and Client Engagement is an essential tool for success for any financial planner today.
There are many pillars that display great character. These are five of the most powerful pillars of great character that helped me to rise above the rest.
About the Author – Curtis W Florence
I was born in New York City and moved to North Carolina as a teenager. I have always loved writing and reading since about the age of seven. I began writing poetry and ventured in to Hip Hop music and then in to writing short stories and essays. My passion is writing children’s books and self help books for adults. My goal is for my literature to be embraced by people all over the world.
Buy the Book
I featured Curtis Florence at the start of the month and Curtis contacted me this week to let me know you can download his two books for free today and tomorrow, so why not treat yourself to an early Christmas present.
A heart warming tale of two young sisters from a magical land who learn a valuable lesson in family love, togetherness, and coming of age. These two sisters learn to work together and realize just how valuable they are to each other. They also learn that individuality is not only okay but important in life.
Who Do You Think You Are Today?
A five star rated children’s story that tells the thought provoking dialogue between a young girl and her father. This book is an exploration in to a child’s mind. When life seems dull sometimes we have to be reminded to use our magnetic imagination to achieve things in life.
Another new release for you today. Take a look at Who Do You Think You Are Today, by Curtis Florence and discover a unique Christmas present for you an your children.
This book is an exploration in to a child’s mind. When life seems dull sometimes we have to be reminded to use our magnetic imagination to achieve things in life.
Download from Amazon now.
Limelight Literature 