TwoTen Volume 1 Issue 3 - Q2 2013 by TwoTen Magazine, Inc.

For Such A Time As This

With Dr. Ben Carson

The High Calling Of Business With Bonnie Wurzbacher

Ultimate Power Source Norm Miller Of Interstate Batteries

e e Tony Dungy e e

Super Bow l w inning coach, NBC Sports commen tator a nd A ll Pro Da d Spokesm a n

WANT

TO BE A

e e Mark Merrill e e

Founder of Fa mily F irst, A ll Pro Da d A nd Host of t he Fa mily Minu t e

TO YOUR

KIDS?

All Pro Dad is designed to help fathers become passionate about their role in their familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life by providing resources needed to rightly train up their children and give them a hopeful future. All it takes to be an All Pro Dad is:

www.AllProDad.com

Contents

Cover Story

Features

Compelling insights from the world-renowned neurosurgeon and visionary.

Ultimate Power Source

Soldier For Christ

34 4

For Such A Time As This

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The Interstate Batteries Chairman tells of the real source of his power.

The battle-tested and decorated military hero from Black Hawk Down shares his faith and courage.

Courageously Facing The Giants Provident Films is filling the need for wholesome, faith-based entertainment. Table of Contents

60 66

50 46

VOLUME 1

ISSUE 3 Q2 2013

Columns & Departments Welcome 06

Amazing Grace! – John Faulkner and Richard W. Hayes share about the journey of TwoTen Magazine.

Phyllis Hendry: Leading Like Jesus – CEO Phyllis Hendry on what it takes to lead like Jesus.

Articles 40

Faith In Work Clothes – On being faithful with little to become faithful with much more.

A Leap Of Faith – The small startup that has grown by leaps and bounds.

Faith Can Work – Equipping the next generation of leaders to make an impact in the work force.

Success Based On Ephesians 2:10 – Are we measuring success the same way God does?

Columns & Departments 60

Ask Dave On Business – Dave Ramsey answers questions about your business.

The High Calling Of Business – Discussions on the importance of a thriving private business sector.

Fantastic Four – Chris Hogan explains the four people you need in your life for success.

Influence – Os Hillman breaks down the spiritual principles of transformation.

Working Women – Diane Paddison helps you tap into the power of your purpose.

Are You Over-Connected To Technology? – Jordan Raynor gives us five simple ways to disconnect.

Quarterly Review – Recommended leadership books.

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TwoTen Magazine

John Faulkner and Richard W. Hayes

Amazing Grace!

race from God Himself. How can we describe it without weeping, shouting with joy or being truly awestruck? The leadership team at TwoTen Magazine has experienced God’s grace in profound and unexpected ways ever since we embraced His vision for a national Christian leadership publication.

TwoTen is a multi-platform (distributed via print, web and iPad editions) resource that aims to inspire, encourage, and equip business leaders to use their influence to make an eternal impact for God’s Kingdom. We thank our readers, subscribers, strategic partners, advertisers, staff, family and friends who have encouraged and trusted us to deliver this publication. The TwoTen brand was inspired by Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, in verse 2:10 where Paul says; “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Our good friend Buck Jacobs, founder of The C12 Group, expands upon that theme with a great article entitled “Success.” In this, our third issue, we are blessed to share great stories and testimonies of how God uses ordinary people to execute His extraordinary purpose. Our cover story features Dr. Ben Carson, Presidential Medal of Freedom winner and legendary pediatric neurosurgeon at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Dr. Carson believes, as

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Mordecai told Esther, we are in a time where we must think big, take risks and choose to follow God. Phyllis Hendry, President and CEO of Lead Like Jesus, expands upon Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”. We learn what it means to be “second” from Norm Miller, Chairman of Interstate Batteries. Jeff Struecker, a decorated member of the U.S. Army’s most elite fighting corps, shares how his “bullet-proof faith” in Jesus brought him through death-defying combat situations and how those lessons translate into all of life’s challenges. The passionate leaders at Nashville-based Provident Films utilize the platform of movie making to impact the world and make an eternal difference. TwoTen visited Daryle Doden, lifelong entrepreneur who co-founded Ambassador Steel Corporation, at the headquarters of Ambassador Enterprises in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Mr. Doden Amazing Grace!

graciously shared his understanding of Christian principles for success. Founders Derek Cha and his wife, Annah Kim of sweetFrog frozen yogurt restaurants exemplify the axiom to fully rely on God through their unique approach to local and international missions work.

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During our on-campus visit to LeTourneau University in Longview, Texas, we were captivated by how the students, professors, staff and alumni are changing the world for the glory of God and how Christian education directly impacts America’s workforce. Bonnie Wurzbacher, former executive with The Coca-Cola Company, shares her passion and advocacy for the role of ethical, sustainable business in advancing God’s purposes in the world and for women in leadership. Os Hillman, internationally recognized speaker on the subject of faith at work and president of Marketplace Leaders, joins TwoTen as a columnist with this issue’s Transformational Tip on the subject of influence. Diane Paddison, author of Work, Love, Pray, encourages us to understand strength in humility. TwoTen welcomes back renowned financial expert Dave Ramsey, leadership author Chris Hogan and digital strategist Jordan Raynor. The Quarterly Review for this issue features Dr. Henry and Richard Blackaby’s classic Experiencing God, Lead Your Family Like Jesus by Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges, The Road to Unafraid by Captain Jeff Struecker and Jon Acuff’s latest offering entitled Start, where he challenges us to “do work that matters.” Thank you for joining us in this journey, and please join the conversation through our website and social media channels. Press on!

Office: (855) 4 TwoTen | team@twotenmag.com | @twotenmag

John Faulkner

Founder & Editor in Chief Mark Whitaker Executive Editor Julie Faulkner Features Editor Brian Butler Associate Editor George Cline Associate Editor Chandler Hayes Copy Editor John H. Rains, III General Counsel

Founder & Editor In Chief TwoTenMagazine.com

Founder & Publisher

Chris Whitten Creative Director Luke Haydel Project Manager Paul Tejera Technology Director Mike Crisp Social Media Manager Mike Glesenkamp Web Manager Robin Stafstrom Production Manager

Contributors Os Hillman Diane Paddison Lisa Heutteman Bonnie Wurzbacher Jessica Burchfield Janet Ragland Anthony Canorro Mark Whitaker

Founding Contributors Ken Blanchard Jordan Raynor

Dave Ramsey Edward L. Flom

Buck Jacobs Chris Hogan

About TwoTen Magazine The TwoTen brand was inspired by the New Testament Bible verse Ephesians 2:10, which says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Our Mission is to inspire, encourage and equip business leaders with Christian principles to make an eternal, positive impact on everyone that God has entrusted them to serve.

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Inquiry Addresses Editorial editorial@twotenmag.com Distribution & Subscription subscribe@twotenmag.com Advertising sales@twotenmag.com Like us on Facebook

Richard W. Hayes

Founder & Publisher

Miranda Faulkner-Smith Operations Manager

facebook.com/twotenmag

John Faulkner

Richard W. Hayes

© 2013 Two Ten Magazine, Inc. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. The articles appearing within this publication reflect the opinion of their respective authors and not necessarily those of the publisher and/or TwoTen Magazine. The contents of advertisements and advertorials are entirely the responsibility of advertisers. No responsibility is taken for unsolicited submissions and manuscripts.

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Phyllis Hendry Leading Like Jesus

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by Lisa Huetteman

When we first met Phyllis Hendry

she greeted us at Lead Like Jesus headquarters in Augusta, Georgia, and welcomed us in as if we were family. Her voice is tender and her words are laced together with a southern accent that is almost musical.

What’s most ironic is that her graciousness in making you feel like you’re the most important person in the room veils the fact that she is a frequent world traveler, accomplished writer, inspirational public speaker and influential CEO of the Lead Like Jesus organization. From a very young age, Phyllis knew that doing His work was good work to do. As the daughter of a bi-vocational pastor—during the week he was a construction supervisor, and on the weekends he focused on growing a small mission church—Phyllis learned at a very early age about foundations, building things, and more importantly, building relationships. “On Saturday, we would visit people in the community to invite them to join our church. I remember one particular gentleman who God used to teach me about relationships.” Phyllis said as she recalled a crotchety old man who had no interest whatsoever in going to church. “Every week, we would go and sit on his front porch and he would give me a grape Nehi. I would listen as my dad and this older gentleman talked. They talked about fishing, business and whatever this gentleman wanted to talk about. That was our regular Saturday visit and I never heard my dad ask this gentleman to come to church again.” About a year and a half later, as Phyllis was playing piano at the Sunday church service, she looked up and saw tears in her father’s eyes as this gentleman walked through the door. “It still makes me cry to think that by investing so keenly in him and building a relationship with this older gentleman, he came to know the Lord that day. But it wasn’t just in that day. It was all those Saturdays before.” Today, as CEO of Lead Like Jesus, an organization whose mission is to glorify God by inspiring and equipping people to lead like Jesus, Phyllis stands on that great foundation for her life. “On that day, I came to understand that if we are going to make a difference in people’s lives, we must take time and invest in relationships.” TwoTenMagazine.com

TwoTen Magazine

“

I know the plans

I have for you. Plans to prosper

you, not to harm you.

Plans to give you hope and

a future.”

- Jeremiah 29:11

The most important relationship for Phyllis is with her Heavenly Father. “When I was eight years old, I had the opportunity to attend summer camp if I memorized 300 Bible verses. I was willing to do whatever it took to be able to spend a week at camp and go swimming, play tennis, sit by the campfire and eat s’mores.” With the prayers and assistance of her father, Phyllis learned those 300 Bible verses, but more importantly had the seeds of God’s Word planted in her heart. At the time, it was all about earning a week at camp. But looking back, Phyllis acknowledges, “I didn’t know what my reward was. What I realized later in my life is what I had learned in Isaiah 43; ‘God had called me by name and that I was His’.” The lessons she learned from the Scripture that she memorized as an 8-year old are at her core and the foundation that guides her and gives her strength. “At 8 years old, I gave as much of myself as I understood of myself, to as much of God as I understood,” she said. “It was clear to me that was my calling and what I was to do in my life. I didn’t know how that would look. Certainly, serving at Lead Like Jesus was nowhere in my mind or my heart in those days, but it was in God’s eye and God’s heart.” A self-described “just-in-time learner,” Phyllis began her career in banking at a time when women were just beginning to make their way in the corporate world. Recognizing the benefit of relationships to her career, Phyllis decided to meet people and

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Phyllis Hendry with her parents.

build relationships with those she thought were good models for her career. Then a transformation occurred. “I ended up at breakfast next to someone who wasn’t one of the people that I wanted to meet that day. But that person poured so much into my life. I thought, ‘Oh my goodness, the Lord set up this appointment!’ Since that time, I have chosen to stand wherever the Lord puts me and develop a relationship with whomever He puts in my path.” This change gave her a totally different perspective on every person she would meet. “I transitioned my thinking from ‘Let me get close to certain people,’ to ‘Let Him move me where He wants me.’ I’m still doing that. I have consistently had wonderful mentors and models and am convinced that God chose them for me.” Phyllis acknowledges that it is not easy for a “Type A” person to give up control. “I make lists. I love crossing things off my list so much that if I do something that wasn’t on my list, I write it down so I can mark it off. Like most people, I like being in charge!” Through her life’s circumstances, Phyllis realized that she is really not in charge. “I had my life so planned out. My husband and I were going to grow old together, have grandchildren and travel. It was a good plan!” Everything changed in 1990 when her husband had a heart attack. As she rode to the hospital in the ambulance with him, a Bible verse she had learned as an 8-year old was playing over Phyllis Hendry: Leading Like Jesus

and over in her head like a recorder. “I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper you not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 In the waiting room, every time she thought of something else, that verse would play again in her head. Finally, the doctor came out and said, “I’m so sorry. Sometimes the first sign of heart disease is fatal.”

“This story is not about surviving the loss of two husbands. It is about God’s faithfulness. My family, career, all of my life has been the story of God’s faithfulness. I learned at 8 years old that He would never leave me nor forsake me, and I count on it.”

Phyllis turned to God and said, “Father, you told me that there’s a plan and a hope and a future. And this doesn’t feel like anything I want a part of.” Immediately, Proverbs 3 came into her mind. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and he will make your paths straight.” She said out loud “It is about trusting You!”

At Lead Like Jesus, the organization where Phyllis has served for over 10 years, the teachings reflect the foundation of Scripture that she learned as an 8-year old. Lead Like Jesus believes:

Reflecting on that difficult time in her life, Phyllis said, “I learned, and I’m reminded again daily, that it is about trusting the plan that He has for us. Many years have passed since those seeds were planted in my heart, but they continue to rise up. I love the way the Spirit of God uses the Word of God to impact us when we’ve put it in a place where it can be retrieved.” After several years, Phyllis remarried, and for the next almost 19 years she and her second husband blended their families—her son and daughter with his two sons. They came together to love each other very much. Then, in July 2011, they were shocked to learn that her husband, a big, strong healthy guy who did not smoke, had lung cancer. She said, “My husband was extremely courageous as he fought this battle with cancer daily. He had an incredible attitude through radiation and chemotherapy. But her husband passed away, March 10, 2012. And then his mother died in July, and his father died in December. Once again, having the seeds of His Word planted in her heart and knowing how to trust God, she was able to stand on that faith. What else could she do?

“

Trust in the Lord

with all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge Him,

and he will make

your paths straight.” - Proverbs 3:5-6

TwoTenMagazine.com

Jesus is the greatest leadership role model of all time. If we are to lead like Him, we must also live in the power and presence of the Father.

Leadership happens anytime you influence the thinking, behavior, or development of another. This applies to our organizational and life roles.

Effective leadership begins on the inside, starting with the heart. The way to ensure a healthy heart is to be deeply connected with the Father.

Servant leadership is the only approach to leadership that Jesus ever validated for his followers. True servant leadership happens when a person receives all they need from the Father, and their hearts overflow in service to others.

Lead Like Jesus teaches people to lead like Jesus through workshops, materials, online systems, and events. By training and supporting strategic relationships and a worldwide facilitator network and the production of materials and programs, Lead Like Jesus shares its mission to integrate Jesus into the lives and leadership of as many people as possible. Each of the materials and programs focuses on developing and aligning the heart, head, hand and habits of the leader. “We go deep into the heart and look at the barriers to a healthy heart – a heart that leads like Jesus.” “The head or thinking section focuses on vision and implementation. We explore what it looks like to be a vision–caster as a leader and to implement that vision by TwoTen Magazine

turning the organizational pyramid upside down and actually serving the people who are living out that vision.” “In the hand section, we emphasize the behaviors. If your heart has been impacted and your thinking has been changed, your behavior will be different to the people around you. What would it look like to lead like Jesus?” “In the last section, we talk about habits. The whole foundation of our life is that connection to the Father. By knowing who you are in Him, you will have a changed heart, thinking that is other-centered and behavior that reflects this changed heart and thinking.” Under her capable leadership since 2002, Lead Like Jesus has had global impact. The organization reaches into 37 countries, and its books and program materials have been translated into as many as 11 languages. But Phyllis doesn’t measure success in terms of the numbers alone.

“

When you do

lead like Jesus, you are reflecting Jesus to others and as

Oswald Chambers said

‘hopefully as we reflect Jesus we will make

others thirsty to know Him’.” On a personal level, she recognizes just how important this is. “Perhaps because I have experienced how fragile life can be, I have thought a great deal about what I want to pass on to my children, grandchildren and others —not financially, but a deep abiding faith that assures we can trust God no matter what and that propels us to live, love and lead in such a way that lives will be impacted for Jesus. I am so grateful for God’s faithfulness. It is so amazing that He would pass this down generation after generation.” “That is the real story of what we do at Lead Like Jesus. We develop leaders who lead as Jesus led, and I pray, serve as Jesus served so that the world will come to know Him.” VICTORY TwoTenMagazine.com

Lisa

Huetteman

Co-Founder

Black

Diamond

Associates, Executive Coach, Speaker and Author of the book: The Value of Core Values: Five Keys to Success through Values-Centered Leadership.

TwoTen Magazine

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For Such A Time As This: With Dr. Ben Carson

For Such A

Time As This: with Dr. Ben Carson By: Mark Whitaker

There are crossroads in history where a person or group of people find themselves at the epicenter of dire circumstances, and they are uniquely qualified to provide leadership, clarity and courage to address the crisis at hand.

n biblical terms, great leaders such as Joseph, Moses, David, Esther, Paul, and of course Jesus, were all in a place and time for which God had prepared them to provide leadership to save His people. In more recent times, great leaders such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and Martin Luther King Jr. were all instrumental in advancing the causes of mankind. I had the privilege of interviewing such a man, Dr. Ben Carson. On February 7, 2013, he spoke at the Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s National Prayer TwoTenMagazine.com

Breakfast in Washington D.C., attended by President Obama, Mrs. Obama and Vice President Biden and three thousand other dignitaries. The speech that he gave was both passionate and courageous. He set the tone of his speech by referencing four scriptures: Proverbs 11:9, Proverbs 11:12, Proverbs 11:25 and 2 Chronicles 7:14. In doing so, he established that the source of his guidance and wisdom is God and His Word. For the next twenty minutes, Dr. Carson proceeded to lay out his ideas and opinions about the state of our nation and providing some biblical solutions for handling such polarizing TwoTen Magazine

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

Where there is no counsel, purposes are frustrated, but with many counselors they are accomplished.â&#x20AC;?

Proverbs 15:22(AMP)

PURPOSE We are all given a PURPOSE. As a leader, God will guide you and your organization if you earnestly seek Him. ...meditate on these things.

“

With their mouths

the godless destroy their neighbors, but through knowledge the righteous escape.” - Proverbs 11:9 issues as taxation and health care, much of which is contrary to the plans being pursued by President Obama and the inherent dangers of being “politically correct.” Almost immediately a media storm arose, ranging from calling on Dr. Carson to issue a formal apology to the President for challenging him on political hot-buttons, to the Wall Street Journal staff editorial penning an article titled “Ben Carson for President”.

Humble Beginnings To understand how and why Dr. Carson is generating such a frenzy, you must understand the circumstances that have led him to this point. Benjamin Solomon Carson was the second son born to Robert and Sonya Carson. His mother, Sonya, was one of twenty-four children and married his father when she was only thirteen years old, attaining only a third grade education. Ben and his older brother Curtis lived a fairly normal life until his mother discovered that his father was a polygamist, having another wife and children. Sonya was devastated and divorced him when Curtis was ten and Ben was eight years old, and she became the sole provider for their family. Rather than becoming a victim of her circumstances, and refusing to live off of government assistance, she worked two and sometimes three jobs to support her boys. Ben and Curtis would go several days at a time without seeing their mother due to her grueling work schedule. For Ben and Curtis, church was a big part of their life. Ben made the choice to accept Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior when he was eight years old and was baptized. His pastor frequently talked about medical missionaries in foreign lands. The tales fascinated young Ben, and it was then that he decided that he wanted to be a doctor. At that time, it seemed like an unattainable dream. His mother, on the other hand, had complete faith in the unlimited potential of Ben and his brother.

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A Mother’s Love As much as she believed in the potential of her boys, Ben’s mother faced the harsh realities of being a single parent with virtually no education. Sonya fastidiously managed the household finances and stretched their money to meet their needs in urban Detroit. She wasn’t satisfied, however, with the results they were getting in their schoolwork. Ben’s grades were so poor that he was ridiculed and taunted by classmates. At the time, she worked for a wealthy professor and marveled at the number of books that he had in his library and realized that the information contained within them held tremendous power. She implemented a new rule for Ben and Curtis. Each week they had to visit the Detroit Public Library and get two books each. They were to read them and write a report on each book. She would check each report for accuracy and completeness, marking and highlighting them for effect (little did they know that their mother couldn’t read what they had written). They were also restricted to watching only three TV programs per week and couldn’t go out to play until all of their homework was completed. They didn’t enjoy their new assignments but loved and respected their mother and heeded her requests. Before long, Ben began to enjoy the books that he was reading, and his grades began to improve as he started taking an active interest in school. His vocabulary skyrocketed as a result of the books that he read, and he started competing and winning the class spelling bee. His teachers began to notice the transformation in him, encouraging and challenging him to excel. Sonya instilled the belief in her sons that they could accomplish anything that they set their minds to, and young Ben was starting to believe it himself. By his eighth grade year, Ben had risen to the top of his class. In his book, Gifted Hands, he recounts an event in which he attended an awards ceremony at the end of the school year. He was to receive an award for academic excellence for the student with the highest achievement in

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While in high school, Ben followed his older brother and joined the ROTC program. He set a goal for himself of reaching the rank of Colonel, the highest rank possible. Not only did he reach his goal, but was given the honor of being the city executive over all of the schools in Detroit. He was offered a full scholarship to West Point but respectfully declined in order to pursue his dream of becoming a doctor.

Ivy League Bound With his outst anding high school achievements, stellar SAT scores and accomplishments in the ROTC, Ben was being courted by many prestigious universities to attend their schools. After a great deal of prayer and contemplation, Ben reduced his choices to two; Harvard and Yale. As a youngster, Ben and his brother had three TV programs that they could watch per week. One Carson being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, by President George W. Bush, at the White House on June 20th, 2008. of their favorites was the College Bowl, a quiz show where two different college teams would sixth, seventh and eighth grades respectively. He had won the compete each week for the prize money. They would compete award the previous year as a seventh grader. Upon receiving the in their living room with the TV contestants and dreamed about award from one of his prior teachers, she remained at the front of one day being on the show. While contemplating between his the stage and began to scold the other children in the auditorium. two school choices, an episode of College Bowl aired pairing The school that Ben attended was predominantly white, and the Harvard against Yale. Yale routed the Harvard team, and that teacher told the students that they weren’t trying hard enough, was Ben’s answer! He chose Yale. because all of the white students couldn’t outperform the black student receiving the award. A whirlwind of emotions overcame It was at Yale that Ben met his future wife, Candy, and he Ben, from disbelief to anger at the teacher who robbed him of discovered that they had many similar interests; they were both the honor he deserved for his achievement. pre-med, highly driven, and each had an affinity for classical music (Candy was a concert violinist and was a member of the Ben went through a time of rebellion when he started Yale Symphony and Bach Society). After graduating from Yale, associating with the wrong crowds. His temper began to get the Ben was accepted into the University of Michigan’s School of best of him, and his grades started to slide. He lashed out at other Medicine and excelled particularly well in the neurosurgery students and even his mother. A crossroads in his life occurred rotation of the program. Money was always tight for Ben, during an argument with a friend. Ben snapped, pulled out a but he was not afraid to work. During summers, he worked knife and attempted to stab the boy. Miraculously, the knife in factories, road crews and even operated a crane for a steel blade broke when it struck the boy’s belt buckle. Ben panicked company. It was while operating a crane that he discovered and ran to his house and locked himself in the bathroom and what he refers to as a “divine gift” of extraordinary threecried out to Jesus to take his temper away from him. He found a dimensional hand-eye coordination. In neurosurgery, he was Bible and for the next three hours read the Book of Proverbs. It able to perform extremely difficult procedures because of his was a wakeup call for Ben, and he decided that he wasn’t going to Gifted Hands (the name of his best-selling book and movie destroy his future and the plans that God had for him. Since that starring Oscar winner Cuba Gooding Jr.). Even while still a time, he has read from the Book of Proverbs faithfully every day. student, he began developing surgical techniques to increase the

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For Such A Time As This: With Dr. Ben Carson

accuracy of complex operations and decrease the time they took, providing significant benefits to the patients.

Pursuit Of The Best Candy graduated from Yale in 1976 during Ben’s third year of medical school, and they were married that summer. She moved to Ann Arbor to be with him while he finished medical school. Upon graduation he decided to switch hospitals for his residency. Ben felt that in order to be the best, he had to be trained by the best, so he applied to the Johns Hopkins neurosurgery program. He had always admired Johns Hopkins and felt it was the best training hospital in the United States. They only accepted two residents per year, but Ben had outstanding credentials and was selected for the program.

After he and a group of three other doctors flew to Germany to examine the boys, they agreed to attempt the procedure, the most challenging of his career. For the next five months, a team of seventy surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses and technicians researched and practiced the procedure to insure that every move was deliberate and every complication considered. The surgery took place on September 5, 1987 when the boys were seven months old, lasting 22 hours and taking over 60 units of blood. The boys were successfully separated, and after 22 post-separation surgeries were able to return to Germany. Dr. Carson has remained the Head of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins, performing over 300 surgeries per year. He has earned over 66 honorary doctorate degrees and authored over

Ben proceeded to break down racial barriers in the hospital with his superior intelligence, surgical skill and the love of Christ that was evident in his life. He began performing extremely difficult surgeries on patients with severe head trauma, such as victims of automobile accidents, and quickly gained a reputation as being one of the best surgeons in the U.S. At the age of 33 he was honored to be offered the position of Chief Pediatric Neurosurgeon and gratefully accepted. As word spread of Dr. Carson’s abilities, parents of children with brain tumors that were given no hope by other doctors began to contact him. He refined techniques for successfully removing brain tumors and for performing hemispherectomies (removing up to half of the patient’s brain to treat severe, uncontrollable seizures). The surgeries he performed always carried with them the risk of leaving the patient paralyzed, blind or even dead. Before each surgery, he prays for God’s wisdom and direction and has witnessed miracles beyond explanation time and time again. He was blessed with a remarkable rate of successful surgeries and saving the lives of previously untreatable patients.

Pioneering New Procedures In 1987, Dr. Carson was contacted by a physician in Germany. A young couple had just given birth to twin boys who were conjoined at the back of their skulls. They had heard of the work that Dr. Carson and his team at Johns Hopkins were performing and pleaded with him to review their case to determine if he could separate them.

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150 neurosurgical publications. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W. Bush (the highest presidential award given to a civilian) and the Ford’s Theatre Lincoln Medal and has written four best-selling books. He also holds titles as Professor of Neurological Surgery, Professor of Oncology, Professor of Pediatrics and Professor of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. He says that not even a fairy tale could have scripted the way his life turned out.

Thinking Big Education was instrumental to the success of Dr. Carson, and he encourages others to pursue the best education they can get. He is continually invited to speak to schools and organizations to inspire young minds to set and achieve their goals. He and his wife Candy have three grown sons and are the founders of the Carson Scholars Fund, established to provide scholarship money based purely upon academic excellence and community service. Looking back at where he came from, Ben realized that through hard work and discipline, he was able to achieve more than he could have ever imagined. He reasoned that if he could do it, those same principles could be applied for anyone. In his book Think Big, Ben explains his philosophies on reaching your full potential through a strong, God-centered spiritual life, maximizing your education and putting in the time and effort to reach your goals. He developed an acronym for releasing your potential - THINK BIG (see figure). These are keys to inspiring people to pursue their dreams and to give them hope.

Voice of a Nation Dr. Carson’s latest book, America the Beautiful, is a remarkable manifesto written from his unique perspective. He writes about our American heritage, the good and the bad and the moral foundation of which our constitution is based - the Bible. He recounts how our nation has turned into a nation where an attitude of entitlement prevails and that our government is funding programs that deteriorate incentives to work while multiplying our staggering national debt. He goes to great lengths to identify problems with our country, but doesn’t stop there - he offers solutions. It was these points of view that led him to the topics he discussed in the National Prayer Breakfast. If anyone deserved to receive government assistance, it was Ben’s mother, along with him and his brother. Rather than succumbing to a life of

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T H I N K B I G T TALENTS/TIME Recognize your talents and apply them to a field that will allow you to maximize them.

H I N K B I G

HOPE Honestly accept and work through problems to achieve great things.

INSIGHT Observe, reflect and commit to giving your best.

NICE Be nice in your interactions with others and they will respond in the same way to you.

KNOWLEDGE Make every attempt to increase your knowledge to benefit mankind and yourself.

BOOKS Commit to reading to increase your knowledge and only God can limit your potential.

IN-DEPTH Developing in-depth knowledge will enable you to give your best to benefit others.

GOD Acknowledge your need for God and He will help you to fulfill your purpose.

“riding the system,” they determined their destiny. Not only did Ben exceed his dreams of becoming one of the best surgeons of our time, his brother Curtis became a successful engineer. Their mother, Sonya, continued her education and received her high school diploma as well as an Associate’s Degree. Dr. Carson recently announced his retirement from the Head of Pediatric Surgery to focus on teaching and the next chapter of his life, wherever God leads him. When asked if all of his background, education and experience have led him to this juncture as a voice of reason for our country, “Absolutely!” he exclaimed. “It has all worked to prepare me to have a platform to

For Such A Time As This: With Dr. Ben Carson

“

If my people, who are called by name

will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and

I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. ”

do something greater, to help people understand the corrosive effects of political correctness. You have to be at peace with your relationship with God and be true to that relationship. While filming the movie Gifted Hands, the producers felt that there were too many references to spirituality and God in the film. They said it was a movie for general audiences, not a Christian audience. They said that they needed to take those sections out of the movie. I told them ‘ok, but you will have to take me out of it as well since it wouldn’t be about me.’ I make no apologies about who I am, what I believe and who I believe in. That includes being forthright, honest and fair.” For business leaders in the private sector, Dr. Carson says, “The key is that business owners must stop capitulating, stop rolling over. People of principle must be willing to stand up and say ‘enough, we have rights, this is what we believe, and we’re not lying down’. It will take a lot of people, not just business owners. Don’t surrender your values and take a strong moral stand in order to preserve the fabric that made us a great nation.”

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- 1 Chronicles 7:14 He has emerged as a voice of reason for our aching nation with the courage to voice and stand behind his convictions. He has been overwhelmed with the reaction of his speech and the resulting media attention. There have been over two million views of his speech on YouTube, and America the Beautiful has risen to the top of Amazon’s best-sellers list. His other books have also surged in popularity. He has received a tremendous amount of email, the most poignant from elderly people who had given up hope for our nation. In him, they have a new glimmer of hope. Perhaps it is for such as time as this that Dr. Carson has been equipped to provide the vision and clarity to overcome the obstacles that threaten our great nation. VICTORY

Mark Whitaker is the Executive Editor of TwoTen Magazine. He is inspired daily by his God, his wife Kim and his three daughters Hannah, Sarah, and Rhea.

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Norm Miller Chairman of the Board, Interstate Batteries

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Ultimate Power Source

U l timate

P ower Source By: Mark Whitaker

One of the most well known of Jesus’ parables is the Parable of the Prodigal Son. A father has two sons, one of which asked for an advance on his inheritance. He then ventures out into the wicked world to indulge in all sorts of worldly pleasures until he runs out of money. With nowhere else to go and head hung low, he returns home to beg for his father’s mercy.

s the parable goes, his father is overjoyed at his son’s return and orders the boy’s brother to get him cleaned up with new clothes and to prepare a feast for him. Understandably, the brother can’t believe that his father was not only allowing the prodigal, or reckless, son to return to him after wasting all of his inheritance, but was celebrating him! There are three points of view to this parable; that of the prodigal son, the brother and the father. It’s clear to see that the father represents God and the brothers represent mankind. Many of us may think that we are the “good” brother, but in reality, we are all reckless with the

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inheritance that we’re given and require the mercy of a loving Father. For Norm Miller, he was all too eager to indulge in the pleasures of the world. Norm was born and raised in Galveston, Texas, and his father owned a successful gas/service station in the middle of town. Although he was a hard–working, industrious man, he had a weakness for alcohol. Norm was a mischievous young man whose primary focus was when and where the next party was. Norm wasn’t really interested in school but realized that if he wanted to avoid being drafted into military service, he would have to go to college: the lesser of two evils in his mind. He TwoTen Magazine

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enrolled in North Texas State in Denton, Texas after a friend of his told him what a great party school it was. North Texas State was located in a “dry” county (selling alcohol was prohibited), so he and some of his buddies had the brainstorm that they could make money by buying alcohol in the neighboring county and reselling it in Denton for a premium. Norm had a keen eye for seeing lucrative business opportunities. Their operation was an immediate success and soon grew to the point that they needed to expand. They rented the local armory hall for “dances” to front their burgeoning business named the “HiLow Club”. It eventually grew too large and was forced to shut down. It was during his college years that he met his future wife Anne. She was also from Galveston, and they immediately hit it off. Norm graduated from college without much of a plan for his future and wound up selling encyclopedias door-to-door. His father sold his service station and asked if he would join him in opening a battery distributorship in Memphis for Interstate Batteries, that had just started their national distributorship program. Norm jumped at the chance and moved to Memphis. Norm and Anne were married and settled down in Memphis, and she began to realize the extent of his drinking problem. He would travel extensively as part of his job as a salesman for Interstate, and his nights were spent partying. His daughter Tracey was born in 1964 and Anne was practically raising her on her own. His life was starting to tick, unfortunately, just like a time bomb. At Interstate Batteries, Norm’s gift of salesmanship was shining. He was working hard, and the home office in Dallas took notice and offered him a position there. It was a terrific opportunity for Norm, so he and Anne relocated to Dallas. TwoTenMagazine.com

The more that Norm dove into his work, the more release he sought in the bottle. By the time his son was born in 1968, not only was he drinking heavily on the weekends, but he was also hitting the bars on the way home from work. Norm felt his personal life spinning out of control even as his professional life was skyrocketing.

Out of Control One night in 1974, he was drinking well past midnight and was driving himself home when he was stopped by a sheriff. Through some fast talking and fortunate circumstances, he wasn’t arrested. He already had his license suspended in Texas for two DUI’s but was carrying a Tennessee license. He made it home and woke up a few hours later, too hung over to go to work, so he called in sick. As he lay in bed, he realized that his drinking was destroying everything that was precious to him; his wife, children and his career. Although he had tried to stop drinking in the past, he was never able to stop; he was an alcoholic. In that moment of realization and desperation, he cried out to God to save him and to completely remove the compulsion to drink from him. In that instant, he felt the presence of God overwhelm him and release his burdens. Two days later, he started attending AA meetings and never had another drink of alcohol. Norm met some people in AA who began to talk to him about his spiritual life. Although he had gone to church as a child, it never became a part of his life. He was initially skeptical of the concepts of the Bible, but after reading More Than a Carpenter and Evidence that Demands a Verdict, both by Josh McDowell, he began to understand the truths that were contained in God’s Word. He then began to read and study the Bible incessantly; the more he read, the more it made sense to him that every word of it was God’s inspired word, and it was coming alive to him. He started attending a Bible study, and one night after the study he talked with the leader about being born again and surrendering his life to Christ. He felt the prompt of TwoTen Magazine

Matthew 7:12 “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” Norm’s brothers Tommy and Jimmy had joined the company while their father was a distributor in Memphis, and they all moved into senior management roles within the company, with John Searcy providing excellent mentoring and training to prepare them to one day take over the company.

Leading by Example In 1978 John Searcy felt that it was time for him to retire and hand the reins over to Norm. He had been with the company for over twenty years and was ready to follow in the path that had been prepared for him. His creative energy would propel them to the leading replacement battery in the nation. They became the sponsor of The Great American Road Race, a cross country trek from Los Angeles to Indianapolis for cars produced prior to World War II. They coordinated the end of the race to fall on the Friday evening before the Indianapolis 500 and arranged for the cars to circle the track upon their arrival. It was a marketing stroke of genius! In subsequent years it grew in popularity and was covered by all of the major news networks, spawning a whole logistical team just to handle that annual event. As the company grew to include over 200,000 distributors nationwide, Norm and his management team were diligently seeking the Lord’s will for their business and sought to honor Him in all that they did. They started a corporate chaplain program to address the spiritual needs of their employees and distributors and sponsored mission trips locally and abroad. At their bi-annual distributor conferences, they end on a Sunday, which gives them a chance to invite an influential Christian leader to speak to the group. Over the years, thousands of men and women have given their hearts to the Lord at their conferences.

the Holy Spirit, prayed with the leader and made Jesus Christ the Lord of his life. It was a pivotal moment for Norm. He was born again spiritually, and his physical life was experiencing a rebirth as well. He rededicated himself to his family, and his home life blossomed with his wife and children all giving their lives to the Lord.

One of the most prodigious relationships that Norm developed was with Joe Gibbs. Joe contacted Norm in 1991 with an offer of a partnership on a racing team that he was thinking of assembling. Not only was it a tremendous business opportunity to partner with a winner of Joe Gibbs’ caliber (he is a four-time Super Bowl winner), it was an opportunity to partner with a fellow believer. The Joe Gibbs/Interstate racing team, with its neon green and black #18 car, won its first Daytona 500 in 1993 in what may be the most exciting finish in the history of the legendary race, with Dale Jarrett edging out Dale Earnhardt for the victory.

His Second Act John Searcy was the founder of Interstate Batteries and was a devout Christian. He and his business were guided by biblical principles: the most prominent was the Golden Rule found in

2nd Quarter

While Norm is no longer the president of Interstate Batteries, he still remains as Chairman of the Board and actively Ultimate Power Source

“

Norm realized

that he hadn’t ‘gone for broke’ for the Lord and that maybe he could find a way to reach

more people.”

pursues evangelical outreach opportunities. As part of his daily devotions, Norm has read My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers for over seventeen years. Each day that he read the devotion, he would write down where he was that day along with a few notes. In March of 2008 as he wrote, Norm recalled, “It occurred to me that I would soon be turning seventy years old, and I began to wonder if I had been giving my all to reach people for Christ. The bible verse Acts 1:8 kept echoing in my mind; ‘but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’” He considered his Jerusalem to be the Dallas-North Texas region and thought to himself, “Well, I’ve been a pretty good witness; I’ve discipled people, given copies of the Jesus Film out door to door and volunteered with numerous ministry and outreach organizations. I’ve done pretty well in my ‘Jerusalem’.” The next thoughts that occurred to him were, “Have you gone for broke? Are there still people that need to hear about the Lord? And is there something more that you can do?” Norm realized that he hadn’t “gone for broke” for the Lord and that maybe he could find a way to reach more people. As he dug deeper into the idea, he thought “If I were to do this, what would it look like? What would I do if I wanted to try to sell more batteries?” He reasoned that if he wanted to sell more batteries in today’s society, he would launch a media campaign. He then contacted his friends at e3 Partners Ministry, who he had worked with for over twenty years. They had recently hired a man who had been a national advertising executive. Norm met with them, and his idea was met with instant enthusiasm. Within a few weeks they developed the lead line “I Am Second”. They decided to approach some people that they knew collectively to record their testimonies on video with the idea of hosting them online. Some of the first included Norm’s friend Joe Gibbs and Tony Dungy as well as Stephen Baldwin and Josh Hamilton. The dramatic cinematography coupled with the gripping testimonies were an instant hit, reaching viral status. Connections started rolling in with testimonies from celebrities and sports heroes to everyday people, each with a compelling story to tell and a message of how God had helped them through some of life’s most dire circumstances. To date, the “I Am Second” web site has been visited over ten million times in over 56 countries. They now also offer devotionals, group study guides and other ministry resources. For Norm, it’s about being obedient to what God has called him to do and relying on God’s almighty power to see it through. VICTORY *Photos courtesy of Interstate Batteries and e3 Partners/I Am Second.

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2nd Quarter

Soldier For Christ

Soldier For Christ “God, I know I’m going to die in the next few minutes and I need your strength.” Sergeant Jeff Struecker, The Battle of Mogadishu By: Anthony Canorro

n the blood-soaked streets of Mogadishu, Jeff Struecker was confronted with the same stark truth that Jesus Christ dealt with in the Garden of Gethsemane: He was going to die, and it wasn’t going to be pretty. He had only minutes before he survived a withering barrage of enemy fire in a city determined to exterminate him and his comrades. He had just witnessed the incredibly violent death of a friend, tearing free a false veil of security. Now he was being charged with the unthinkable: leading his fellow Rangers back into the lead-ridden gauntlet of the insurgent-controlled city. Confronted with a budding family at home waiting for him, a squad of Rangers looking to him for leadership, and the reality of his own mortality, Jeff’s faith in Christ was crystallized and his life’s purpose defined. As he prayed his prayer for strength, the Lord revealed to Sergeant Struecker the only reality that a saved Christian need ever rely upon: that his life was in Jesus’ hands and that no matter what happened to him, his faith alone settled the issue; his soul’s eternity. With his question of faith answered and his Savior by his side, Jeff Struecker led his men back into the fire. The phenomenal acts of courage displayed by Jeff and his Rangers during the Battle of Mogadishu were well documented in Mark Bowden’s Black Hawk Down and later adapted to an Oscar-winning feature film. But the impact of the Lord’s guiding hand in Jeff Struecker’s life is a story of Christian courage which has continued to be played out far beyond what Hollywood could ever depict. This is a story of an already bullet-proof faith honed in the crucible of combat, exerted and advanced through the Chaplaincy, and poured out today as a Pastor, author, and mentor. Moreover, this is a story of a man who overcame a paralyzing fear of death and embarrassment; shed the false reality of “cultural Christianity” to become an unapologetic Christian leader who became convicted to allow the Lord’s eternal peace to shine through him in order to seize salvation for souls otherwise subject to Satan’s grasp. TwoTenMagazine.com

Army Rangers are hard men. Defined by their adherence to a strict warrior code and a singular focus of mission accomplishment, Rangers take great pride in efficiently operating in the worst possible environments and conditions. Embracing the dark, cold, and arduous, Rangers eschew the fears and trepidation that would otherwise paralyze those who would even comprehend the tasks they perform in the course of duty.

“

Readily will I display

the intestinal fortitude required to fight on to the Ranger objective and complete the m i s s i o n, t h o u g h I b e t h e l o n e s u r v i vo r.” - The Sixth Stanza of the Ranger Creed

By the time that Bravo Company, 3rd Ranger Battalion was called upon to go to Somalia, Jeff Struecker had passed every test that the United States Army and the world had put in front of him. And on that day of October 3, 1993, Jeff Strueker stood with his fellow Rangers; trained, hardened, and ready at the gates of some of the most violent warfare of the 20th century. But unlike many of his peers, Sergeant Jeff Strueker was unafraid.

From Fearful to Belief to Salvation: Shedding Cultural Christianity Jeff’s testimony of brokenness to salvation is superbly detailed in his book The Road to Unafraid. A child of a divided home, Jeff grew up paralyzed and even haunted by a seven-year fear of death, embarrassment, and failure. Despite knowing of Jesus Christ, attending Church, and desiring salvation, Jeff was still haunted by fear and lacked the peace that only the eternal confidence in one’s salvation can provide. In the end, it was a single prayer that was the catalyst for the transformation from fear-ridden soul to a warrior for Christ. TwoTen Magazine

“

God, I don’t want to

go to he l l . I d o n ’t w a n t t o b e a f r a i d o f death anymore like I’ve been my whole life.

I want to know I’m going to heaven.” - 13 Year Old Jeff Struecker

That God could recalibrate a soul broken by death and shame into one fearless enough to become an Army Ranger was only the beginning. Years into Jeff’s walk with Christ, his faith and his daily duty remained bifurcated. Given his environment, this was not surprising. Not unlike the world where the common man finds himself surrounded by daily pitfalls, Jeff’s surroundings were such that kindness, compassion, and temperance were generally mistaken for weakness. Through mentorship, fellowship, and faith, Jeff made the choice to transcend the temptations and actions that did not glorify Christ, invigorated by the words of the apostle Paul, “Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble.” (1 Corinthians 10:31-32). But Jeff would need every bit of intestinal fortitude ingrained in him by the Ranger Creed and inspired by Jesus Christ to meet his next challenge.

Exactly what kind of Christian, warrior, and leader Jeff Struecker had become through Christ was to be revealed on October 3-4, 1993. With a guiding sense of peace and purpose, Jeff led his men back into the city two more times, executing their mission with an unflinching call to duty. After 18 hours of brutally intense combat that included three trips into the streets of Mogadishu, Jeff and his men emerged alive, emboldened, and witnesses to the protection that only God’s hand can provide. As Jeff sat down and tried to make sense of the battle, Christ provided Sergeant Struecker his next challenge through the words of one of his men, “Hey Jeff, I’ve got questions. I need to talk to somebody.” And so Jeff’s walk toward the chaplaincy began.

Leadership Emboldened Through Faith With his walk singularly focused, Sergeant Struecker faced the challenge of proving the strength of Christian leadership to the world’s toughest combat soldiers. A significant component of this challenge was, and is, the widely held assumption within the military’s combat arms that Christians are, “too compassionate and distracted with moral restrictions to be tough.” Jeff combated this “philosophy” by boldly weaving the Ranger doctrine with scripture, “God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7). In doing so, Jeff achieved a nexus between Ranger discipline and the courage shown by Jesus Christ in the Word. Like all things in the military, combat would serve as the authoritative barometer for both Jeff’s Christian leadership and the marriage of Ranger discipline and faith.

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Soldier For Christ

Buoyed by his faith and gift of leadership, Jeff lists his life’s passion as reaching un-churched men with the Gospel. Today he does that through his fiction and non-fiction writings, public speaking, and ministry group, The Gathering. Through these endeavors, Jeff is able to glorify God by sharing his testimony on the platform that the Lord has provided him. Most will never experience the horrific nature of combat. That arena is reserved for those who would selflessly volunteer their lives to preserve ideals often taken for granted in today’s society. But the spiritual combat that the average men and women who Jeff lists as his present day heroes face every day is no less fraught with eternal peril. To overcome one’s fears, through faith and trust in Jesus Christ, is to triumph over dangers no less spiritually tumultuous than the killing fields of Somalia. Jeff Struecker’s story is a portrait of meeting and defeating those fears bravely, boldly, yet meekly; and is a true testament to the words of Timothy:

Pastors Lead the Way Having followed God’s calling into the chaplaincy, Jeff continued bringing God’s word to combat soldiers through more than a dozen combat deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now a co-pastor at Calvary Baptist Church in Columbus, Georgia, Jeff Strueker’s passion for the advancement of Christian leadership remains on fire. In his present role as co-pastor, Jeff endeavors to lead a Christian engagement of injustice while keeping mindful of Jesus’ call for Christian accountability in Matthew 12:36.

“And I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.” - Matthew 12:36

Jeff Struecker has never been one to shy from the mantle of righteous leadership. A significant component of Struecker’s aggregation of pastoral leadership today relates to what he sees as an abdication of Christian leaders’ responsibility to properly and unapologetically educate their respective flocks about Godly anger as well as God’s love. Struecker refers to the book of James in reminding us that Christians must provide for the innocent and be furious at their mistreatment. Each component of faith requires the same level of dedication and oneness with the Father. Jeff believes that the responsibility of the conveyance and clear interpretation of the Word rests with Pastors, regardless of what a culturally lukewarm society would say. This unapologetic approach to the zero-sum undertaking of salvation versus damnation is not unreflective of the same noexcuses endeavor of combat. In neither arena is there a place for weakness in leadership in the face of the bold truth borne out through the Word. TwoTenMagazine.com

“

Be strong

with the special favor God gives you in Christ Jesus…Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. And as Christ’s soldier, do not let yourself become tied up in the affairs of this life, for then you cannot satisfy the one who has enlisted you in his army.” - 2 Timothy 2:1 3-4

VICTORY

Anthony Canorro is a freelance writer living in the Tampa Bay, FL area. He is a former Army Ranger and veteran of ten years of service as a non-commissioned and commissioned officer. Tony currently enjoys life with his wife and two daughters and is a member of Southbay Church in Riverview, Florida.

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C o u r a g e o u s ly

Facing The Giants P ro v ide n t F ilms

By: Jessica Burchfield

2nd Quarter

Couageously Facing The Giants

ollywood: the center of the American f ilm industry and the throne room of high society. Under the bright lights of the small California town, the next big name is created and the next big fortune is made, but at what cost? A swirling

storm of popularity and a whirlpool of ambition, Hollywood is the goal of every wanna be actor and the endgame of producers and entertainers across the country. Within this stormy culture of superf iciality, it is refreshing to f ind a lighthouse boldly facing the Hollywood giant.

Provident Films, a Nashville-based branch of the Provident Music Group, is in the business of standing up to the Hollywood agenda by offering quality entertainment that the whole family can enjoy. According to their corporate website, “The leaders of the Provident Films team have experience working on some of the most popular faith-based films, including FIREPROOF, the leading independent film of 2008, and Facing the Giants, the surprise theatrical hit of 2006.” Surviving within an industry that released a remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre as the first box office smash of 2013 is a tall order, but Provident Films has proven time and again that America wants an alternative. By offering an alternative to the horror-filled, carnalitysaturated Hollywood market, the company is effectively impacting American life through faith-based, moralitydriven films. They are actively standing in the gap against the moral decay of our society. In a recent interview with Kris Fuhr, the Vice President of Theatrical Marketing for Provident Films, TwoTen discovered that while the company has captured the attention of the Hollywood film industry through their quality productions, they are more concerned with promoting the Gospel of Christ to this generation. “We want to create an ongoing pipeline of faith-based films,”

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said Kris. “We are believers, and we want to see people go to the movies and be inspired.” Countless lives have been changed through the ministry of Provident Films. “We could talk for the next year and half about all the lives that have been changed,” said Kris. After releasing Facing the Giants, the Provident Films team received a special reminder of their purpose. “There was a big manila envelope in the mail filled with letters from inmates in a Texas prison about how the movie had changed their lives and helped them to realize that they needed to take a different path.” There is no question: the ministry of Provident Films is in the life-changing business. Rather than avoiding the cultural issues threatening twenty-first century Americans, popular movies including FIREPROOF and October Baby deal with the giant issues of divorce and abortion and give answers to the “what if” questions confronting homes and families. Bottom line, lives are miraculously changed through this ministry.

A Closer Look at Provident Films Recently appearing on the Mike Huckabee radio show, October Baby director, Jon Erwin, recounted a small taste of why he created this movie. “I had no idea that

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are

wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.â&#x20AC;?

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

PERSPECTIVE We have been called to work diligently, to the best of our abilities, so that He can be glorified. Our PERSPECTIVE should be based on eternity. ...meditate on these things.

“

People connect with

who they see on the screen,” said Kris. “It helps them to then use that movie to make a change in their own lives and to recommend it to others to make changes in their lives!

They see the authenticity.” - Kris Fuhr the words “abortion” and “survivor” could go together,” he said. “[The idea for this movie] didn’t come through an agenda; I encountered the truth through a story of an abortion survivor… I was so shattered by the truth and so moved by her story that I felt I had to do something about it.” And that is the heartbeat of Provident Films. “The challenge is to find a good story,” said Kris Fuhr. “We look for a story that will appeal to the whole family, that has warmth and humor, and that shows people living their lives faithfully in an authentic way. We want to see people struggling with their faith, because as Christians, we should struggle with our faith every day. None of us are perfect, and part of our relationship with Christ is that ongoing struggle to be faithful and to walk in the way

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the Lord would have us walk. We love stories that show people doing that.” Employing the New Testament formula of parables, Provident Films actively uses the movie industry to promote Christian living, biblical principles, and lifestyle morality. “People connect with who they see on the screen,” said Kris. “It helps them to then use that movie to make a change in their own lives and to recommend it to others to make changes in their lives! They see authenticity [and that is our goal].” Operating within the pleasure-driven Hollywood industry is no small task for a faith-based company, but Provident Films has found the key to success. “We are a

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Sony company, and we work with our partners, but I do think that in general, Hollywood looks at us and [wonders how we do it],” said Kris.“We consistently open our movies in the top ten, if not in the top five. We roll up our sleeves, work hard, and pray over everything. We have a unity of purpose, because we are thinking of the people who are going to see the film and whose lives are going to be changed.”

The Real Davids Facing the Giants Recent communications with moviegoers prove that lives are being changed every day through the vibrant ministry of Provident Films. “After watching Courageous,” said a recent viewer, “our purpose was not only to reconcile a marriage on the brink of divorce, but to create a ‘family’ resolution. We haven’t taken our roles seriously enough to search out Scripture to live it out God’s way. Nearly 22 years of doing things our own way, selfishly and blindly, we decided that not only should Dad be a Godly example, but that our entire family should too! It’s a start.” The heart of Provident Films beats to effect change. It exists to drive people to their knees, seek restitution, and raise the questions that are confronting American society. Every day, millions of Americans check out of reality and enter the world created for them upon the screen. For many people, the movie industry is a welcome two-hour release from the problems facing their everyday lives. Not willing to simply be a form of entertainment, Provident Films yearns to change the global home. According to a 2012 press release, “In the Philippines, 1,000 [law enforcement] officers dedicated their lives to Christ following a screening of Courageous that drew 4,000 people. In Panama, 700 police officers drove four hours to see the film. In Baton Rouge, LA, the chief of police offered to personally cover the cost for any of the city’s 630 officers wanting to see Courageous. In San Angelo, Texas, Downtown San Angelo Inc. offered a free showing of Courageous in honor of Police Week.” Truly, Provident Films is affecting change. “This business is not for the faint of heart. It is a highrisk business,” said Kris. “When we are bogged down in the minutia of the films, we think about the people whose lives will be changed by it. When I go to the theater and watch these movies, we cry like a baby every time! It is so amazing to see people’s lives changed right there in the theater.”

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P rov i d e n t F i l m s By The Numbers:

2008

FIREPROOF Opened as the

Number One

Independent Film 2011

Courageous Opened In

The Top Five

Box Office Attendance

2012

October Baby Opened In

The Top Ten Among Nationwide Theaters

Couageously Facing The Giants

Every movie produced by Provident Films has a purpose and is created with American families in mind. Whether struggling with addictions, facing the giants of divorce or infidelity, confronting the harsh reality of unplanned pregnancies, or living with peer pressure, the stories told through these movies reach into the hearts of individuals and truly minister to the need. Provident Films is not going anywhere. They will continue to produce a pipeline of character-based films for this generation and many to come. God has blessed the efforts of the company and continues to provide the resources for future films while sustaining the interest of the American public. By standing up to the Hollywood movie industry, Provident Films maintains their commitment to moral, entertaining films that teach lessons and promote biblical family unity.

“

It’s God.

There is no other

explanation

[for the success of Provident Films] .

We serve

a big God.” - Kris Fuhr VICTORY

Jessica

Burchfield

the

Communications

Coordinator for Clearwater Christian College, a freelance writer, and a professional photographer based out of Clearwater, Florida.

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TwoTen Magazine

F aith In W or k Clothes

Daryle Doden From Rags to Riches By: Jessica Burchfield

2nd Quarter

Faith In Work Clothes - Daryl Doden: From Rags To Riches

Henry Ford, the great industrialist inventor of the automobile, once said that he looked for men who had an infinite capacity to not know what couldn’t be done. Daryle Doden, CEO of Ambassador Enterprises, is a personification of this ideal.

t was with certain expectations that the TwoTen team arrived in Fort Wayne, Indiana, at the corporate headquarters of Ambassador Enterprises. The successful investment management and consultant group specializes in corporate evaluation and restructuring for the purpose of reawakening organizational performance. Expectations of grandeur were exceeded as the team was ushered into the executive conference room through a lobby that boasted a vast library of volumes describing ways to succeed in business. First impressions were of successful leadership within an atmosphere of corporate excellence and a deep commitment to ethics and morality, but Daryle Doden shattered the pre-existing notions of the untouchable nature of successful corporate America. The son of a small-town preacher, Daryle was raised to believe that biblical principles should permeate every aspect of life, both personal and professional. “I saw Christ lived out every day in my father,” said Daryle. “He was an incredible man of God who spent an hour or two every day in Bible reading and prayer. He didn’t require me to be like him; he modeled Christ and I wanted to model the same character that he did.” This early character development morphed into the distinctive business principles that created Ambassador Enterprises.

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Originally believing that he was destined for the ministry, Daryle attended Moody Bible Institute and earned his degree in Sacred Music. He met and married his wife, graduated, and entered the ministry, but was miserable. After taking a personality assessment, he discovered that his left-brain operating system rebelled against relational-type careers and realized that the ministry was not where he was uniquely designed to serve. At 26, he resigned from his pastoral position and began seeking God’s will for the next chapter of his life. “Once I resigned from the ministry, I had no job, no insurance, a third child on the way, no savings, and I was too young to be scared,” said Daryle. “That was in 1973. I had two months of severance that ended in October. In November, we had our baby and had no money to pay the hospital bills.” Throughout this financial test, Daryle never doubted that God had a plan and would provide what was necessary for his growing family.

Rolling Up the Sleeves: Ambassador Steel In the early 1970’s, restrictions were imposed upon the export of steel. This created a production crisis and raised the demand for steel bars within manufacturing plants across the country. At the same time, Darlye began taking odd jobs to provide for his wife and children. One odd job led to another, until he was called upon to give a quote for steel reinforcement bars for a successful businessman.

“

Once I

resigned from the ministry, I had no job, no insurance, a third child on the way, no savings, and I was too young to be scared.”

“A friend of mine knew someone in the steel business,” said Daryle. “After three phone calls, and probably just to get rid of us, he said that he had found five tons in Chicago. He said that if we could find it, he would buy it. Since we had no money for the phone calls, we went to a phone booth at a gas station and starting making calls. We sold all the steel. I made more money that day than I had made in a month!” One day of phone calls paid November’s bills. Once again, God had provided for the Doden family. As is the nature of bills, the next month came along, and the family was again in need of money. Another call was made, and five more tons of steel were sold. Recognizing that Daryle had talent, the businessman offered him a partnership: Ambassador Steel was born. God had blessed Daryle’s endeavors and rewarded the faithful pursuit of provision for his family. Blossoming from the initial five-ton sale to an impossible 650,000-ton sale per year, Ambassador Steel became the owner of 5-7% of the domestic market and was the largest independently owned company in the field. Humble beginnings begat fantastic opportunities for greatness, but the Doden family remained dedicated to the biblical principles instilled into the fabric of their legacy.

The Next Step: Ambassador Enterprises

The son of a small-town preacher, Dar yle was raised to believe that biblical principles should permeate ever y aspect of life, both personal and professional.

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A combination of the economic temperature of the late twentieth century and corporate restructuring led to a plan to transfer ownership of the company to another vendor. “I knew that if I ever had the opportunity to not be in operations, I knew I wanted to start a private investment firm,” said Daryle. “So, in 2000 we developed a plan to not only develop middle management, but also to develop senior management so that we could exit the company.” Faith In Work Clothes - Daryl Doden: From Rags To Riches

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Work-Clothed Faith: Faith in Business Taught by a godly man, supported by a faithful wife, and molded by character-building financial struggles, Daryle personifies Proverbs 13:4: “The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.”

Daryle Doden and family.

This unprecedented concern for the temperature of the company created a workplace in which not only professional ventures are rewarded, but also character-driven personal training for future leaders is cultivated. Daryle and his business partner were not willing to simply sell Ambassador Steel, but committed themselves to work alongside the future senior managers to cultivate the same commitment to character and business ethics upon their transference of leadership over a five-year period. Once this five-year plan was complete, Nucor Corporation purchased Ambassador Steel for approximately $185 million, freeing Daryle to pursue a dream while retaining the characterdriven workplace environment in which Ambassador Steel gained its reputation. In 2006, Daryle started Ambassador Enterprises as a private equity firm that exists as a philanthropic, for-profit, private investment firm. Specializing in active investments, the corporation looks for businesses to coach and counsel until they are fully engaged in the governance of the organization. “We look for eternal returns in both non-profit and profit organizations. We look for three things in either a for profit or non-profit organization: a sustainable model for future revenue or income, access and influence as investors, and the acknowledgement and addressing of systemic issues in innovative ways in collaboration with others.” Ambassador Enterprises is looking to make an eternal impact. Not limiting themselves to Christian organizations, they look for entities that are willing to allow faith as part of their organizational structure, not trying to exclude faith, and willing to let people of faith exude salt and light within the corporate structure. “If Christians are empowered within that type of environment, it can have tremendous influence in the marketplace,” said Daryle.

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“In my teens, I developed a mindset I that wanted to be practical, to live out the Christian life in a practical manner, and to be able to explain to others what I was doing and how I was doing it. I wanted to integrate my faith into everything that I did every day. When I got to the marketplace that concept was exhilarating, and I enjoyed finding out how to live that practicality out in every situation.” By allowing Christian principles to order his life, Daryle has developed a business model that has been successfully implemented in numerous companies across the country. Ambassador Enterprises seeks to partner with businesses, corporations, and organizations and instruct them in ways to better capture their unique workplace environment for a successful future of their product, ministry, and global presence. Ambassador Enterprises is able to successfully figure out what makes corporations tick through in-depth evaluations, corporate assessments, and financial planning. Faith is practical. Life is complex. Daryle Doden has found the way to integrate practical Christian principles into a simple business ethic. His golden ticket to Bible-based practicality is to model Proverbs 11 within his company. God has blessed Daryle Doden financially throughout his business ventures, but more importantly, Daryle has developed an organization that focuses on relationships, character-building, and the furtherance of biblical ethics within the workplace environment.

“

We are very

intentional. We desire to be called into account to live out our faith in the marketplace. It’s what drove us. It’s what continues to drive us. What does faith look like with work clothes on?” - Daryle Doden VICTORY Faith In Work Clothes - Daryl Doden: From Rags To Riches

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sweetFrog:

A Leap Of Faith By: Mark Whitaker

2nd Quarter

sweetFrog: A Leap Of Faith

or most people, 2009 was not a ban ner year to com memorate. Like most of the world, the United States was in the midst of the worst economic cr isis since the Great Depression, and ou r GDP was st uck in a r ut of nearly -3% . It was hardly the climate to be plan ning the lau nch of a new star t up. But that’s exactly what Derek Cha and his wife A n nah K im were prepar ing to do.

Rather than succumb to the negativity that was permeating every aspect of our culture, Derek had a vision of launching a new business that would provide jobs, hope and source of optimism. What was that vision? It was that of a self-serve frozen yogurt shop. While it might sound like a fun “hobby,” it’s not one that seems likely to survive the turbulence of the economic times, let alone grow to a multimillion dollar company. Derek was confident that God had given him the vision and relied upon his faith and support of family and friends and launched his first store in Richmond, Virginia in 2009. He wanted to make sure that God was given glory in his endeavor and named his company sweetFrog (Frog is an acronym for Fully Rely on God). He was also aware of the dire climate of the economy and wanted to provide a cheerful experience the moment you walked in the door of a sweetFrog store. The shop decor is ultra-bright with the sweetFrog mascots “Scoop” and “Cookie” displayed playfully throughout the store. They sell t-shirts, hats and other logo merchandise in the same bright colors, which also serves to solidify their brand.

Keeping it Simple Selling frozen yogurt isn’t a new concept; there were other big players in the premium frozen yogurt market, the largest being TCBY. Undeterred by the odds, Derek had some ideas about how to make sweetFrog more appealing to consumers than the competitors. He wanted it to be simple and economical for the store owners as well as for families. He also knew that the product had to be consistently appealing. To help accomplish this, he offered a dozen or more flavors of frozen yogurt and changed them daily. The yogurt flavors range from the exotic, such as Raspberry Pomegranate and Honey Lavender, to twists on classics such as Snickerdoodle and Butter Brickle. In addition to offering nearly one hundred different flavors of yogurt, they offer literally hundreds of optional toppings, ranging from fresh fruit and nuts to brownie and cookie crumbs, marshmallows and chocolate chips. Rather than charging based on a certain sized

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container, customers are charged by the ounce; yogurt, toppings and all. You’re in charge of how much or how little you get. It’s a formula that has proven to be quite lucrative. The first store was so successful that plans for franchises were put into action. As of this writing, sweetFrog has over 150 locations in over fifteen states along the east coast of the United States and is developing plans to expand to overseas locations. Ownership models include franchises, licensed locations and corporateowned stores. They have plans to expand across the United States with over two hundred locations by the end of 2013. The growth that they have experienced has been remarkable considering sweetFrog doesn’t employ an advertising agency and does very little formal marketing. One thing that they do well is harness the power of social media. They rely heavily on Facebook and Twitter and other social media both corporately and through their franchisees to get their brand awareness out en masse. As a means of staying connected to their customers, sweetFrog allows customers to sign up for text message updates of new promotions and to receive discounts when they show their phone at the register.

Fun for Families Their main appeal is to families with children, and they quickly develop a loyal following of local school and athletic groups as well as churches and youth groups. Store locations are strategically located near movie theaters and shopping plazas near WalMart stores. James Denison, PR/Social Media Associate from the sweetFrog Corporate Office in Richmond, Virginia says, “Store owners often develop a loyal following of customers who not only support the stores for what they stand for but go out of their way to frequent them as a way of ‘investing’ in their business.” While it does not disclose sales, the franchise fee for a sweetFrog site is $30,000 per location. Franchisees pay a monthly

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“

T h e L o r d will

guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land

and will strengthen y o u r f r a m e . Yo u w i l l b e l i k e a w e l l - w a t e r e d

g a r d e n , l i k e a s pring whose waters never fail .” - Isaiah 58:11

fee of 6% of gross sales, of which 1% goes to marketing. But there is more to sweetFrog than business.

Community Outreach The sweetFrog international outreach initiative currently sponsors nineteen children from Burundi in East Africa. It is a country whose people have suffered genocide at the hands of a ruthless government. Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed, and scores of children have been left orphaned. The sweetFrog sponsorships provide financial support for necessities, schooling and health care for the children they sponsor. Giving back to the community is an important aspect of sweetFrog. They sponsor local events through the American Cancer Society, the Special Olympics and others. The sweetFrog mascots also visit local children’s hospitals monthly to bring fun and cheer to the children. While Derek credits God for giving him the vision for sweetFrog, he didn’t dive into it irresponsibly. He did his homework and studied the market to develop an implementation strategy to fulfill the vision God had given him. As Isaiah 58:11 says, “The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a wellwatered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.” VICTORY TwoTenMagazine.com

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2nd Quarter

Faith Can Work

Faith Can Work LeTourneau University is Training Young Christian Leaders To Enter the Workforce

ust outside the window of the LeTourneau University president’s office stands a new, two-story student center currently under construction. It is one of many transformations made in the past six years by the university’s new leader.

When Dr. Dale A. Lunsford assumed the presidency of LeTourneau University in Longview, Texas on July 1, 2007, he was the first new president in over two decades. His first year as president, he lived in an apartment on campus, eating meals with the students, attending their athletic events and worshipping with them at Sunday evening services. Those experiences proved invaluable and led to improvements to dining facilities and athletic fields, aviation and engineering facilities, as well as construction of a new 200-bed residence hall on the university’s 162-acre campus in the piney woods of East Texas. The university also expanded its academic degree programs to be more comprehensive, while retaining its historically strong reputation in the STEM programs (science, technology, engineering and math).

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“Profit is not a bad thing. Success is not a bad thing. And being the number one in market share is not an ungodly thing at all,” Lunsford said. “It is about the way you do it. It is about the culture. It’s about standing on the conviction that we can be a loving, God-honoring, affirming culture and still be very successful. Some don’t think Christian values will work in business, so they don’t try it. We beg to differ.” Every workplace in every nation is a mission field, a place of ministry.

LeTourneau University President, Dr. Dale Lunsford

Yet, one of the president’s first hurdles was to assure the school’s alumni all over the world that this Christ-centered university was steadfast in its commitment to its heritage. Lunsford led the university in 2008 to distill its identity in a new vision statement:

Claiming every as their mission graduates are and Christ-like work as a holy

workplace in every nation field, LeTourneau University professionals of ingenuity character who see life’s calling with eternal impact.

- LeTourneau University’s Vision Statement

“Our goal is that every graduate who leaves here is a minister, everyone is an evangelist, but not in the traditional sense to go off to be on a church payroll somewhere,” Lunsford said. “Our graduates are civil engineers, they are airline pilots, they are teachers in public school systems, they are business people and CPAs. And from that context, they bring God’s love to the world. That makes LeTourneau a very unique place among Christian higher education.” Churches are having a declining impact on communities, Lunsford said. One of the big reasons is because Christian professionals have a disconnect between Sunday and Monday. “They might be faithful, worshipful, prayerful, giving people, and leaders in their church,” he said. “But many don’t see that their faith informs the way they should run their business Monday through Friday. This means we miss that opportunity to impact our culture.”

“This mission is part of our DNA,” Lunsford said. “It goes back to our founder R.G. LeTourneau, who founded [the school] 65 years ago. He was not a pastor, not an evangelist, but was a highly successful businessman who worked in the earthmoving and offshore oil drilling industries. He was a man of great faith, and the institution was founded and continues to operate with the idea that the workplace is a place of ministry.”

Because we see work and success differently here, “we have alumni who are out there quietly changing the world,” Lunsford said.

LeTourneau University students are taught that excellence in their career field honors God, and the school’s strong reputation enables many of them to graduate with several offers in hand because of emphasis on work ethic and practical, hands-on learning.

“They are running their businesses in a godly way and through that, are changing the lives of their employees, their customers, their suppliers and all the people who do business with them.”

“We are called in all that we do to be God-honoring, and that means God gets the very best of our effort,” Lunsford said. “As people of faith, we should be the market leaders in everything we do. We should be challenged to be the very best. The question is not: Am I going to be successful, or am I going to be a godly man? You’re going to do both. In fact, your success is going to point to and honor God. It’s not a choice.”

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Examples Lunsford cites include LeTourneau alumni like Bob Walker, who manufactures lawnmowers, and Paul Abbott, who builds aircraft engines. They see their work as valuable to God.

Lunsford pointed out that in our culture today, when the great crises of life happen, when their marriage is in trouble, their doctor gives them a bad test result, their children are in trouble and struggling, they are often more likely to talk to their friend in the next cubicle than seek out a pastor. “It is at that point that a godly professional who came to work that morning realizing that their workplace is their place Faith Can Work

of ministry, really gets to speak God’s truth and demonstrate God’s love in a way that a pastor might not have the opportunity to do,” Lunsford said. “Many Christians have this mistaken worldview that God has a varsity team of people like Rick Warren, Tim Tebow, Billy Graham and even their local pastor,” Lunsford said, “and that they serve on the junior varsity team when it comes to sharing about faith.”

“

Profit is

n ot a b a d t h i n g .

“We sit on the bench most of the time,” Lunsford said. “We think maybe God will call us in for a special punt or kickoff return now and then. We believe our job is to sit on the bench, to cheer on the varsity team, to write checks to support the varsity team, but that it’s not really our game to play.” “That’s just a lie,” Lunsford said. “It’s not in any way biblical.”

Success is not a bad thing. And being the number one in market share is not an ungodly thing at all.” Lunsford said.

“If you can go to work and see your workplace as your place of ministry, it changes everything,” Lunsford said. “Every relationship is different after that. Every decision is different after that. It truly is a world-changing decision. And that’s our goal at LeTourneau University. That’s what we equip our students to do.”

- Dr. Dale Lunsford, President of LeTourneau University

LeTourneau University faculty are role models who lead each class with a devotional. “Our faculty have been called for a career in education. They’re smart, bright people with graduate degrees, but whether they are teaching chemistry or engineering, they see their work as a holy calling, too,” he said. “Their classroom is their place of ministry, and so it starts with our faculty, and then it is also reflected in chapel services and other programs, too.”

“It’s about the w a y y o u d o i t .”

As an outreach to expand on this faith and work integration, LeTourneau University launched the Center for Faith and Work in 2011 to educate students, churches and Christians throughout the marketplace on how to effectively integrate their Christian faith and professional calling. Lunsford named Bill Peel to serve as executive director of the center. Peel, who has written several books on the subject and speaks widely on it, is a natural fit. TwoTenMagazine.com

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“Our work matters to God,” Peel said. “Many people are surprised to learn that God considers their daily work just as significant as a pastor or missionary’s work. People do better work when their labor carries a sense of calling. That’s something that most employers can’t give, and many churches often neglect.” “Pastors have people in their congregations for a maximum of five hours a week, and for many, it’s only one hour,” Peel said. “Yet these same people spend 40 hours minimum, sometimes 70 hours a week, in their workplaces. So who is being more influential in their lives?” The Center for Faith & Work extends LETU’s message in two directions, inwardly to the students and outwardly to Christian professionals and pastors by providing resources at its extensive website, www.CenterForFaithAndWork.com. The website stays current with rich resources for anyone to gain a new sense of their own calling through their work. It is fast becoming a go-to resource for helping people rethink issues of business and faith. “We want to challenge, equip and provide vision for professionals to take Christ into their workplaces,” Peel said. “We want to change the business culture. Faith gives you the ability to love people and care about them. Separating faith and work is bad for business as well as bad theology.” The center also brings business leaders to speak on campus to interact with students, as well awarding R.G. LeTourneau Faith and Work Scholars. “The Center connects LeTourneau University to Christian professionals everywhere,” Lunsford said. “And we bring a lot of them to campus to talk about how their Christian faith changes the way they look at business opportunities and the way they define success.” “They have stories to tell about what it looks like when you let Christ be the Lord of your workplace,” Lunsford said. “What does it look like in a landscape business? In a law firm? In a dental practice? In an aviation company?” “Our ultimate measure of success is to be faithful to our call, to claim every workplace and every nation for Jesus,” Lunsford said. “What inspires me is to hear the stories about how our graduates are faithfully tackling the question, ‘how do I make Christ the Lord of my work?’ It’s not an easy thing to answer. It’s a complicated question. And it looks a little different in every business and in every industry and in every life.” VICTORY

“

We want to c h a l l e n g e, e q u i p a n d p rov i d e

vision for professionals to take Christ into their workplaces,” Peel said.

“ We wa n t t o c h a n g e

th e bu s i n e s s cu l tu re. Faith gives you the abilit y to love p e o p l e a n d c a r e a b o u t t h e m .” - Bill Peel, Executive Director of the Center For Faith And Work

S ucc e ss Based On Ephesians 2:10

By: Buck Jacobs

Two of the best known, most often memorized and quoted verses in Scripture are Ephesians 2:8-9, â&#x20AC;&#x153;For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift from God, not of works lest anyone should boast.â&#x20AC;?

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Success Based On Ephesians 2:10

e are reassured as we hear them that we don’t work our way to peace with God and that our salvation is a free gift which is the wonderfully profound truth of Jesus’ sacrificial and atoning death in taking our place on the cross. And perhaps it is the wonder of the magnitude and significance of that free gift that has allowed our enemy to so obscure the subsequent verse; verse 10. This verse has significant profundity of its own and gives us the basis for a saved life of eternal significance if we understand it correctly. It follows that, because it is so important that our enemy, Satan, would attempt to deflect our attention or discourage our consideration of the eternal import that resides in just 22 words. “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10. No, we are not saved by good works, but we are saved for the good works that God prepared for us to do! Without taking the time to go deeply into the theology, let’s just look at the simple implications of the concept. First, God has a plan for the life and works of each saved person. He prepared it beforehand, before He created the Earth. He planned for each Christian to be born and born again! He has a master plan for the entire universe, and within it there is a part for you and me! How important is our individual piece? Important enough for God to include it in the most wondrous of plans ever! You and I are not biological accidents who just happened to show up on planet earth at this time in history! God decided He needed and wanted us here right now! And He planned ultimate meaning for us as we fulfill His desire and do His will. Each of us is important to the plan and will of God. We have an eternal destiny, and it’s more than simply salvation. This statement doesn’t minimize the value of our salvation; it simply expands it to include God’s ultimate purpose. Our experience in heaven will be influenced by our response to our individual opportunity to live out God’s plan for our lives. In the space we have available let’s consider another obscured, but also eternally significant verse, 2 Corinthians 5:10, which reads, “For we must all appear before the Judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” Get that “all” and “each one?” That’s you and me. The Judgment Seat of Christ, or The Bema as it is often called, is the performance review of each believer’s life conducted by Jesus. Jesus didn’t die for us just so that we could avoid hell. Jesus “gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.” Titus 2:14.

foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet as through fire.” The “work” is what God designed us to do and is the specific way we can participate in the plan which He “prepared in advance for us.” In the second chapter of Titus, Scripture tells us that we should “show yourself to be a pattern of good works.” In chapter 4 we read that “those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works” and “let our people also learn to maintain good works.”

Goo d W o r k s can be identified in 3 basic segments Helping the lost be saved. Helping the saints to learn God’s plan and way in life. Giving to the needs of others in God’s love and Name.

What are those “things done in the body?” Let the Scriptures speak for themselves; 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 “For no other TwoTenMagazine.com

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“

God decided

He needed and wanted us here right now! And He planned ultimate meaning for us as we fulfill His desire and do His will.

Each of us is important to the plan and will of God.” - Buck Jacobs

We could go on, but there’s not space here. The point is simply this, after our salvation, our most important focus should be to learn what God’s will and purpose for our lives is and then to pursue it. It should be our goal as parents to guide our children in this truth. For those called to lead a business, it is super important that we understand that our work counts in this equation. God raises up leaders who operate as stewards and calls them to share His thinking. This is counter-cultural thinking, contrary to the American dream in many ways. But

that’s not what is important. What is important is that it is truth. And each of us should invest the time to investigate for ourselves to the extent that we are willing to trust our answer for eternity. When we come to the end of the “race that is set before us,” we won’t have the opportunity for a “do-over.” God is gracious beyond words, but there is no hint in His Word that we can have a second chance. “And it is appointed for men to die, but after this the judgment.” – Hebrews 9:27. Take the time. Check it out. Eternity is a long time to get it wrong.

Buck Jacobs is Chairman of the Board and Founder of The C12 Group, LLC. As a Christian leadership development organization, C12 helps teach you to best use your position as Christian Business Owner, CEO, or President to share the joy of serving Christ daily. You can find out more information about The C12 Group by visiting www.c12group.com. Buck has written several books and feature magazine articles, including A Light Shines Bright in Babylon – A Handbook for Christian Business Owners, and A Strategic Plan for Ministry and The Parable of the Janitor and the CEO. Buck currently lives in Cornelia, Georgia. He is happily married to Bonnie for 35 years, and they have three lovely daughters, five “way above average” grandsons, and one very beautiful and huggable granddaughter.

2nd Quarter

Success Based On Ephesians 2:10

“

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Galatians 6:9

PERSERVERANCE Following the path that God laid for you isn’t a guarantee that you will avoid trials and difficulties. On the contrary, you may find that there are more trials and distractions that will entice you to take the easy way out. It’s in those times that you need PERSEVERENCE to stay on course and not lose faith.

...meditate on these things.

Ask Dave On Business w

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a v

R a m s e y

Ask Dave On Business

When A Hobby A partnership Becomes A Business doesn’t sail Dear Dave,

Dear Dave,

In your opinion, how do you know when a hobby officially becomes a business?

My fiancée has a small photography business, and she wants to form a partnership with a college student who is majoring in business. I think this is a bad plan, but I’m pretty sure she’s not going to listen to me. What do you think about the idea?

— Dan

— Bruce Dear Dan, This is a great question. But when it comes to something like this, my opinion doesn’t matter nearly as much as what the Internal Revenue Service says. According to the IRS, if you run a business for two years or more without making a profit, then it is not a business. You have to become profitable at some point. Otherwise, the IRS will declare your endeavor a hobby. Personally, I think that’s a pretty good marker. I mean, if you’re making money at something, it’s a business. It’s an income. Now, I’m not talking about little tidbits, like making a doily for a friend for $5. But if you’re at the point where you’ve created an online store, or have a Pinterest strategy for displaying your product and making sales internationally, then your little hobby has become a business. But a business that doesn’t make money is simply a hobby. The difference is profit. And you need to become profitable in a reasonable period of time. If this doesn’t happen, you should probably just back up, admit your intent isn’t for profit and think about focusing any business aspirations you have somewhere else. Still, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with having a hobby as long as you realize that’s what it is and you don’t let it negatively impact your financial well-being. Lots of people collect or make things, and it’s a stress reliever—it’s fun. They had no intention of making a profit from day one. Just make sure you love whatever it is you pour yourself into. Then, if it turns into something that’s a moneymaker, you’ll have the satisfaction that goes with loving what you do for a living. That’s a great feeling!

Dear Bruce, A partnership is always a bad idea. There’s absolutely no upside for her, and if you feel there’s nothing you can do to keep her from making such a ridiculously bad mistake, then you guys are going to have issues in your marriage, too. It sounds like she’s looking for emotional support combined with some business acumen. But that doesn’t mean she needs a partner, and she definitely doesn’t need one who’s still in school and has no experience. If she feels like she needs help, there are ways to do it without turning this into a partnership. She could hire this person and let them share in profits while she owns 100 percent of the business. That’s not a bad idea at all. But she needs to stop and take a breath, because if she walks headfirst into creating a partnership with this person, she’ll most likely lose clients, then sections of her business and finally a friend. On top of it all, it will create marriage strife. As I said before, partnerships are never a good idea. But this situation goes much deeper than business practices. You two must learn to listen to each other’s instincts and make decisions together. If you can’t do that, then you don’t need to get married. And by the way, this is not an issue about the husband being the boss. You should be willing to listen to that little voice inside her, too, when it says something doesn’t seem right! —Dave

— Dave

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Do You Really Want Limiting The To Sell? Liability Dear Dave,

Dear Dave,

I’m thinking about selling my business to a corporation. If I do this, I’d continue to work there for a couple of years after the sale. I’m not sure about the feelings I’ll have during this time, plus I worry about how the new ownership will treat my team after the sale. Do you have any advice for someone in this situation?

I co-own a property in Florida with my business partner. I’m considering paying off the property and implementing an LLC to limit my liability. Does this sound like a good idea? — Leigh

— Paul

Dear Leigh, Dear Paul, First, I don’t think you’re messing your team over or violating the principles of EntreLeadership by simply selling your business. The fact that you’re concerned about these issues tells me that you’re a quality person and a servant leader. Just remember, as long as you’re there— whether as an owner or just a leader—you have an obligation to look out for your team and do good things for them. The big thing that scares me in this scenario is the next two years may be the most miserable of your life in the workplace. It’s tough seeing someone else come in and take over what you’ve built up over the years. You’ve poured your time and blood, your sweat and tears into this organization. It’s yours! You might even want to shorten the time you remain there a bit, if you’re certain this is the path you want to take. But to tell you the truth, I’m not sure you really want to sell this business. There’s nothing wrong with turning down an offer, no matter how generous it may seem. Considering how much you seem to care about the business and the people, I’m just not convinced you’re ready to walk away. Now, if there’s something else you’ve got a burning desire to do, then I’d say go for it. I understand that kind of thing completely. But it’s a blast to have a job you love and look forward to going to every day. I’d take some more time to think about it, if I were you. There may be a big pile of cash waiting for you if you sell, but I can tell you’re concerned about your team and the amount of time you’ll be spending as an employee at the company you created and grew into a success. Use your heart and your head on this one, Paul. But if you decide to sell, I’d work things to where I had to spend as little time there as possible once the new owners take over.

Doing that would take the general liability off of you, but it wouldn’t do anything to relieve the financial liability, because you’d still be on the mortgage. Why not just buy out the partner instead? I’d choose having a mortgage over having a partner any day. Let’s say the house is worth $120,000, and $60,000 is owed, then it would cost you $30,000 to buy him out of your half—the full market value minus the mortgage and expenses it would take to sell the place. Or, if neither of you wants the house, and then you sold it, you could split the results. That would be around $20,000 to $25,000 each after the dust settles. If it were me, I’d either buy out the partner for $25,000 and pay off the mortgage or let your partner buy you out for $25,000—as long as they’re willing to take your name off the mortgage or get a new one completely. Get rid of the partner, and then get rid of the debt. Both of them are trouble, but partners are an even bigger headache than debt!

—Dave

Dave Ramsey is America’s trusted voice on money and business. He’s authored four New York Times best-selling books: Financial Peace, More Than Enough, The Total Money Makeover and EntreLeadership. The Dave Ramsey Show is heard by more than 5 million listeners each week on more than 500 radio stations. Follow Dave on Twitter at @DaveRamsey and on the web at daveramsey.com.

— Dave

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Ask Dave On Business

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The

H i g h Ca l l i n g Of Bu siness

with Bonnie Wurzbacher

Senior Vice President, Global Customer Leadership The Coca Cola Company (ret.)

I grew up in the 60’s and 70’s as the youngest daughter of a minister and teacher and certainly never, ever considered a career in business.

o when our former pastor, Dr. Frank Harrington, exclaimed, “If you want to make God laugh… just tell Him your plans,” it resonated with me! So, although I studied education in college and never really thought of myself as a leader, I learned soon enough, that God most definitely had other plans for me, including a significant business career and the opportunity to take on many exciting and challenging leadership roles. Over my 27-year career at The Coca-Cola Company, I traveled the world extensively with my work. This gave me the opportunity to see and learn many things, but none more impactful than the difficult, even brutal lives of many people, and especially of women in developing countries. It is remarkable to me how hard they work – and how poor and destitute so many of them are. Did you know that although women perform over two-thirds of the world’s work (paid and unpaid), they make only 10% of the world’s income and own less than 1% of its

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land? It is a fact that women and girls make up the majority of the impoverished in this world, making up over 70% of the world’s poorest. It is also a fact that business is able to lift people out of poverty and advance the economic well-being of their communities. This is not the role of government, but of business. Yes, government must create the conditions that enable businesses to do their job well, but it does not create wealth. Much of what I have learned about the critical role of business in the world, I’ve learned at The Coca-Cola Company, which is certainly not a Christian company, but is an exemplary model of fulfilling the role of business around the world and a place where, as a Christian, I was proud to work. Here’s why… Many people don’t realize that Coca-Cola’s local business model around the world means that their 500 brands and 3,000 products are made, sold and serviced, locally, in 900 bottling The High Calling Of Business

plants – in every country but two. The Coca-Cola system, including their franchised bottlers, employs about 1 million people worldwide and, indirectly, millions more. For example, in Africa, where they are the continent’s largest private employer, they employ more than 60,000 people directly, and for every single job they create, another 17 jobs are created indirectly! Those jobs not only provide salaries that help to pull families out of poverty, they provide benefits, local expenditures for supplies, services and capital that stimulate the economy and, of course, taxes that support the local infrastructure and government. Their business there is done, almost exclusively, through traditionally family-owned retailers, as it is in most developing countries. They’ve spawned millions of small, family-owned businesses in thousands of communities all around the world. I like to say that Coca-Cola was in “microfinancing” before micro-financing was cool! Most Americans are now familiar with the concept of “micro-financing.” Most also know that the vast majority of these small loans are given to women, who use them as seed money to start their own small businesses to help pull their families out of poverty. It is the women in these countries who not only need these loans more, they are more motivated to create new businesses, support each other, invest in their families and communities and pay back their loans reliably. These women are clearly demonstrating real leadership, even in the midst of the most challenging circumstances. And, as Christians, this entrepreneurial urge to create and enjoy work should not be at all surprising. For God created humankind in His image, including the desire to continue the creative work that He began.

“

As I came to

realize that the business I was in and the work I did each day contributed to advancing the economic, social and even spiritual well-being of people and communities around the world,

I began to see how to honor God and others.” which, I believe, is to advance the economic well-being of communities throughout the world, and as the only source of wealth creation, to enable every other institution to exist! Think about it. Government doesn’t create wealth; it gets all of its wealth from taxpayers. Nor do schools, hospitals, churches, missions or any 501(c)3 organization. In fact, all of these institutions are voracious consumers of wealth and are fully reliant on business for their very existence. In other words, without successful, profitable, sustainable business, this world just simply doesn’t work. As I came to realize that the business I was in and the work I did each day contributed to advancing the economic, social and even spiritual well-being of people and communities around the world, I began to see how to honor God and others – not simply by being ethical at work, but by honoring Him and serving others in both the product and the process of my work. I believe that everyone can do that in their own work, whatever it may be.

But a business’ economic impact goes well beyond simply job creation. In 2010, The Coca-Cola Company spent about $3.5 billion in salaries and benefits, $3 billion in shareholder dividends, $1.5 billion in capital expenditures, $8 billion in local purchases of supplies and $2 billion in income taxes. That doesn’t even take into account the local taxes generated by the sale of their products through retailers or the economic footprint of their local bottlers, which multiplies the impact by billions more. All businesses should contribute to the communities they serve in some way – and if they don’t, they won’t last long.

Michael Novak, in his classic book, Business as a Calling, explains that “…the Creator made us to work in community and to cooperate freely with and for others…this creative community is, with the exception of Christianity, the greatest transforming power of the condition of the poor on earth. Business seeks out people of talent, initiative and enterprise who want to better their condition and that of others.”

The critical importance of business in God’s kingdom is a topic that I began to study and have been speaking about for several years now. My experience has helped me to more fully understand God’s purpose for business,

How does your business contribute to the well-being of the communities you serve? Understanding and internalizing how it does – and how you contribute to it – will make your work more meaningful and fulfilling.

Bonnie Wurzbacher has held various executive and global leadership roles at The Coca-Cola Company in sales, marketing and management, rising to Senior Vice President, Global Customer & Channel Leadership. Bonnie is currently engaged as a Senior Advisor to World Vision, the largest Christian humanitarian organization in the world, working in over 100 countries to tackle the causes of poverty and injustice. She and her husband, Steve, have homes in Atlanta and Texas and one son, Daniel, who is married to the former Jessica Fry.

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Chris Hogan on Leadership

Fantastic Four:

The 4 People You Need For Success “The power of networking is clear – the more people that you can connect with, the more people that you are connected to for life.”

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Chris Hogan On Leadership

ometimes we look at someone who has achieved greatness and only see that person. It may seem as if they’ve done it all on their own. But in truth, as many of you know, none of us get to where we are without key people who are instrumental in our success, whether they are part of our personal support system or key peers.

The power of networking is clear – the more people that you can connect with, the more people that you are connected to for life. However, if the desire to push yourself is burning inside you, I want to give you four key people to get on your personal impact team.

So wh o ar e t h o s e fou r peo ple? 1. The Coach: a pusher

The Coach‘s role is to push you to get better. Imagine the key characteristics of your old football coach, track coach, tennis coach, whatever fits your history, but now, they are your business coach. He or she helps you hone and improve your current skills and abilities. The Coach can also help you identify and acquire new skills. The sole role of the Coach in your life is your improvement and growth. Your Coach needs to be someone with the ability to help you get where you want to go.

4. The Listener: a friend

The Bottom Line:

2. The Challenger: an anchor

The Challenger is there to help keep you accountable to the goals that you have identified. This is someone that will call you out and up to your goals. Think of them as a guide to help identify obstacles and help you to plan to deal with them. You can collaborate with this person and share your heart.

3. The Mentor: a professional

The Mentor is someone that has done or is doing something at the level that you want to achieve. This is someone that has the attributes, talents and skills that you want to add to your professional tool box. You can gain the benefit of your Mentor’s inside information and guidance to help you in your life or career.

The final person that you will need as you pursue success is the Listener. The Listener is someone that you can completely relate to in life. You can be brutally upfront and honest with this person. Their role is not to judge; they are there to listen and provide guidance as they are able.

You may already have these people in your life, but it helps to identify which role they are currently playing or could play. Or if you don’t have them, seek them out so that you can go to the right person when you need it. Remember, they are people who are willing to be there FOR you. You may also be called upon to play one or more of these roles in someone else’s life or career. We are designed for community and success is a journey that is meant to be shared.

Who are your Fantastic Four? Your Coach is: Your Challenger is: Your Mentor is: Your Listener is:

Chris Hogan speaks all over the country at businesses, associations and colleges on money and leadership. He also conducts on-site training sessions for organizations of all sizes . As a former All-American college football player and business owner, Chris understands that leadership is essential for the success of any team. You can follow Chris Hogan on twitter at @ChrisHogan360 or check him out here: daveramsey.com/speakers/Chris-Hogan

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INFLUENCE Th e Sp i r i t u a l P r i n c i pl e o f T r a n s f o r m at i o n b y O s H i ll m a n

There is an amazing spiritual principle we find in the Bible â&#x20AC;&#x201C; transformed people transform people. Yes, when a heart is changed by an encounter with Jesus Christ, that life becomes a transformer of others. But how did this happen in the Bible? It happened because of what Jesus did with almost every encounter with someone in the scriptures - he solved a problem.

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Solving a problem gives a believer influence If you were to read the Gospels about the encounters Jesus had with people, you will find that Jesus did something in almost every case. He solved a problem. When the Roman Centurion met Jesus, he had a need for healing of a family member. What did Jesus do? He healed that family member when he saw the faith of the centurion soldier. When Peter had Transformational Tips

a need to pay his taxes Jesus told him to go catch a fish to find the coin needed to pay his taxes (wish I could do that for April 15). When the disciples were not catching fish, Jesus said to cast their net on the other side of the boat. When Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well, who was obviously not of the political party of the disciples, He told her things about her life that caused her to believe in him. The entire city came out to hear him as a result. Culture does not care who solves their problem, they just want their problem solved. If you happen to be a Christian, then Christ is glorified in that problem solving. And you gain influence in that life or that environment. If we are going to catch the world’s attention, we must manifest God’s presence in the area of our calling. We must move beyond words to tangible expressions of solving problems in the culture.

George Washington Carver Solved a Problem George Washington Carver grew up at the close of the Civil War in a one-room shanty on the home of Moses Carver - the man who owned his mother. The Ku Klux Klan had abducted him and his mother, selling her to new owners. He was later found and returned to his owner, but his mother was never seen again. Carver grew up at the height of racial discrimination, yet he had overcome all these obstacles to become one of the most influential men in the history of the United States. Carver was a great example of someone who solved a problem that existed in his day. He told the farmers of his day that they needed to stop planting cotton because the land could no longer support the crop. He recommended that they plant peanuts and sweet potatoes instead of cotton, but this led to his greatest trial. The farmers lost even more money due to the lack of market for peanuts and sweet potatoes and blamed Carver. Carver cried out to the Lord, “Mr. Creator, why did you make the peanut?” Many years later, he shared that God led him back to his lab and worked with him to discover some 300 marketable products from the peanut and 100 from the sweet potato. These new products created a demand for peanuts and sweet potatoes, and they were major contributors to rejuvenating the Southern economy.

from Henry Ford, and he became friends with presidents of his day, yet he knew what God had called him to do. His epitaph read:

He could have added fortune to fame, but caring for neither, he found happiness and honor in being helpful to the world. There are many ways you and I can be problem solvers in a life. Here are a few tips you can consider as a workplace leader:

Be a Listener When someone shares a need with you, make sure you listen and identify with their need. Offer to pray with them about the need right there on the spot if they will not feel uncomfortable. Few people will not welcome a prayer for themselves.

Meet a Need Meet an immediate need that someone has. It might be financial, it might be taking someone to the hospital, or it might be giving a gift that says you care.

Write a note

In this quick fix email world the written note is becoming extinct. A handwritten note of appreciation to those you can affirm goes a long way for building deeper relationships.

Relationship First Today I find that most of us in business go to the transaction way too soon, before a relationship is really established. Make sure you invest in the relationship before you seek a transaction.

Solve a Problem for Your Employer Perhaps God will give you a solution to a problem in your workplace. Joseph solved a problem for his Pharaoh by interpreting his dream that led to his advancement.

Transformational

T IPS

Os Hillman is Founder and President of Marketplace Leaders Ministries. He is also an internationally recognized

speaker,

author,

and

consultant

the

subject of faith at work. Hillman has written 12 books on

As he made new discoveries, he never became successful monetarily, but he overcame great rejection during his lifetime for being black. He was offered six-figure income opportunities TwoTenMagazine.com

faith and work subjects and a daily workplace email devotional entitled TGIF - Today God Is First. www.MarketplaceLeaders.org

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Working Women with Diane Paddison Photo by Kevin Hail

G o d M a d e M e F o r A P u r pos e “I believe God made me for a purpose, but He also m a d e m e f a s t . A n d w h e n I r u n , I f e e l H i s p l e a s u r e .”

hat is one of the most well known quotes from the 1981 film Chariots of Fire, and it is also one of my favorites. I feel the same way about my work as Chief Strategy Officer at Cassidy Turley and founder of my nonprofit, 4word, that runner Eric Liddell felt about his sport.

God has called me to the corporate real estate industry just as He called Liddell to running. And, just as He gave Liddell the gift of speed, He has also given me the strengths I needed to succeed in my field. But that does not mean I have never needed help. The same thing is true for all of us. No one is good at everything.

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And yet, I have noticed that we are often reluctant to ask for help at the office, even though, as blogger Jeff Haden once pointed out, we have an “instinctive desire to help other people.” Think about it. If a colleague in another department approaches you to ask if you can proofread her proposal before she presents it at the next board meeting, your answer is almost guaranteed to be a yes. Working Women With Diane Paddison

If we do not need to worry that we are being “a bother” to our colleagues, then why are we not quicker to ask for help when we need it? In many cases, I think the problem is pride. It is never easy to admit to a weakness, but the truth is that we all have them.

For example, when I was President of Global Corporate Services, Client Accounts at CBRE, Trammell Crow Company had just been purchased, and it was my job to lead the team who would pull together the clients we serve, our team and our platform, and produce a respectable profit margin.

In my case, I know that even though I have tried over the years, I am not the best writer. At Trammell Crow Company, I always had others ‘wordsmith’ any of my written material. Even now, in writing a weekly blog for my nonprofit, 4word, I rely on the strengths of my digital team to take my words and make them sound better.

Working on projects like that is something I know I was called to do. That is how “I feel His pleasure,” to quote Liddell again. However, there were a myriad of factors involved in that project, and not all of them were in areas of my expertise. I knew that I needed the strengths of many to make it a success, so I asked for help.

Even though it feels like a blow to your ego, asking others for help is a great way to build rapport with your colleagues and gain some new knowledge at the same time. It is also an essential quality of leadership.

My colleague Steve Henry, who was our CIO, supported my team with a wonderful technology platform. Josh Campbell, a subordinate, created a client dashboard that gave us a simple way to measure our results. Bob Sulentic, former CEO of Trammell Crow Company who is now CEO of CBRE, coached me through assembling my leadership team.

Everyone in your office has his or her own area of expertise, and everyone likes to feel recognized and valued for something that he or she brings to the table. Moreover, the more time you have to spend compensating for a weakness, the less time you can spend putting to work the strengths and talents God has given you. I learned early in my career that you often need to just dig in, work hard, learn from your mistakes and grow, especially if you are in a new position. However, there is a fine line between knowing when you just need to put in the time to develop or practice a necessary skill and recognizing an area in which you are simply not gifted. Whenever I am asked about the secret of my success in corporate real estate, one of the best pieces of advice I can give is to trade on your strengths and be aware of your weaknesses so that you know when you need to ask for help. (If you want to learn more on the subject of trading on your strengths, I highly recommend Go Put Your Strengths to Work: 6 Powerful Steps to Achieve Outstanding Performance by Marcus Buckingham.) Of course, once you have realized your weakness in a particular area, the next question is: how do you ask for help? In my opinion, the most important thing is to approach everyone with respect, whether you are asking a colleague, a subordinate or a superior for assistance. I can honestly say that I have learned my entire life from those around me.

Each of them brought skills and experience in these areas of expertise that I needed. I respected their strengths, appreciated their contribution and knew that I could not be successful without their support. Even now, that instance stands out in my mind as an example of what you can achieve when you are willing to acknowledge your areas of weakness and seek support from those whose strengths are your weaknesses.

“

Even though

it feels like a blow to your ego, asking others for help is a great way to build rapport with your colleagues and gain some new knowledge at the same time.

It is also an essential quality of leadership.”

Diane Paddison is the author of Work, Love, Pray, and the founder of 4word, a ministry for professional Christian women (www.4wordwomen.org). She has served in the executive suite of three Fortune 500 companies. She is married to Chris and mother to four, and is passionate about leading, connecting, and supporting professional Christian women as they balance work, relationships, and faith.

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Are You OVER CONNECTED to Technology By: Jordan Raynor

s Ch r ist ia ns, we a re called to be set apa r t f rom the world i n ever y th i ng we do, be it i n busi ness, ou r ma r r iages, or the way we t reat ou r k ids. But what does it look li ke to be set apa r t with rega rd to how we use tech nolog y? T h is is someth i ng I have been pray i ng a nd

th i n k i ng about a lot i n th is new era. As a tech nolog y enthusiast, it hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been easy. I have been convicted of my add ict ion to ma ny of these tech nolog ies a nd have been made awa re of the i mpact - both posit ive a nd negat ive - they have on my life. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re li ke me, you have seen how tech nolog y ca n ma ke you less engaged , focused a nd cal m. Here a re 5 pract ical t ips for u nplugg i ng f rom you r favor ite tech nolog ies.

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TwoTen Tech

01 Resist checking email “after hours.” This is the hardest habit I have tried to implement in my life, which to me underscores its importance. For the past few weeks, I have made it a goal to not check email at all “after hours.” This doesn’t just apply to responding to email. No checking email. Period. For me, checking email is the surest way to get my mind back into work mode, thinking about what I have to do tomorrow. Nothing makes me less engaged at home. So I challenge you to give it a shot. For one week, refuse to check your email from the moment you leave your desk in the afternoon until you are back at your desk in the morning. I bet you will find that there’s not a single email that comes in during those hours that truly needs a response by morning. Furthermore, I bet the pay-off in your stress-level and level of engagement at home is more than worth it.

Keep your phone and computer out of site during quiet times.

I seem to always have my phone sitting on whatever table I am using, including my kitchen table where I do my quiet time. Even if I have my phone on silent, the push notifications from Twitter, Instagram or Facebook are sure to distract me. That’s why I always keep my phone face down on the table, ensuring that I can stay as focused as possible when I am spending time with the Lord. If you use your tablet to access great Bible apps like YouVersion ™ during your quiet time like I do, just be sure to turn off notifications before you begin. By the way, this is a rule that I have implemented at all times during the day, not just my quiet times. It’s a great practice for focus.

03 Ruthlessly eliminate push notifications. When a push notification goes off on your phone or your email client, what do you do? If you’re like most people, you habitually respond immediately to the visual or audible cue. It’s almost as if we are slaves to these productivity-killing cues. Over the past few years, I have gone on a ruthless pursuit of eliminating push notifications at work and at home. Fewer things have helped my level of stress more than eliminating distractions such as email pop-ups on my computer and audible notifications on my phone (aside from SMS, phone and calendar). Give it a shot. It’s guaranteed to make you a more attentive and more productive person at work and at home.

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04 Actively seek silence. Throughout Scripture, we see Godly men and women actively seeking silence in their lives. Jesus provided a perfect example of this as he frequently would get away from the noise of ministry to be alone with the Father. It’s never been more difficult to seek out silence than it is today. Our phones, tablets and computers ensure that noise is just a click away. But if we are to be set apart with how we use technology, I believe we must actively seek out silence in our lives. And yes, sometimes this means turning everything on mute. This year, I have been trying to set aside 15 minutes every morning to sit in total silence, allowing the Lord to speak to me before the day begins. It may seem strange, but if I am not intentional about seeking silence, my day and life will be filled with noise.

05 Have a no cell-phone family night. Few things make my wife happier than when I leave my cellphone in the car or at home during date night. There’s no better way to ensure that you are eliminating distractions and focusing on your family than leaving the cellphones, iPods, tablets, etc. behind. Warning: doing this may cause phantom cell phone vibrations. If this occurs, you likely need to leave your cellphone behind more often.

Implementing these changes in your life will make you a happier, more engaged person. It has for me. But more importantly than that, much of this is biblically based as we are reminded in Psalm 46:10, “He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Try This At Home: Simply build or purchase a

“Check-In Station”. Using a central location for your family’s devices will help everyone focus on each other during family time and will give your mind a much needed break from technology.

Jordan career

solving

technology.

real

Jordan

Raynor

problems is

currently

digital

strategist

government,

the

Director

politics

who and

Product

has

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business

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through LifeSync

Technologies, a Co-founder of Citizinvestor and a Co-founder of Digital Doulos.

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We review a few noteworthy books and offer up our own opinion.

START by: Jon Acuff According to Jon Acuff, there are only two paths in life: average and awesome. The average path is easy, because all you have to do is nothing. The awesome path is more challenging, because things like fear only bother you when you do work that matters. The good news is Start gives readers practical, honest, actionable insights to be more awesome, more often. In this fun, witty, and challenging account of the do’s and don’ts of being awesome, we are constantly reminded that it’s not too late to start something big, or start something new. The key is focusing your effort and energy on the things that make the most sense. Jon Acuff is brilliantly funny in START by offering personal stories and experiences that create a sense of familiarity and comfort. As a bonus, Jon also includes some self-proclaimed guides on “Social Media Strategy” and “What To Do When You’re Unemployed”. These straightforward and simple strategies are helpful to anyone starting something new. If you have a feeling that you’re leaving something left unattended, it’s time to punch fear in the face, escape average, and do work that matters. It’s time to Start.

2nd Quarter

Quarterly Review

The Road To Unafraid by: Jeff Struecker with Dean Merrill Learn how the Army’s top Ranger faced fear and found courage through “Black Hawk Down” and beyond. Jeff Struecker, eventual winner of the Army’s Best Ranger competition, was one of the elite U.S. soldiers sent into Mogadishu, Somalia, in 1993 as part of a U.N. peacekeeping operation. Their mission: to break the grip of Somali warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid in order to quell the civil war and famine that was ravaging the country. Struecker and his fellow Rangers, plus others, fought side by side against overwhelming odds. For eighteen harrowing hours, some of the soldiers remained trapped and wounded in the most hostile district of Mogadishu. A rescue convoy, headed by Streucker, was mounted to retrieve them. He led the convoy back into the hell of battle not once, but twice, determined to rescue downed soldiers, all the while expecting to die himself. Outnumbered and surrounded, tensions flared, friends were lost, alliances were formed, and Struecker and his company learned the true nature of war and heroism. In this riveting book, Struecker recounts the stories of his life as a top Ranger, from the frontlines of every U.S. initiative since Panama–moments where God met him and delivered peace in the midst of certain death. He also recounts his journey of becoming a full-time chaplain so he could teach his fellow Rangers how to have the “peace that passes all understanding.”

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TwoTen Magazine

Experiencing God by: Henry & Richard Blackaby with Claude King

“What is God’s will for me? ” This is a question we are always asking. We are glad God is intimately involved in every area of our lives, and is constantly guiding and leading us according to His will. Henry Blackaby explores how God reveals His will for us in our everyday lives in the book, Experiencing God.

The book is centered on the “Seven Realities of E xperiencing God”: n 1. God is always at work around you. n 2. God pursues a continuing love relationship with you that is real and personal. n 3. God invites you to become involved with Him in His work. n 4. God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways. n 5. God’s invitation for you to work with Him always leads you to a crisis of belief that requires faith and action. n 6. You must make major adjustments in your life to join God in what He is doing. n 7. You come to know God by experience as you obey Him and He accomplishes His work through you.

Discovering God’s will in your life comes through a personal relationship with Him. Be still and listen. God will reveal Himself and His purposes to you. Readers will find encouragement through their everyday experiences and finding God’s plan there. Experiencing God will challenge readers to serve God where He needs us (which may be out of our comfort zone). Through the book we can learn to have a true, deep, personal relationship with God.

2nd Quarter

Quarterly Review

Lead Your Family Like Jesus by: Ken Blanchard, Phil Hodges and Tricia Goyer Does your family need a five-star general at the helm? A psychologist? A referee? Lead Your Family Like Jesus points to a better role model, Jesus. In Lead Your Family Like Jesus, Blanchard, along with Hodges and Goyer, show how every family member benefits when parents take the reins as Jesuslike leaders. Moms and dads will see themselves in an entirely new light—as life-changers who get their example, strength, and joy from following Jesus at home. The book begins by explaining that leadership is an influence process and that anyone who influences the thinking, behavior, or development of others is a leader—making parenting the most important life-role leadership position most people ever hold. Offering practical examples from real-life parents, the authors encourage the alignment of four leadership domains: heart, the intentions and motivations employed in influencing children; head, one’s viewpoint and beliefs about leading; hands, what a parent actually does while leading and influencing; and habits, how a parent must continually refocus his or her desires to lead as Jesus would. This user-friendly book’s practical principles and personal stories mark the path to a truly Jesus-centered family, where integrity, love, grace, self-sacrifice, and forgiveness make all the difference.

TwoTenMagazine.com

TwoTen Magazine

SuPPorT A Timmy’S PlAyroom TodAy. Timmy’s Playrooms are being built in children’s hospitals around the world to bring Faith, Hope and Love to the children and their families. These rooms provide an atmosphere that allows children to take their minds off of their medical treatments and just be kids again.

With continued support, we have a plan to build additional Timmy’s Playrooms acro s s t h e U n i te d States and aro u n d t h e wo r l d. “There’s nothing better than having a place where you can get away and just be a kid.” - Blake Herndon, 11

For more information, please visit:

TIMTEBOWFOUNDATION.org

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