Tuesday, October 14, 2014

What word describes your family?

I was recently given a challenge to think about what word or phrase represents our family.  It was really tough because several scriptures came to mind. Some of our favorites over the years have been Jeremiah 29:11(God's plan for us), Ephesians 3:20(God can do anything), 2 Timothy 1:7(God gives us power, love and a sound mind) and Exodus 14:14(Be still).

As I prayed about which of these have remained over the years the Lord drew my attention to Exodus 14:14 "The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still".  The recurring word for us is Be Still.....


My husband and I are very driven people.  We are the type that you don't have to ask us to get work done or go the extra mile, we just do it.  While that is a blessing it can also cause the issue of working too much and trying to control things that are simply out of our control.  Over the years when we need a breakthrough in a certain area of our life the word God gives us is "Be still".  Those words are painful to driven people because you feel a sense of laziness or failure.  But it's in that weakness that God is able to show up and show off His glory.  We need the constant reminder that HE is in control and it's ONLY because of Him that we are where we are today.  

A few of our "be still" moments: the timing of our engagement 10 years ago, where my husband would work after he graduated chiropractic school(if he hadn't been still we wouldn't have encountered a God opportunity of purchasing a practice), the redemption of my miscarriage with our only son being born on my birthday, the purchase of our first home(again if we hadn't been still we would have missed a God opportunity).

And now, we are in another "be still" moment.  We have done all we can do in our own power but we need God to perform some miracles in an area of our life.  When fear creeps in about whether God is going to do it I just remind myself of all the times He has been faithful.  As tough as it is to be still I love watching God move when I step aside.  

What is your word or phrase for your family?  I recently discovered these Letterpress Blocks from Dayspring that you can use to create any word you can think of!  I created the "Be Still" image(above) and here are a few examples of other things people have created with them:



(Discloser: should you choose to click the images above & purchase these Letter blocks I will earn a small commission. I only share the things I love!:))

I challenge you to answer this question as well, what word describes you or your family?  I would love to hear what it is and why you chose it!

Thursday, October 9, 2014

10 Tips to make your resume Pop!

My husband and I are business owners and have seen many resumes over the years.  I had an idea recently to start jotting down common mistakes I see that caused me to never open some of the resumes.  Some of these things are common sense, but many people just don't take the time to think about the first impression they are making. So if you are job hunting, or just need a good laugh, this post is for you!

1. Check your spelling.
I know in this day and age of texting it is so easy to type something and click send.  But misspelling words, especially if it's in the email title or on your resume, almost guarantees your resume will get overlooked.  Please don't send an email with the title "I am intresed in this job".  If you aren't sure how to spell something look it up in the dictionary, I promise you that extra minute to be accurate is worth it.

2. Get a legit email address.
babygotback123@yahoo.com is not a legit email address.  A weird email address speaks volumes of a person.  If you don't have something simple just create an account for sending resumes.  You always want to look professional on every aspect of the application.

3. Keep your name consistent.
This is especially important for those of us who have a maiden name or alternate name(i.e. your name is Olivia but you go by Livvy).  It's all about making an impression so you want the potential employer to know you by one name not trying to figure out who you were.  Make sure your email address(if possible), cover letter, resume and name you use in interview all line up.  

4. Put your name in front of the employer at least 3 different ways.
I can't tell you the lasting impact it makes on me when I have someone submit a resume via email, then I get a message from the staff that they called about the position, then they email OR hand write(gasp) a personal note thanking me for the interview.  Again, the name consistency helps ensure you get proper credit for doing all those things.

5. Address the potential employer formally.
It is not professional to submit a job application with the message in the email stating "hey! I heard you are hiring, would love to work with you guys!".  I see this so much these days and it really is a turn off because it makes me question how professional you will be in the office and with our clients.

6. Be careful with social media.
More and more employers are checking social media to see what kind of presence you have there.  Be careful of the type of pictures you have as your profile pictures and if possible put everything on private or even hidden. 

7. Check the length of your resume.
The general rule of thumb is that your resume shouldn't be longer than a page.  I know we all want to list every wonderful thing we have ever done but you need to know your target population and the job you are hoping to acquire.  Employers will not "dig" through long and wordy resumes so the things that should have been highlighted will just get completely lost.  

8. Know the company you are applying to and send a cover letter.
This goes along with the length of the resume but can be used in the interview as well.  Know what the company does, the type of people they like to hire and their target market.  You will use that information to highlight your strong points on your resume, on your cover letter as well as in the interview. A cover letter lets the employer know you took the time to personalize your application to their company.  You would be amazed at the number of people who come in for an interview who don't even know what the company does.

9. Read instructions!
Most companies have clear instructions on the hiring site how to apply for a job.  When I receive an email asking me questions about how to do it or just completely leave out things I requested I delete their resume without even opening it.  If you aren't able to read simple instructions to apply this shows you may not be able to perform simple tasks within the office.

10. Pray
Last, but certainly not least, pray!  Pray over your resume and cover letter before you send it.  Ask the Holy Spirit to show you what needs to be taken out or added.  Then pray God opens doors only He can open and close the doors that need to be closed.  

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

What is your why?

Have you ever seen the movie "The Island"?  My husband and I were dumb wise enough to stay up until 3am a few nights ago watching it.  I should have just passed out when my head hit the pillow but instead I laid wide awake thinking about a statement that was made in the movie.

If you haven't seen the movie here is a short description of it:


 To make a very long story short, two of these people were able to escape from a facility that was using them as insurance policies for the humans who had them made to look just like them.  The entire population had believed a lie that there was an uncontaminated "island" they would be going to when their number was drawn in the lottery.  Little did they know that the facility was keeping them as slaves only to slaughter them.  

While it was a great movie the line that was stated by the man who escaped to the woman(who escaped with him) was something to the effect of  "We could set this ship sail(in reference to a sail boat) and be free but what about the others?"

So as you may have guessed they went back to try to set the other prisoners free and reveal the truth.

Why am I sharing with you a very condensed version of some movie I stayed up way too late to watch?  Because God began to speak to me about why I do what I do in sharing His word, hope and truth with other people.

I don't know about you, but there are some days where I just want to crawl under a rock, or back inside my shell, and stay there.  It is so cozy there.  There are no demands on me, no deadlines, no critiques, no judgement, no rough patches and definitely no injuries.  Some days I wonder "why do I have this urge to inspire people?  To shed the truth of God's word?  To lead people to Jesus? There are so many pastors doing this already why do I need to try to do it too? I'm not even in full-time ministry".  You get the point...excuses and more excuses.  

What God showed me through this movie was that while it would be so easy to set my ship sail and live in the freedom that God has given me it would be very selfish for me to not go back and rescue the others.  Even though I am not in ministry as a vocation we all get an opportunity to minister every single day.  Sometimes we miss it because it doesn't look, feel and smell like traditional ministry, but it is.  In fact, those of us in the work force have a unique ministry that not many pastors have access to.  

My questions to you today are:  why do you do what you do?  What drives you to inspire those around you?  What are you passionate about? What motivates you to live a life for God so people will be drawn to Jesus?  

My "why" is because I can remember so clearly where I used to be and where I am now.  I would not be where I am today if it weren't for the grace of our heavenly Father. He has given me compassion and love for people that only He can give.  I never want to lose my awe of what he has done in my life or I might stop going back to rescue the others.  

Will you join me?  We don't have to have it all together to make a difference, I know I sure don't, but we do have to be willing to go and follow Jesus on the journey.  We must not let the fear of man hold us back from allowing the Lord to work through us and rescue His children.  Move forward in confidence, knowing the Lord goes before us and stands behind us.