Making the Rounds: Carol Jones and Busch's

I want to take some time today, to recognize a highly valuable citizen, and business in Dexter, Michigan

Today marks Carol Jones' final day working at National City Bank in Dexter. She is retiring.

Also, today, I received word that Busch's markets are restoring the 5% Scrips fundraising program for the Dexter 8th Grade trip to Washington, DC.

It was my privilege to work with Carol for one year, at the Dexter Area Chamber of Commerce. She is an entire beehive of activity, in one person. Carol can be seen working ceaselessly at community events. She was instrumental in creating the back-office operation of the Chamber of Commerce. She has toiled for years, mostly without credit, and certainly without being paid much - for the thing she loves most of all, our community of Dexter, Michigan. Such things as the Victorian Christmas and holiday lighting, annual Chamber Golf Outing, Apple Daze and Ice Cream Social, have been kept afloat during hard times, through the nearly single-handed devotion of Carol.

Carol is a Dexter native, coming from the prominent farming family: the Masts. She is an alumna of Dexter High School. She taught home economics at Dexter High School for several years, before embarking on a career as a restaurateur. Dexter's first "real" restaurant, the Captain's Table, was opened and operated by Carol, thus bringing more families downtown and starting a long and positive trend for our quality of life, that continues to this day.

And there is not enough space to list all of her achievements and activities on behalf of Dexter. Thank you, Carol, and best of luck for continued success.

Next, I want to thank Busch's Markets, for restoring the 5% Scrips fundraiser. This program enables people to code their child's name to a gift card, so that any time the card is used, 5% of the purchases goes into an account to pay for their school event. In my case, I am building up funds for my daughter's 8th grade DC trip in April of 09.

Times are tough, and Busch's made the difficult decision of cuting the 5% benefit, to 1%. 1% is not worth using Busch's instead of a lower-priced competitor. People shop at Busch's because of the nice, clean atmosphere and friendly staff. They also appreciate Busch's support for the community, to the tune of over $100,000 a year in Dexter alone.

But for many families, the drop to 1% was very hurtful. Times are tough for us, too, and we appreciated Busch's stepping in to help with this excellent program that allows us to raise funds doing what we are already doing: buying groceries!

I spoke to a lot of parents that were upset by this move, over the summer. People sent letters to Busch's corporate office, completed surveys, complained to managers.

And finally, Busch's proved that they really do listen to their customers!

Busch's and Carol Jones. These are two local citizens that make Dexter a better place.

Be sure to say thank you to Carol when you see her in town. And also, say a nice word to Dennis Blanchard at Busch's, and be sure to continue to spend your money there!

Some Things The Voters Will NOT Get

Now that I am permanently through with politics, I thought it good to summarize some of the reforms that have been the cornerstones of my campaigns these past ten years. These ideas are not really mine - they are the result of countless conversations and lots of reading. But I have come across very few, if any, other local and state politicians that cared to champion these ideas. Had I been elected Treasurer of Scio Township in '08, or Clerk in '04; and were I the State Senator elected in '02, I would have championed these reforms. As it is, Scio Township and the State of Michigan will not realize any of them, any time soon. It will be up to someone else to propose the following:

* Instant Runoff Voting. Nobody wins anything without a majority.
* Non-partisan township elections, statewide
* Every precinct represented at Township Board and on appointed commissions
* Special Zoning districts that parallel the school district boundaries
* A "Re-Villaging Act," that would enable places like Delhi, Old Scio Village, Hudson Mills, etc., to become villages once again; including ease of opening local charter schools and adding Zip Codes.
* Absent the previous point, a special planning zone within Scio Township, governing Delhi, and the Old Scio Village, run respectively, by residents of the same.
* A reform of term limits laws, and extension of the same to county and local offices: for legislative offices, a limit of three consecutive terms. After taking one election cycle off, they may try again and serve another two consecutive terms. For officer positions, the limit is two terms.
* Limits on how many years a person may work as an employee of any level of government. No more than ten years in any single unit of government, and twenty years in government, total. They may take five years in the private or non-profit sector, before returning to government. Government employees must be residents of the communities they are serving.
* Statewide legislation, opening membership in teachers local unions, to certified substitute teachers satisfying certain criteria. Enable substitutes in good standing to be treated as internal employees of local school districts.
* Creation of a new type of municipality in Michigan, the "Town." Towns are the formalization of natural communities that have formed around school districts. Would enable the redrawing of county boundaries.

These are the major points I would have pushed, had I been entrusted by the voters to pursue them. These are reforms that would empower voters, promote bi-partisanship and consensus, and build natural communities. They would have set up Scio Township, and the State of Michigan, as leaders in the modern political reform movement. It will be up to someone else to make it happen, and, as usual, Michigan will be a follower on the national stage.

Civil Rights: Righting a Wrong

In the United States, the office of President is packed with symbolism and meaning. For instance, we cannot escape the increasingly troubling reality that the President has always been a white male. But lest we blind ourselves to the easy scapegoating of white males, let's recall briefly many of the important barriers that have been broken through the office of the Presidency (every one of these "glass ceilings" were not without controversy and even violence, as one by one they were shattered):

* First frontier President: Andrew Jackson
* First President not a British descendant: Martin Van Buren
* First bachelor President: James Buchanan
* First anti-slavery President: Abraham Lincoln
* First catholic President: John Kennedy
* First divorced President: Ronald Reagan

And so it goes. Change does happen in the U.S. And often it comes at too slow a pace. But it does happen, and more successfully and with surprisingly less violence than in the rest of the world.

We can break another barrier in history in November. It may be our only chance to right a wrong, and finally honor a group of Americans that has been mistreated for too long. We will bring healing to our land, by elevating this person to the most powerful office on earth.

I am talking about the Vietnam Veteran, who has suffered too much for over 40 years. Today they are aging into a valued elder generation of great Americans. The Greatest Generation of the 30s and 40s is giving way to the 60s generation of Vietnam Vets, Civil Rights and peace activists. It was truly a great generation which has not been completely represented yet in the White House.

True, we have had two Baby-Boomer Presidents, Clinton and G.W. Bush. But, as typical Baby-Boomers they were both rather self-absorbed and narrowly-focused. Both managed basically to skip the Sixties. With a Rhodes Scholarship on the one hand, and a National Guard tour on the other, they were able to keep a safe distance from the pivotal events of their generation.

But now we have a chance, perhaps our only chance, finally to heal the divisions of the Sixties by putting into office an honorable man, a bold maverick that charts his own course, and whose life mission has been to represent real people in Washington, and not just one political party. Fortune has smiled upon us and allowed this man to make it through a partisan primary process, to a point where he can be elevated to the Presidency.

Only once in two or three generations, do we have a chance to elect such transcendant leaders as this: rarely do we get our Teddy Roosevelt, our Dwight Eisenhower, giants of history that tower above the political parties.

I am talking about Senator John McCain, of course.

Look for one compelling reason to support him, and it is this above all others: It is time we honored our Vietnam Vets by electing one of their own to the Presidency. We have had our Baby Boomers. Now let's have a mature, seasoned leader. Let's have an adult for a change. Let's honor the generation that paid its dues to be Americans, with its own blood, and in return was treated shamefully.

It may be our only chance to so honor our Vietnam Vets. I want a Vietnam Vet in the White House! It is time.

Using Email Effectively

Some stats:

* I have some 25 partners in my business.

* We serve over 90 customers.

* Our monthly growth rate is over 10% in total revenues and new business partners.

* A new business partner joins our team every 8 days, (this rate continually decreases).

* Two of our members have permanently qualified for large bonuses, and six are close.

* We project that our team will double again before the end of the year (revenues and total number of business partners).

* People in our team are not required to make any changes to their lifestyle or buying habits. They simply continue doing what they always have. When we need their unique talents or skills, we will ask them.

Things are going well. We take our lumps, learn from them, and then improve. We listen to our customers, prospects, and business partners. The newer you are to our team, the more highly we value you. We place our people, our friends and family, and their life goals and dreams, ahead of any other consideration. People come first, and they know better what they want out of life, and how to get it, than we do.

We are teachable and coachable, and we listen to what our market, and newer reps are telling us (those with the best perspective on what is going on in the real world).

In short, we've got a good thing going.

So, why are we afraid to use the Internet to proclaim our good thing? Our veteran reps, those who have been in longer than us, and that have made more money than we, tell us to leave the Internet alone. Do not conduct email campaigns. They don't work and can backfire.

Agreed. Every professional marketer knows this.

But the problem is not inherently in the email. It is the methods used, the purposes, the means, and the expected outcomes.

Bonny L. Georgia, in the April, 2002 issue of Smart Business magazine (Look Big, Even When You're Not, pp. 64-70), argues that you have to use the Web, because your competitors are.

I know that our brand of home-based business thrives on word-of-mouth. The compensation plan has been built specifically around building relationships.

But in the world today, more and more relationships all the time are enhanced through the many tools found on the Web. Social networks are thriving. It is an easy, real-time way to share information and stay connected.

The improper use of email can kill your business. But the smart use of it, can give you greater success and effectiveness, many times over.

So how do we know if we are using the Web smartly, or "dumbly"? The answer is simple: Ask your customers. And ask your prospects, and any disinterested third party. Try different things out. But never, ever let a mistake or failure discourage you!

I sent out a mass email, days after starting up my present home-based business. It had mixed results. I sent it out to over 200 people. Six responded. Three responses were "thanks, not interested." Two were "sounds interesting, tell me more." And one was decidedly, hatefully, discouraging.

But I learned a lot from that one activity. Not that I would never do it again, but that I would do it differently, or on a different scale.

We are on to something excellent here. We are growing rapidly, and have a right to inform our friends and family about it, and to seek their advice and support (if not their membership).

Georgia lists five ways to make a marketing email campaign "click" (p. 65):

1) Time it right. Once a week, between 9am and 12noon is best. Make sure you have permission from the recipients first.

2) Keep it simple. Two paragraphs, tops. It should take up no more than one screen of text.

3) Provide easy access. Include a prominent link. Use the email to drive traffic to your site. Make purchases easy, one or two clicks to where they can order.

4) Don't be tricky. Avoid tricks like putting "re:" in the subject line. People are savvy and know when they are being duped. Be sincere and authentic.

5) Give them a way out. Give them the chance to unsubscribe.

This sounds good to me, and in the next week or two, we will begin trying some different things out, in terms of running effective email campaigns.

Here's to your success!

Paradox: We Don't Need More Reps, Just Smarter Ones

In our Network Marketing, what if we took the emphasis away from "show the plan, show the plan, show the plan," and instead invested our money and time into the reps that we have right now?

What if we focused on developing the skills and talents of our existing members? What if our meetings were designed around their needs? What if we mobilized our efforts around ensuring that each business partner traverse the promotional path, one step at a time? We would make sure they understood the products and compensation plan, got the points they needed at just the right time, received professional and personal development advice from true subject matter experts.

What if we operated with an accurate understanding of the pulse of our entire team? Are the leaders truly respected? Are we putting our best presenters on the platform? Are the meetings designed so that Joe Average would want to be there, even on a bad day?

What is our value proposition? Do our business partners feel valued and respected?

There is a gigantic income side to the Network Marketing business. But there is also a huge cost side, that rarely gets addressed. One of the major costs in this business, is that of what we call training. The average people in Network Marketing do not have enough money, yet, to take all the "training" that is offered to the reps. And there are many built-in costs that we do not even think about.

In Smart Business magazine, May 2002, pp 64 - 70, Eamon Hickey shares some information about the smart use of the Internet in employee training (New Tricks).

Looking at the costs of training 500 employees at a two-day off-site workshop, versus using the Web smartly to achieve the same results, Hickey estimates a $4 million savings when using the Web. Thats right, four million dollars. (Email me if you would like to see the itemized breakdown).

His figures include $500 for the design and development of the course content. I can assure you that I have never, in thirty years of experience with MLMs, ever, received training that was worth $500.

Hickey lists five reasons to use "E-learning":

1) Slash costs mostly on travel and lost productivity.
2) Shorten the learning process, with travel and scheduling conflicts removed from the equation.
3) Extend your reach. You can make sure that more people receive the training (especially those that cannot afford to travel), and they all get the same training.
4) Train more, more often. We can develop training on any topic, and deliver it real-time, when the reps need it. (How about a curriculum that includes separate modules on prospecting, effective teamwork, leadership development, how to close, presentation skills, time management, competitive selling, continuous improvement, product knowledge, understanding the compensation plan, etc., etc.?)
5) Make money. Of course, a good program, developed expertly and with identifiable business-oriented outcomes, will be of great value to others.

Now, notice that we will not charge our own team for this training. We will use revenues from selling the program to other teams, to continue building our team.

The paradox is, that a team of people that are receiving continuous investment in time and dollars, to develop their skills in a wide array of areas, will be more loyal to their team. Their enthusiasm would be genuine, not forced or phony. They would have something to show for their membership in our MLM, before they make one cent in it.

The long run benefits are incalculable. We are building a world-class organization, that others will want to be a part of.

The Smart Decision

It took me six months to decide to get in my present Network Marketing program, from the time that I first saw the presentation. The critical factor in my decision was not the compensation plan. It was not the upline. It was not the products. It was that I would be working with my brother on building the business. This is what motivated me the most, and what continues to be my biggest motivator.

A little patience, and focus, and in a few years we will have financial independence for both my brothers, my sister, and many, many friends and family. You can count on it. The key is for me, and others not to quit. That's all. And we will not quit.

But in reality, my decision to do Network Marketing festered for over fifteen years. I have always known it to be a smart thing to do. I know that it works. I know that I would be good working with a large group of people. The question has always been more "when would I be ready" than anything else.

We are building a team of people that are making a smart decision. They do not decide on the spot to join our team. We are careful about who we invite, and the approach we take. We listen to our "downline". In fact, the most important people to me are those on the furthest ends of each of my legs, not the upline people already raking in the big money.

I am teachable and coachable. I listen to my business partners in my downline. I put their needs first. I believe they will not quit, because I value them first, as human beings with value. They do not increase their value to me, by showing up at meetings and on conference calls. They have a right to want to run their business differently than I. They will do what works for them, what challenges and rewards them.

The decision to do Network Marketing is equivalent to buying an appliance, or a week or two of groceries. Smart people will always shop around. They will look at the offerings from every angle. They will consider all aspects, not just the money part. In fact, I would bet that, while most people will get into Network Marketing because they believe they can make some money doing it; they drop out for other reasons, that may include the following:

* Their ideas are not valued
* They are pressured to go to meetings and listen to conference calls
* People seem to be more interested in making money off them, than in building a relationship with them.

Our team is dedicated to high retention, by addressing the three points above.

Our goal is to ensure that everybody joins upon careful reflection, and that they stay in, because they realize that, money or not, it was the smart thing to do.

Quitting is Failure

Nobody likes to quit. We certainly do not like to admit to failure.

And there is nothing like winning, or success, or achieving some great objective.

If there were only some way to make quitting, and failure, sound and feel like success, it might make a lot of people more comfortable with their decisions in life. And in our time, we have found a way to do that. We have made a virtue out of quitting.

I don't love you anymore, and I want to get on with my life.

This is a good one. The multitudes of divorced people that come in and out of our lives feel a deep, searing sense of shame deep down. They have let down their children, their parents, their friends, their spouses, themselves. And the pain is so great, that we have gone from seeing divorce as the terrible, costly mistake that it is, to a smart and gutsy move that people can actually feel good about. "You go girl! You deserve some happiness, and your children will thank you for this later!"

I am resigning from the XYZ Company.

A businessman made such an announcement to his professional associates. He had done nothing for three months. Returned no phone calls or emails. Responded to none of his friends' requests (pleas) to help him. Took advantage of none of the resources of the company. Rather than finding ways to make it work for him, or coming up with creative solutions; rather than realizing how many people he could help by setting a positive example; rather than doing anything constructive; he simply said that he didn't have time and could not afford to be in it any longer, so was resigning.

Or put more accurately, he was quitting. The man hopped from job to job, always spinning each new job as a "can't miss," but never admitting to failure. He cannot bring himself to take that one step, a little risk here and there, that could make his family independent forever. Afraid to put himself on the line, he goes just up to it and then retreats. Every time.

But he has no problem going around quite publicly, every half year, with a new business card and new email address. He would rather fail, but spin it as forward movment, than stay with one thing, requiring some focus and commitment.

My daughter returned to soccer just this week, after taking a year off. Her coach is going to be a tough disciplinarian. For this group of ten-year old girls, it will be their first experience with such drive and focus. If they can make it through all the conditioning and endless drills, he will teach them how to win. As a parent, my greatest fear is that my daughter could end up disillusioned and wanting to quit.

Quitting. It really is a terrible word, and we have hurt ourselves by renaming it such things as "resign" and "move on."

Rather than quitting, we have got to find ways to help people hang in there.

A friend of mine is having severe problems in his marriage. He and his wife are in their 40s (imagine that!). He fears that his ex has become unhappy enough, to file for divorce. I told him that this is all predictable. That they just need to get through a year or two, without ever visiting an attorney! If they can do that, I believe they will make it.

The job-hopper needs some friends to stay in the pocket with him. He needs someone to believe in him, and to encourage him to stay the course, in something.

These people do not need condemnation. But the concept of quitting does.

Quitting is failure. And failure is not a good thing. It is only good if we learn from it, and not make the same mistake twice. Quitting, due to the actions of others, may be unavoidable, and the mature person does indeed move on.

But when the decision to quit is your own, and it is possible for you to turn things around without quitting, you must not quit.

Why Your Sister Failed

This is a classic. I have had someone tell me more than once, that they do not go for these "money-making schemes" because some friend or relative tried it once and got taken to the cleaners. Interestingly, it seems like it is always a male, and the person getting scammed was always the guy's sister.

One of my best friends has given me this retort. And I presently have a very talented member of the team, whose two brothers are giving her some real grief about allowing herself to "get scammed."

Your sexist impulses notwithstanding, let me give it to you straight, brothers. Your sisters' failures (past or prospective) have more to do with you than herself. Your sister is a smart person, willing to take risks, like the Apostle Paul eager to "believe all things," open to new ideas, able to go outside the box, with enough self-esteem to work hard for something that will most likely benefit you and others in the end.

If your sister fails, it is not because her partner company (ies) has sold her a bill of goods. Chances are she has researched it well, found the company to be reputable, the program legal, the compensation plan reliable and generous, and she has surrounded herself with people that have something you do not have: the ability actually to help her succeed.

If your sister fails, I want you to pat yourself on the back, for you more than anybody is the cause of her failure. It is hard enough to go against the grain in life. Anybody with lofty goals will always find people nearby that are ready to take them down a few notches. It is particularly hurtful when those doom-and-gloom prophets are family, or worst yet, siblings that we have always trusted.

You will prove yourself right. You will pursue her relentlessly, mock her, belittle her, tell her she has been brainwashed, until she finally gives up. You have given her enough trouble just managing your reactions to her courageous decision, that, yes, of course, she will fail - and you will have the satisfaction of making a sound prediction.

And everything will go back to the status quo ante, with one exception: she will be less likely to take a similar chance in the future. She will settle into the 40-40-40 plan that you have accepted for yourself (work 40 hours a week, for 40 years, to make 40% of what you couldn't live on in the first place). She will never take a chance like this again, which raises the question: who brainwashed whom? But, you are back in control, so who cares?

Your sister failed, or will fail, thanks to you, brother.

Or how about this . . .

Try helping her, encouraging her, working with her, giving her ideas, helping her improve her skills, buying her product, partnering in her business, praying for her, supporting her.

I have brothers, and am a brother. I am a father. Let it never be said of me, that my sister or brother, or kids, failed in anything, because I failed to encourage them!

What's The Deal with Family?

I can count about 60 adult relatives on one side, 40 on the other, that, were they all to get together, and coordinate their efforts, in one single good Network Marketing program, could guarantee the following:

* Two of them would earn at least $800 a month in residual income, from now on.
* Four would earn at least $400 a month in residual income, from now on.
* Twelve of them would earn at least $2,000 in bonuses, in the first month alone.
* Over half would pay off their initial investment in the first month alone.
* With few exceptions, all would be powering the system, by continuing to purchase products and services that they already are using.
* Two would qualify for bonuses that are nearly double all of the above, within two months.
* All of the above are baseline figures. These are minimums that would only grow over time.
* With coordination, and good timing, maybe five to ten would also qualify for other bonuses randing from $500 to $6,000, within the first quarter.

I am talking about using products that you are already using. All we would be doing is joining together in a common venture, coordinating our efforts,in a legal, exciting, growing business.

But this group of family would be only the hub of a network many, many times larger.

I propose that we do, indeed, coordinate our efforts. Let's start something, using our talents and skills, to take care of family and friends first. Let's manage it smartly, so that our attrition rate is low and our member satisfaction is high.

Let's run it like we would an investment club. Do only what brings in the most money for the most family members.

In the New Economy, residual income is the name of the game. Manufacturing and customer service jobs are never coming back. Real Estate may never be what it once was.

It is the age of pursuing your talents and life dreams. And the way to pay for it, is residual income. You are worth far more than you have ever been paid. This is the way to get what you are worth.

And, the natural place to begin . . . is family.

Election Reflection

I took a whalloping this week, in the primary election for Treasurer of Scio Township. My friend Donna Palmer, the incumbent, beat me handily, almost two-to-one. The Dexter precincts, the people that know me most, delivered the largest margins to Donna.

I did not particularly want to win this race. I have other irons in the fire. I long to move either to Shamrock, Texas, or Rochester, New York, within the next year or two. I would have had to resign from the position before my term was up, anyway.

I have tired of partisan politics. I hate the games, the positioning, the personal attacks, the spin. I have served on high-performance teams in the business world, that run circles around politicians when it comes to solving problems.

I was changed by my recent experience at Camp Refuge in Oklahoma. I came away wanting to serve God in music, keeping myself open to a teaching position, working with children. I could not see myself holding down an elected position, full-time hours at part time pay, for four years. I cannot afford it. And I did not campaign for it.

I basically prayed that I would not win.

But I do want to release some pressure I have felt, to address the biggest issue of all in this election. I avoided discussing it, out of respect for my friend Donna. But I do wish to introduce it now, as the issue in the 2012 Scio race, or any race with which I am involved, from now on. And it is this . . .

Mrs. Palmer said, in an interview that I participated in with her, that "I enjoy my job," in reference to her position as Treasurer. I wanted to jump on that statement, but was too timid to do so.

No politician should ever refer to their elected position as "my job". It is not a job to be claimed by anyone. It is no one's by right. There are thousands of people in Scio Township, and any one of them can serve as Treasurer, or Supervisor, Clerk, or Trustee. The jobs themselves, belong to the people. And if anything, we would be better off if more average people served in these positions, than the self-appointed politicians we are stuck with now.

An elected office is a mission, a charge, a calling. But it is not a "job". You are there to serve the people, not to do a good job. It is more important that the elected official give their time to their constituents, and not their hours to their work. It is important that the day-to-day tasks of elected officials never devolve down into "busy work". The calling is way more lofty than that!

A good rule of thumb is: two terms and out. Those seeking elected office should run the first time, with specific goals. They may take one term to learn the ropes. If they have served honorably for one term, they will have earned the right to a second term. But that is enough. Our society is blessed with multitudes of talented people that can do the job. We do not need these elected officials for life. It is an insult to the smart people in our communities, to suggest that only one of them can represent the total for more than two terms.

I wish the new Board of Scio great success in the next four years. Of the seven board members, one will be serving at least a second consecutive term, and should step down at the conclusion of this term. Let's keep new ideas flowing in, let others have a chance to serve, and please, Mrs. Palmer, no later than the year 2012, leave as you have served, with honor and respect for the people of our Scio community.

Thank you for your dedication and hard work. It is past time for change.

Money

On the Huron Valley Fellowship blog today, I wrote about Jesus' instructions about money, in Matthew Chapter 25.

Basically, our Lord teaches us that we must go out and expand the money, and other resources, that He has given us. So the question is, does membership in a Multi-Level Marketing program count as good stewardship of our God-given financial means?

Is the Kingdom of God multi-level?

Jesus did start out with a core group of 12 followers. And among those twelve, there was an inner circle of three (Peter, John, James). The Twelve were directed to go out and build the kingdom. Jesus gave them a model of working with people one at a time, serving them, looking for needs to fill. He healed others. He gave those needing some attention, all of His.

I am struck, that the MLM that I am in now, does in fact use a 3-12 model. That is, you first build an inner core of 3 people, and then expand to 12. The program encourages the duplication of the 3-12 system, which kicks in the bonuses, which get greater, the larger your overall team is.

If you build an MLM, not worrying about such things as "it will topple of its own weight some day," but just move it forward, doing 3 and then 12, over and over again, then it should just continue to grow. It says in the Old Testament, I believe in Ezekiel, that there are multitudes in the world, that cannot make decisions. A multitude is a group that grows faster than we can keep up with it. The pool of people that cannot decide, will always be great enough for us to get our 3 and 12.

But interestingly, my present program also uses a ten-point system, in terms of how much product to buy to qualify for bonuses. There are Ten Commandments in the Bible.

So I find some interesting parallels between my present system, and how Christ is building His Kingdom. The 3 and 12 is a good way to build a team of people. And in another post, perhaps I will find some additional applications of the concept.

MLMs do not guarantee income. But no business or investment program ever does. A good MLM will show you the steps to take, to make your money grow. Businesses and investments do not do that. There is more risk in conventional business, than there is in an MLM. I know that if I do X, Y, and Z, in a good MLM, that I will make money, and I know how much money I will make. This may be true in other jobs, but in those cases I am subject to being laid off if I do not perform to my manager's expectations. I am still working for someone else. The MLM affords me the opportunity to do all the work, totally for God.

So, I find that an MLM is a smart thing to mix into all of our money-management decisions.

But the 3 and 12 intrigues me. I will need to cogitate on that some more!

My Beam: Divorce

Last night, I listened to a training conference call for one of my businesses, in which the speaker urged us to get around successful people if we want to be successful. If you want to be rich, don't hang around broke people.

The speaker made the statement: "If you want good marriage advice, don't go to a divorced person."

Ouch.

Not only was the comment hurtful to me, I also happen to disagree with it most fervently. A divorced person is the best person to go to for advice! Happily married people cannot relate to people with severe marital problems! Alcoholics Anonymous is successful precisely because it involves alcoholics meeting with and sharing with other alcoholics!

And from the pure business perspective, I happen to think there is excellent knowledge to be gained from talking to people that have not chosen your product or service! This is Marketing! The customer comes first! (But that's another topic).

My divorce crushed me for a time. For 32 years I had held myself up as a success, for not entering into an unwise marriage. I thought that this had prepared me to be successful in marriage. I appreciated it more, once I was in it. I had a life goal of being successful in marriage. I could make even a bad marriage successful.

Yes, I was full of pride. And that pride would be my undoing.

I am divorced. Divorce is a very public kind of failure. Our generation makes excuses ("We were married. Nothing is wrong. We just grew further apart, so the marriage ended, like all relationships do eventually. But we're still friends.")

But divorce is failure. Let's not sugar-coat it. The divorced person has failed his kids, his parents, his siblings, his ex-spouse, himself, and his God.

Failure.

So now today, people around me can always say "Who are you to give advice? You're divorced." Yes, I know they don't actually say that. But they are thinking it. I know they are thinking it, because I think thoughts like that about others. I have heard conversations in which people make judgmental comments like that about those that are not present.

So, it will always be a limitation on my effectiveness. But I also know that God can make the weak strong. He can turn defeat into victory.

Let me say one last thing about this idea about gossip and judgmentalism: when you really think about it, most gossip is correct. Those things that people say about you, where you respond "I don't care what people think," well, most often those other people are right.

If people treat me with less respect because I am divorced, they are right to do so. I know that some people do not want their kids around me, or in my home, for that reason. And they are right to do so. I don't blame them.

And the same goes for every one of us, for you, when people comment on decisions you have made. What people are saying about you, and me, is probably correct. We probably should listen to them.

So we have a couple of problems: one, that we don't listen to the good advice from others; and two, that those others haven't fixed themselves before handing out advice.

Next - Another one of my beams.

The Beam in My Eye, Part One

Recently, God has clarified a question that I have had for some time.

I have been told that I was "leader" material since my earliest elementary school memories. Yet, in my whole life I have tended to wind up the butt of people's frustrations. When they want to express their ugliest side, they do so to me. I can share specific examples, but I would want to protect the anonymity and privacy of others involved.

In the past few months, I have had a very dear relative yell at me to "shut up", quite inappropriately, in front of family. I am sure that I will remember that incident forever, and it will always hurt.

Other family members have put me down in front of my kids. And others yet have no problem exposing their worst feelings to me. People seem to feel quite comfortable hurling invectives at me, when they would never dream of doing so to others in the family.

Am I a doormat? Am I dumb, rude, unkind, ugly, arrogant, impatient? What is it? I seem to be a magnet for extreme emotional outbursts of people that I believe love me. If my impression is correct, what is God showing me? Why me, and what does it mean?

I believe that people are extremely disappointed in me. I am the leader that won't lead. The most-likely-to-succeed that has mostly failed. The problem solver that won't step up to the plate. There is a sense of frustration that I will not get out there into the arena, where everybody thought I belonged years ago.

In a Christian setting, I recently became the subject of some rather malicious gossip and backbiting. It hurt me and made me want to leave this group of Christian brothers and sisters. There is just too much petty behavior, and not enough holding others accountable in the Church. There are too many divorces, too much teen-aged sexuality, too much treading lightly around people with short fuses.

This all is typical for the world, but we are the Body of Christ! We are to attain to a higher level of excellence! Our marriages should be model! Our humility genuine! Our self-awareness proactive and transformational! Our service should be meek and cheerful!

We pussy-foot around people that can say whatever they want, do whatever they want, act however they want, even if it hurts others - rather than rock the boat. We excuse hateful behaviors because we are "under grace," overworked ("if I don't do this thankless job, no one else will"), or "Oh that's just Uncle Bill and he'll never change, heh heh!"

I answer to no one but God.

I enjoy fellowship with a few very excellent ministries. I am part of expanding God's Kingdom, and am thrilled that God has placed me in partnership with talented people that are on fire for the Lord.

But, our achilles heel is that we still put up with childish behaviors from adults. We excuse words and actions that hurt others, because we do not have the backbone to defend those that were hurt.

I know what it feels like now. I know why I have been such an easy target all these years. I believe God is asking me to call out behaviors in the Church, that hurt our witness and make a mockery of His holiness.

We are the Body of Christ. We must act like it.

But before I proceed, let the reader know that I have a huge beam in my own eye. I may spend a few posts talking about it (actually, there are several). And I have some stumbling blocks, or thorns in the flesh, too, if you will. I need to take care of my own beam and thorns, before I go off and start calling out those that are tripping up the forward movement of God's kingdom.

Pray for God's wisdom, as we move forward.