Daniel

King Darius the Mede and ruler over the former kingdom of Babylon, issued a decree in the approximate year of 539 B.C., “…that anyone who prays to any god or man
during the next thirty days, (except to him), shall be thrown into the lion’s
den.” (Daniel 6:7 NIV) We need to acknowledge this
king and his allies took the mighty Babylon
without a fight. This must have been a seriously notorious character.

This decree was issued by those jealous of Daniel. He was a favorite of King Darius and his peers hated him for it. Daniel’s
integrity and trustworthiness was cemented so strongly in his faith, his utmost
priority, that his foes stated they couldn’t find any corruption or
negligence. “We will never find any
basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with
the law of his God.” (Daniel 6:4-5 NIV)

Daniel’s strict faith led him to pray three times a day. He was not ready to cower before this decree and forfeit his religious integrity.
God’s law trumped this king.
However, he made the choice to disobey the king and was forced to face
the consequences.

Sometimes making the right decision goes against the demands of our authority figures and we must own the severe consequences. Most likely a den of lions isn’t the
punishment; rather, our careers could lay victim. Have faith because almost always those with
integrity will prevail.

Daniel was sent to the lions den and returned without a scratch. Those who tried to have him killed were thrown into the den along with their families.
Needless to say, they became lion lunch.

This example of self-leadership spanning almost 2,500 years is still applicable today. The popular decision would have
been easiest for Daniel, but it would have been a moment he regretted
forever. Remaining true to the
priorities we set are the trademark of a self-leader.

(Excerpt from upcoming 2nd edition of Inspire Tomorrow, Leadership for the young professional)

Who has impacted you the most?

I began the re-write for the book that sparked my passion for writing and the one I named this site after, Inspire Tomorrow. It is a leadership book covering a very different angle on developing leadership. Tonight, I was re-touching the chapter on those who have impacted my views on leadership.

My father and maternal grandfather were instrumental characters in my growth. Grandpa was a servant leader, like Christ. He was very humble and would submit to any role but his passion for those roles made him stand out. Because of his example, I learned that by caring for others and striving to meet their needs/goals you become a leader that other want to follow.

Dad has a work ethic like no other. He is 70 and could still work circles around me. After the steel mill closed, he decided to retire with 42 years of seniority. That didn’t even last a year before he went crazy and started working somewhere else. With each position he holds, everyone knows who he is and comes to him when they need something done. He taught me that sweat equity will build more bridges than anything else.

Both men mentored me to be someone who wants to win the respect of others by caring for them and working hard to help them succeed.

Who has impacted you the most? How?

Will adding an infant to the home solve your problems?

Having problems with the Mrs.?  Have a baby and fix everything.

Read the rest here: http://www.yourparentinginfo.com/having-an-infant-in-the-house-will-solve-everything/

There is always another way…

1 Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you
are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”

Principle: God will not let you get in over your head.

Explanation: God will never let us go through something we are not able to handle. Some of us fail this and respond in terrible ways.
However, we still are never in too deep to fall out of His grace. We need the faith to turn it over to Him and suffer the consequences of our actions.

God will not erase our sin from the world, but He will separate us from it in His eternal home.

If you think back to every event in your life you regret, there was an option you passed by that would have steered you clean from the sin. I know I can’t think of a single time where there wasn’t a smarter option to choose from and I was left wondering why I didn’t go down that path.

“If only I would have not gone to that party, I wouldn’t have…”

Visit www.InspireTomorrow.com for similar posts.

High Hopes and Misconceptions

Did you have preconceived notions of how you were going to raise your child?  How have you measured up against them?

Read my story here: YourParentingInfo.com

Are Christian Principles needed in business?

Here is a recent article I wrote…

Christian Principles Are Needed in Business

December 31, 2009

Filed under: Employment, Entrepreneurship, General Business — Joe Lawrence @ 10:05 am

I recently was reading an article by one of my favorite authors, Mike Holmes, about how the Bible is needed in the business world today.  His article got me thinking about the universal applications of the Christian message.

Read the rest here: http://www.randomstock.com/blog/christian-principles-are-needed-in-business/

Inspire Tomorrow is in the news…

Inspire Tomorrow Re-Commissions Christians

Added : ( Tue Jan 26 2010 )

CHARLESTON, SC (January 2010) Inspire Tomorrow (http://www.inspiretomorrow.com) changes faces of flagship website. Christians now have a place to learn, share and grow in their faith. The Great Commission is the mission of this interactive community website.

Joe Lawrence, Founder of Inspire Tomorrow, announced the change back in early January, “Starting February 1st we will become known as a place for Christian learning and fellowship.” The overhaul was to a social media format likened to Facebook or MySpace. “This will be a place where Christians come to share inspiration and get spiritually fed by the works of God through others.”

Joe is known for his ability to attract people of purpose, “We haven’t even opened our doors yet and already have four published authors, a professional graphics designer and multiple Christian business owners.” Feeling blessed he stated, “We were all charged with the Great Commission by Jesus and I want this site to become the place where Christians come to recharge their batteries before going back into the world.”

InspireTomorrow.com features messages from their members in numerous formats. Any member is free to leave a blog entry or start a discussion with others. “We have Inspired Groups for Bible study, devotions, and prayer.” This site features live Tweets from numerous Christians in the “Get Fed by the Web’ section and much more. Joe elaborates, “There really is too much to list everything, follow in the footsteps of Thomas and come see it for yourselves.”

Inspire Tomorrow launched back in 2007 as an information site written by Christians. The goal was for readers to enjoy the content and get an inspired message without being preached to each time. “My slogan from day one was, ‘Share Today, Inspire Tomorrow,’” stated Lawrence. “We all know something that would benefit another. Come join us and inspire the next generation of Christians!”

Inspire Tomorrow Media is a Christian media company focused on helping others in their walk. To take on the mission of the Great Commission go to http://www.inspiretomorrow.com. For more information email Joe Lawrence directly at inspiretomorrow@gmail.com.