About the Author

Here is a brief biography of the author from her website, www.lindaseger.com, and also read our interview with her. Dr. Linda Seger created and defined the job of script consultant when she began her business in 1981, based on a method for analyzing scripts she developed for her dissertation project. Since then, she has consulted on over 2000 scripts, including over 40 produced feature films and about 35 produced television projects. Her clients have included TriStar Pictures, Ray Bradbury, William Kelley, Linda Lavin, Suzanne de Passe, Tony Bill, as well as production companies and writers from six continents. Read more…

About the Book

Introduction

Part One: Beginning the Journey
Chapter One: Who Am I? Where Am I Called?
Chapter Two: The Leap of Faith
Chapter Three: Willing to be Blessed
Chapter Four: Becoming Important
Part Two: Traveling the Rocky Road
Chapter Five: Meeting the Seven Deadly Sins
Chapter Six: Connecting Not Competing For Success
Chapter Seven: Developing a Sense of Smell
Chapter Eight: Where Do You Feel the Rhythm?
Part Three: Nearing and Arriving at the Goal
Chapter Nine: Save Time for Tragedy, Save Room for Miracles
Chapter Ten: Becoming Unimportant

This book has a God-centered perspective in the style of Oprah TV where Seger interviews various people about topics and their lives. I think it is a great idea because you get more than one perspective on a topic. She interviews other entrepreneurs, movie stars etc., all around the world with similar faith to share their experiences and best practices within their work.

What I like about this book

What I like about this book is that Dr. Seger was very transparent. She exposed how poor she was and outlined all the struggles she had to go through in order to start her business. For example, clients she had completed work for backed out when it came time to pay and told her not to cash the check. Dr. Seger spent so much time trying to collect money from them but realized that she had to forgive the clients and move on, which has to be a tough pill to swallow. This is an example of how God can move because the anger spirit was starting to take over and was taking her out of her character, so she had to let it go. This conveys the purpose of a book like this because no other publication would convey how to handle a similar situation.

What I dislike about this book

I don’t have much to say in terms of not liking the book. The book is focused on a niche topic but it would be nice to have it converted on a Kindle.

Final Word

This is a great book because Dr. Seger opens up and allows you to see her trials in life and in business, which are a lot of things an aspiring entrepreneur can identify with. Though she doesn’t stop there; she incorporates biblical principles along with her best practices from other entrepreneurs that can help us make more informed decisions in our lives. For example, she asked God in the beginning of her career when she was struggling that if she read her Bible everyday if he would bless her business and that He did.

Also, don’t forget to read our interview with Dr. Seger.

Introducing TheProsperNetwork.com which is an online service to meet Christian Entrepreneurs globally, socialize, share tips, ideas, ask questions and get “real time” feedback.

Mission:
To provide members the opportunity to grow their business through social interaction with individuals who share their values and beliefs. This organization serves as a vehicle to bring Believers together to advance the Kingdom of God and their individual enterprise for the Lord Jesus Christ. Our goals are accomplished through collective business knowledge of other members, programs, articles and events designed to showcase the products and services of our members and supporters.

Vision:
To glorify our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in our conduct, character, and commitment to our business, family and community.

Begin today, by creating your FREE account.

After you registered, here is How it Works:

Join the Conversation

Discuss your business, introduce yourself, ask questions and find answers.

Be Part of a Community

Build your business one relationship at a time, both online and face-to-face.

Attend Events (coming soon)

Attend business networking and educational events, or host your own.

Get Published

Share your expertise, raise your profile and build your reputation by publishing articles.

Seek Counsel

Learn biblical principles that help you make more informed decisions that is aligned with God’s word.

Invite your friends to join

Via: Online MBA

How Christian Values Make our Businesses More Competitive

Do you feel this way? The GOOD NEWS for Christian Small Business Owners is that following our faith in all of our business dealings, decisions, and directions would make us even more competitive. WHY?

* We would treat all of our customers, employees and vendors with respect, dignity, and integrity. (Proverbs 2:7)
* We would serve our customers, employees and vendors to the best of our ability. (Proverbs 22:29)
* We would make plans in advance to achieve the vision. (Proverbs 21:5) ( Proverbs 16:3)
* We would build our business on a strong foundation. (Matthew7:24-25)
* We would be excellent stewards of the company’s resources because we would know they aren’t ours anyway.
* We would persevere even in hard times. (2 Timothy 4:7) (Proverbs 17:7)(Phil 3:14)
* We would delegate effectively. (Exodus 18:18)
* We would hire qualified people with high character. (Proverbs 26.10)
* We would equip and train our organization. (Proverbs 9:9)
* We would be consistent and firm in our expectations and commitments. (Proverbs 29:18)
* We would hold everyone, including ourselves, accountable to Godly character, hard work, and consistently meeting expectations. (Proverbs 19:19) (John 15:2)
* We would lead with boldness and humility simultaneously. (Proverbs 18:12)
* We wouldn’t partner with thieves. “He who is a partner with a thief hates his own life; he hears the oath but tells nothing.” Proverbs 29:24.
* As a leader, we wouldn’t be riddled with stress and anxiety. (Matthew 6:26)
* Our services and products would be of the highest quality. (John 15:2)

Do these actions seem uncompetitive? God created everything and He is way smarter than us. Whether it is in our relationships, our finances, or our business His ways are everlasting. Our competitors may use cheaper ingredients to increase their margins, build up their riches in storehouses, use force to get extra work from their employees, but these strategies won’t last. It will catch up with them. That is why it is so important to recognize the success of unethical businesses as a “house built on sand” and not get caught up with adhering to the world’s standards. Leave those not following Godly ways to the Lord and keep doing what we know is right.

Business Owners are NOT Entrepreneurs

The entrepreneurs who fully understand who they are understand that they are not simply a business owner. Rather, when asked, the entrepreneur who understands who they are would respond that they make money. Sounds simple doesn’t it? But many people who say that they are entrepreneurs, aren’t really entrepreneurs; they are business owners or business managers. The fundamental purpose of the entrepreneur is to make money. Now, how that money is made will differ, but an entrepreneur is a person who makes money…not literally, but their actions result in a positive influx of cash.

An entrepreneur with this mindset has two identities. These identities are what establish them to be the “money makers”.

Marketing Should be Fun

The first and most important of the two identities is that above all else, an entrepreneur is a marketer. You may make and sell widgets, services, or information resources but if you don’t have customers, clients, or patients then you are dead in the water. You will have a lot of great products and services but no one to sell them to. I know that this is difficult for many entrepreneurs because they hate the concept of selling. They think of the used car salesman that sold them their first lemon and shiver with anger. But the reality of it all is that as you become an entrepreneur, you inherit the fact that you are also, or should also be, a marketer, an advertiser, and a salesperson. The beauty of it all is that you are an entrepreneur, so the concepts that you have regarding marketers, you don’t have to follow. You should follow effective marketing strategies but you don’t have to be that salesman that sold you your first clunker. Marketing should be fun. It should be an expression of who you are. If it is not, then you will always struggle with it.

“But Ralph, I just don’t like selling. I feel like I am forcing my product or service on potential clients.” So this brings me to my next identity. The business owner who has a skewed outlook on their offerings because they feel that when they market or sell their widget, they are forcing it on their potential clients. They are suffering from a major identity crisis. They see themselves and their offerings as a commodity instead of a necessity. Commodities come and go but necessities are constant. There is no better example of this than during a recession. The first things that cash-strapped people cut are the “nice-to-haves”. As an entrepreneur, if you identify your products and/or services as a necessity then your offerings won’t be the first to be chopped during the family budget meeting.

In order to identify your offerings as a necessity you have to first identify yourself (to yourself and your customers) as a problem solver.

Regardless of the industry, century, or location, the highest paid people are the ones who solve problems. Think about it. When you call a plumber, electrician, business consultant, graphic designer, or marketing guru, you are calling them to solve a problem. The highest paid ones solve problems well and provide a permanent solution to your current problem. As a business owner, regardless of your business, you should be a solution provider. If you sell jewelry you solve the problem for the husband who is looking for a romantic gift for his wife’s birthday. If you sell household cleaning products then you provide the solution of being more efficient and effective, saving your clients time (which, if I might add, is of immeasurable value).

Characteristics of an astute Entrepreneur

So, no need to visit your local psychiatrist to deal with identity crisis epidemic. You are an entrepreneur. You are a problem solver. You are a marketer. Identify yourself with the characteristics of an astute entrepreneur and you will see an increase in your business.

4 I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards.

5 I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them.

6 I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees.

7 I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and
flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me.

8 I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired men and women singers,
and a harem as well—the delights of the heart of man.

9 I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me.

Let’s be honest, reading about all the stuff the Teacher had is without a doubt impressive; however, the words that jump beyond the page for me are “In all this my wisdom stayed with me.” My immediate response upon reading this was, what does wisdom mean in this context? Furthermore, does wisdom actually have a context or have I misinterpreted it’s meaning all together? Before I traveled down that rabbit hole something occurred to me; the Teacher knew the difference between the road signs and his destination.

How many times have you driven somewhere you’ve never been and got excited when you saw a road sign that told you how many miles you had left until you reach your destination? If you’re anything like me, you get a little smile on your face knowing that you’re heading in the right direction. My smile usually serves dual purposes because it also means I get to tell my lovely wife “I told you I knew where I was going”. Both responses are fairly common and also reasonable. The foolish thing to do would be to park on the side of the road, take all of our luggage out of the trunk, and set up for vacation under the road sign. The sign is exactly what the name implies; it is simply a sign. To say my point in plain language, the Teachers life style was simply a sign of success. He knew his calling was much bigger than his accomplishments, so no matter how great of a ruler he had become or wealth he had amassed, he kept in mind that an attachment to his worldly possessions (which ironically can only move in one direction….into the ground) would only hinder his upward journey into the holiness of God.

If you’ve entered into the mission of entrepreneurship with an eye full of riches and a heart hungry for fame, you’ve sadly mistaken the road sign as your destination, and your wisdom has not stayed with you. If you’ve purchased new homes, new cars, new clothes, new retirement accounts, new friends, new husbands, new wives, etcetera, but have not remained humble, charitable, and righteous, you have also sadly mistaken the road signs for your true destination because your wisdom has not stayed with you (Proverbs 10: 1-7, Matthew 5: 1-20).

The creation story (Genesis 1: 1-31) is a perfect example of what it means to move beyond the road signs. Prior to creation nothing existed. Most Christians are enamored by God’s ability to simply speak things into existence. While this is all well and good, it’s not what he said that proved his wisdom and power, it was the words that were never written that is truly impressive. Take for instance the flower (generally speaking). When God spoke plants into existence he didn’t create just one, he created many; however, he didn’t stop there. He also the complex cell structure of every species of flower and the ability for those cell structures to feed on sunlight through photosynthesis. For photosynthesis to work correctly he also had to create the processes it needed, which fundamentally works by converting sunlight into energy. When he created light he also had to create the atoms, protons, and electrons necessary to bring it into tangible existence. He also had to create heat to excite the protons so that they would bounce off electrons to kick start the “light-making” process. As the light fed the plants, the plants fed the humans. In order for mankind to identify the plants, God had to create individual markings and designs to differentiate the types of plants that were available to eat. I could continue down this path to show you the depths of God’s wisdom, but I’ll assume you get the point. God doesn’t stop at the road signs, he continues until he has reached his destination (Philippians 1:6)

The secular world is trying to wrap it’s brain around the idea of destination versus road sign with a fairly new and fashionable business term, Conscious Capitalism. This is the an excerpt from consciouscapitalism.com:

“For several decades, companies emerging out of the culture of the 60s have been cultivating a new genre of Capitalism. This is a Capitalism that recognizes the power of purpose and the principle of interdependence. It is a Capitalism the sees leaders as stewards and facilitators. And it is a Capitalism that embraces the cocreative, generative nature of business, and is directed towards fulfilling the potential of business and the marketplace to be a powerful force for positive change. This is a Conscious Capitalism, embodied by Conscious Capitalists.”

This is the worlds attempt to keep their wisdom with them, and it’s “working”. John Mackey, CEO of industry giant, Whole Foods, and many other powerful voices are making Conscious Capitalism a household name. Why aren’t we, the keepers of the Truth and representatives of the Creator of our universe, speaking up (Colossians 2: 8-23)? While we dance and shout all over our churches for the brand new house we WANT to buy, these people are changing the world. While we try to impress sister so-and-so or brother so-and-so with how busy we want them to THINK we are, these people are shaping the minds of our children. While we play “look at me on my blackberry and laptop” games in the local coffeehouse , these people are recruiting the leaders of today and tomorrow at our colleges. Stop celebrating the road signs! We still have many, many miles ahead of us.

I really don’t want to end this on a negative note, so I won’t (or at least I hope I won’t). Trying to figure out where to go in this last paragraph, I’m reminded of a rapper that had a song that said “I’m stuntin’ (showing off) like my daddy”. I want to be clear that I’m not trying to say that creating a comfortable life for yourself and your family is wrong because it’s not. God created an empire by his own power, for his own glory and being created in his image and likeness explains our need to amass things in order to build an empire of our own. However, sin has polluted our desire to honor him with obedience (i.e. rule over all things on the Earth. We are conversely ruled by things). We now, like the Israelites, seek to build our own tower of babel to draw all men unto us (Genesis 11: 1-9). In our case, the unified language we speak is the dollar bill. If the unfortunate collapse of our economy is viewed through the omniscient eyes of our Father, one can not help but to see his gracious hand saving us from utter destruction yet again. This isn’t the way most people see things, so they are fighting, clawing and defending every ounce of worldly success they can find. Very little thought is given to the fact that God is working ALL things out for the good of them that love him and are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).

Do me a favor, the next time your driving and you see a road sign that says you have x-amount of miles left, take a look around you then hit the accelerator just a little bit. When you do that, thank God that he’s still taking you where you need to go. After you’ve done that, thank him for where you’ve been. Finally, thank him that your not traveling alone. We’re all headed somewhere, but without the wisdom of God we’re unpacking our cars hundreds of miles away from the glory and comfort of God’s purpose.

Well, I actually already have a Google Adwords account, so I won’t qualify, but maybe you will.

I’m giving away this coupon for FREE.

How can you win?

Here are the rules:

1. Return to our site between the time & dates of 12:00 a.m. February 10, through 11:59 pm February 17th est.
2. Read this article and leave a comment.
3. The winner will be announced on the comment section of this posted February 18th.
4. When you leave your comment on this blog post, you name will be entered into a drawing

Good Luck!!

18 For in much [human] wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

The Truth Hurts!

Over Come Fear

When I first started my business I thought the whole world would eventually see me as the fraud I really was. I had never done even an inkling of the things I truly believed in my heart I was capable of. In hind sight, I’ll admit that it wasn’t healthy to have those doubts, but at the time I don’t think the world had enough books or the internet websites to placate my fears of not knowing enough. My quest for knowledge was insatiable. Now, almost a year later, I’ve found a way to overcome those fears, but the habit of reading about everything my brain can form into words is firmly rooted into my psyche. I guess the common terminology of my “condition” would be defense mechanism or maybe an instinctual survival tactic. My wife of 9 months would unfortunately refer to it as a detriment to our young marriage. To be completely candid, I simply don’t agree; not because I think she’s wrong, but because I “need” to be smarter than my consumer to remain the expert that I am. Consumers will only buy from me if they don’t know as much as I do; especially in my field……of dreams. I’ve tricked my mind into believing that people want to buy what I know, not what they need. That truth has almost brought me to tears during times our financial drought. That truth has literally made me feel so bottled up with knowledge I could feel my bones begin to shake from the pressure.

My story is in no way germane; it’s the story of every entrepreneur. We’re all chasing tomorrow because the limitations of today have also exposed the limitations of our humanity. Knowledge & ingenuity become our remedy for the brokenness that has eaten a God shaped hole through the depths of our hearts. “…he who increases knowledge increases sorrow”

Our human knowledge is a depreciating commodity

I’ve seen the pious become the destitute. I’ve seen the poor become rich. I’ve seen the hated become heroes. I’ve seen the glow of life in a child’s smile become a gnarled grin of deceit. I’ve seen knowledge become sorrow. You’ve most likely seen it too. Remember the people carrying boxes outside of Lehman Brothers? Do you remember seeing the cars empty out of the GM and Chrysler plant parking lots? Do you remember the look on the face of Bernie Madoff as he was walked through the sea of cameras entering the court house? I sat in on a support group about two weeks for people that have recently lost their jobs. The meeting was full of accomplished executives from the top companies in our area who were now using each others shoulders to cry on. The magic carpet ride was truly over for these people, but like a dog returning to its vomit (Proverbs 26:11) they are reading self-help book after self-help book, learning twitter, taking classes, even cutting their hair and buying younger looking clothing to appeal to employers. Our human knowledge is a depreciating commodity that will never be worth the price we put on it.

95% of High Ranking Executives lost their Jobs

95% of the people that attended the support group were high ranking executives at one time. All I could think as I looked around that room was how far the mighty had fallen. The speaker that day was a life coach. She opened her lesson up with the statement “I’m just thanking Father, Mother God for this opportunity.” It was at that moment I realized how dangerous knowledge was apart from God. Our words are poisonous arrows thrust deep into the flesh apart from the grace, mercy and understanding of God. The people in the meeting were distraught because all the knowledge they had accumulated became nothing in a matter of seconds, and here I was to plug my new project. They didn’t need a new project! They needed a Savior to fill the God shaped hole the loss of their job left in the middle of their heart. Although they were there to find a job to put the remnants of their tattered lives back together, what I actually heard was “How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?” (Psalm 13:2). How many of you know what David meant when he penned those words? I know I do!

Find out more about Dr. Seger and her new book at www.lindaseger.com or Spiritual Steps on the Road to Success.

1. How did you get started in as a script consultant and writing books? Why did you want to make a career out of a script consultant verses just being a writer?

Well, I do, of course write non-fiction books. have always been interested in reading, (fascinated with reading when I started reading around age 6, I expect… and started reading loads of books by the time I was 7). Then, I got interested in writing, and started writing poetry, short stories when I was 10, and even wrote a novel when I was 13 (My only novel…about 25 pages long.) I got interested in script writing as a result of working in theater… and from directing theater where I began to analyze scripts. Then, I taught theater in college, and as part of my Th.D. in Drama and Theology, I developed a method for analyzing scripts which then became my business as a script consultant. Script Consulting developed out of my love for drama and my love for great literature.

2. Almost 30 years in this industry from writing books, conducting seminars, speaking, consulting, running a business and traveling, is writing scripts still your number one passion? Or, has one the others taken precedent over script writing?

The script consulting is a great joy to me, because I work with creative people, and I exercise my own creativity by working with their scripts, thinking about ways to improve them and solve script problems. But it’s really the combination that I love-consulting, writing books, and doing seminars. I love writing the books, and sharing ideas. and the Seminars are a way for me to express myself publicly, to meet others, and to figure out how best to communicate these ideas. So, it’s the combination.

3. In 1981, what made you to decide to start you own business verses working for another company?

Well, no one wanted me!!! (smile!) the college where I was teaching had over-extended the Drama Department and suddenly about 6 of us were out of a job. I lived near Los Angeles so I decided, with my background in Drama, perhaps I could get into the film business. But I was over-educated, older than many starting out (I had already been a college professor) and my skill was in scripts, not necessarily in administration, or working in a corporation, or…and I didn’t know anyone, so I didn’t have any advantage of knowing someone in the business. I started doing story analysis, and found, fairly quickly, that all my previous work served me well. Then, one day, a writer who I met was having trouble with his script and I suggested I apply my Doctoral Dissertation which focused on a specific way to analyze scripts, to his script. He said to me, ” I’ve struggled with this for 5 years…and in one hour you told me what to do.” At that point, I realized I had something here, and also realized that the industry had many scripts out there that didn’t work. I was not a corporate type, but realized eventually that I was an entrepreneurial type. So, I was partly forced into it by circumstances, but when I started my business, I realized this was my great joy and that I was good at this.

4. How was your faith tested when you took the risk of starting your own business?

It was a huge leap of faith. I didn’t know if I was being stupid, or being called. I finally just took the leap, and as time went on, felt I was doing exactly what I was meant to do. I did have various tests…at certain points, my ego would get in charge, telling me that I was really ’something’, or that I should try to work for a studio and maybe some big wig would thank me at the academy awards, but I felt God was telling me that much of my work would always be with new writers. Although I do work with very successful writers at times, and that’s a joy too, but many of my clients are new, and I feel that I’m nurturing their creativity and their self–expression.

5. What are you thoughts about Christians becoming Entrepreneurs? Do you feel it’s okay for Christians to aspire to be wealthy?

Being an Entrepreneur and a Christian is a fitting combination, because God is very creative about calling us to unusual jobs. It takes a leap of faith to become an Entrepreneur… I don’t know how people do it without faith, unless they have rich relatives!

I believe prosperity is, or can be, a by-product of our work, but that we do have to keep in mind our spiritual principles and not be tempted to have pride, or to get greedy, or to buy into the world’s ideas of what we-re supposed to have (I.E., Money, Big Cars, Fame, Fortune, ETC.) I did struggle with what would happen if I began to do well… What would I do with all that money if I got it? Well, I’m not making millions, but I have certainly done better than I expected, and I began to think about how to be wise with money (saving for retirement, ETC.) but also there are so many people and places that need our help. I’m involved with a charity in the Philippines… (Wodeef- Women’s Economic Development and Earth Foundation) that helps women start businesses, helps educate the children, and has a farm which I bought for them which teaches sustainable agriculture and helps fund the city branch of the charity. I also think it’s important to develop a sense of sharing and to realize that we are blessed if we can help others. We are blessed because we have the money to help others, and we are blessed in the process of helping others.

I have tried to develop a stronger social consciousness about how people struggle in our world. I’ve spent a great deal of time trying to be more aware of those who are poor and oppressed. This has included studying what is called ‘Liberation Theology’, meaning Theology that deals specifically with Jesus’ words about ‘I’ve come.. to bring release to the captives, to set at liberty those who are oppressed.’ So I’ve tried to be more aware of the variety of struggles that people have.

After some years of thinking about the homeless, I made the decision to almost always give when I see a homeless person…and I also try to always look them in the eye and give them a blessing. I realize I’ve been blessed, and they are struggling. (And I don’t make judgments about their situation, or if their dishonest.) So, it’s important if we have much, to share.

6. One of my most favorite quotes is by Bessie Stanley who says it best about “Success”:

What is your definition of success? Do you feel you have reached it and if so, how do you know?

Success is being blessed, able to do the work we love, to make a living at it, to contribute goodness to the world, and to delight in life.

I have reached success in my professional life and my personal life. Perhaps I know I’m successful partly because I have surpassed my dreams, but also because people give me feed-back to let me know that I am doing work that is helpful to them, or they let me know that my books have helped them and touched them.

But success is not about coasting. One has to maintain it, and keep expanding. Blessing, as I mention in my spiritual steps book, is about expanding, flourishing, abundance, and goes out to others and comes back to ourselves. It’s circular.. and that means that one does keep expanding.

7. Speaking of Success, can you tell us about your most recent book “Spiritual Steps on the Road to Success”? What was it that inspired you to write this book?

Spiritual steps was inspired by an award given to me by Regents University in 2000- The Candlelight Award. It is given every year to a Christian who is a ‘Light to the Entertainment Industry.’ I asked what kind of a thank you speech they wanted at the ceremony, and they said up to 30 minutes. That made me think about how my career had been nudged, pushed, pulled, and guided by God. As I thought about various steps along my career, this book began to evolve.

I also began to think about how we often think of spiritual tests and spiritual challenges as being part of the failures and problems in our lives – unemployment, illness, bad marriages, kids on drugs, ETC. Yet, I found that there was a whole different set of spiritual tests about success, and had realized that there were few books about these challenges. And, as I looked at my career, I began to try to define what those challenges were.

And, 9 years later, that became this book.

8. What is the most important take away, you want the readers to receive after reading “Spiritual Steps on the Road Success”?

I’d love readers to reflect on their own route to success, and perhaps to find some gems that will help them remove any barriers to their success. Hopefully, the book will also help readers discern some of the subtle and unexpected challenges on the road to success- and how to handle those challenges being aware and guided by the presence of God.

9. What else is on the horizon for you? Any new business endeavors?

The Third Edition of my first book, Making a Good Script Great, will be published in February. I am writing a book on subtext, called Writing Subtext for the Screen: What Lies Beneath, which is due at the end of March. I have 2-3 books on spirituality that I’m trying to sell. As far as new business endeavors, I do want to do more speaking on spirituality. I’ve given several speeches recently on this subject, and would like to expand that part of my life. That also includes writing more books on the topic.

10. What is your favorite scripture? Why did you choose that one?

Of Course, there are many favorite scriptures that pull at me at different phases of my life, but probably my favorite is Proverbs 8:22-31. In this scripture, the writer is describing how wisdom was with God at the creation. Wisdom, over the years, has become an increasingly important concept for me. I think it takes wisdom to be in business and try to have Christian standards in the way one does business. But, this scripture is also about creativity. Wisdom, who is a creator, delights God. She plays in his presence. She is a master craftsman. And she loves being with us human beings. The scripture reminds me to always take joy in my work. To be delighted with creativity and to love playing with other creative people and playing, and being, with God!

A list of all short codes to text to donate on your phone bill in the United States:

1. Text HAITI to 90999 to donate $10 to the Red Cross for Haiti efforts. This effort is run by Mobile Accord.

2. Text YELE to 501501 to donate $5 to the Wyclef Jean’s Yele Haiti Foundation. 501501 is run by Give On the Go.

3. Text HAITI to 25383 to donate $5 to International Rescue Committee.

4. Text RELIEF to 30644 to get automatically connected to Catholic Relief Services and donate money with your credit card.

5. Text HAITI to 85944 to donate $5 to the Rescue Union Mission and MedCorp International.

Online Donations

A list of websites to submit you donations online securely.

6. Donate Via Google Checkout

7.Donate Via Causes of Facebook

8.The Salvation Army is sending 285,120 boxed meals of rice, soy, and vitamins to Haiti. Donate to the Salvation Army by clicking here.

9. Help Support the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund. President Bush emphasizes the need of a long-term commitment to Haiti’s recovery.

10. Hope for Haiti has held the vision from the very beginning that the people of Haiti are the ones who take control of their future and we are here to lend a needed hand along the difficult path. Donate Here.

The bible says God is honored when we give to the poor for it is like we are lending to the Lord himself, Proverbs 19:17 & Proverbs 14:31.

Photo Credit by: American Red Cross