I am so grateful for the Lord’s tender mercies in returning our son who just spent 2 years serving a mission for Jesus Christ in Honduras. For me, it’s the best Christmas present I could ask for to have our son back home with us and to see the growth in him. To hold a vision of the man you know your son can become and then witness the fruition of that is a humbling experience.

What has impressed me most about Caleb is his powerful testimony of our Savior’s love for us and the transforming power of His infinite atonement. There is no greater gift given to mankind than what Jesus Christ has done for us and the eternal life He offers. The following video is a beautiful depiction of His life and ministry. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Merry Christmas, my friends. May God bless you today and forever.

It truly is alarming how many Christians don’t experience the freedom that the Bible speaks of (2 Cor. 3:17). Instead, they feel trapped by things in their lives; feeling like there is no way to move forward because of where they are or where they have been. However, it doesn’t have to be that way. It doesn’t matter where you’re at in life, or what you’re struggling with, you can find lasting freedom in Christ.

That’s why Christian authors and speakers, CJ and Shelley Hitz, have written Forgiveness Formula: Finding Lasting Freedom in Christ.” You’ll recognize Shelley from this year’s SheLovesGod.com Virtual Women’s Conference. This easy to read book combines real life stories with practical application steps to help people live life to the fullest through the power of forgiveness. The book is launching December 6th, 2011 and on that day only when you purchase your copy you will receive 19 bonus gifts worth over $100, and be entered in your chance to win the grand prize drawing of a Kindle Fire, Nook, or iPod Touch, or one of several other prize packs. I just went and grabbed my Kindle copy.

Here is what’s being said about “Forgiveness Formula”:

“Unlike so many Christian authors, CJ and Shelley Hitz write like real people. To read their book is to meet two very thoughtful new friends, who are both willing and able to help.” – Bart Campolo, Founder Mission Year

“Tragedy to triumph? Grief to gratitude? Shelley and CJ’s touching transparency fleshed out to me, ‘It’s possible! There is hope!’” -Drake Mariani, Founder MemLok Bible Memory System

To get your copy and for complete bonus and prize pack details, visit: http://www.theforgivenessformula.com/gifts/

I had a dream last night that I was playing the piano out in my field. The song was “Be Still My Soul” and before long, I could hear people singing along from a distance up the hill. Then someone called out, “Play Amazing Grace.” The only sheet music I had for it was a piano solo that wasn’t optimal for singing along. So I started picking it out on the black notes like the old African spirituals. I pounded it out, missing some notes, but the people kept coming and singing along.

After I finished playing I walked up the hill and a group of people had gathered in my sister’s driveway. I counted about 30. Then I realized I should teach them something, so I went back for my scriptures which I assumed were in my backpack. When I returned there was a minister from another faith there. It seemed he knew some of the people.

I knew what I wanted to talk about … that verse that says that Christ will give us “abundantly above whatever we ask or seek.” I began thumbing through, trying to find the verse in a Bible I found lying on the table. But I couldn’t locate the verse. Then I decided to dig in my backpack for my more comprehensive set of scriptures with a topical guide. But my scripture cover was filled with a bunch of odds and ends.

I fumbled around, trying to find a Bible somewhere and knocked over a bottle of water. The more time it took, the more inept I felt. Did these people really want to hear anything I had to say? Why were they here?

By this time, the minister, independently was trying to look up the same verse in his Bible (I never said out loud what I was looking for). He was sort of scoffing at me for not being able to find a Bible verse. When I told him I was looking up the same verse, he didn’t believe me and insinuated I was copying him. I did feel rather foolish, but didn’t argue with him. When he tried to locate the verse, his Bible had a lock on that section of the Bible, and he couldn’t get to it either.

Something told me to just speak from the heart. So I stood before this little crowd of what had grown to about 40-50 people and paraphrased the scripture from memory:

Christ will give us “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.” I then began to talk to them about how the Lord had exceeded anything I would ask or think in bringing them to me. If I had marketed and promoted, I wouldn’t have brought this many local people to come sing songs and listen to a verse or two. Yet here they were and I couldn’t recall even inviting them. Even they weren’t sure exactly why they came.

I woke from the dream and began pondering on it. I asked what the music represented.

Was it literal music? Should I play the piano and people will come?

No.

Was the music the music of my soul? Perhaps I should just be myself and people will come?

No.

Is the music my message?

Yes.

Is my message that you have a message?

Yes.

Is my message “Come unto Christ?”

No.

Really? No? That’s not my real message?

No. That is your mission!

My mission is to bring people to Christ. But my message is “you have a message.”  When I thought of my closest colleagues I realized that they each have a different message. They are all teaching or sharing a unique principle, concept or system. But every last one of them, when I get them alone, tell me that they feel their mission is to bring people to Christ.

Deliver your message and God will bring people to you to fulfill your mission.

I think, as Christians, we often get a little confused with this. We realize we want to show people the love of God. We want to bring people to Christ. We want to help people know God’s heart, and we think we should be able to generate a living from that. I had someone email me within the last few weeks asking this very question, “I want to help people know God’s love. How can I earn a living from that?”

Honestly, I don’t think you’re supposed to earn a living from that. I believe you have a talent, a gift, or a story God has given you to share with the world. You are welcome to take money in exchange for providing a product or service around it. But you don’t sell your mission.  God needs people to be reflections of His light and love in the world as they go about living their lives, pursuing careers and serving others.

Jesus said, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Peter and his friends fished with nets. Your message is your net. It is what draws people to you. They may purchase your product or service. And if they are really resonating with you, they will want to know more about you and what makes you tick — just like the people in my dream sat patiently waiting for me to speak to them.

They didn’t care that I couldn’t find the exact verse. They didn’t care that I knocked over a water bottle. They wanted to hear the message of my heart. They wanted to know what was important to me. It only took a minute or two and by the time I was done, they were already asking me when they could come back again. Could they come every first Sunday of the month?

What about that other minister who had the exact same verse to share? He had the same mission — to bring people to Christ. But they weren’t there to listen to him. They were there to listen to me. Why? Because they were the ones who resonated with my message.  Other people will resonate with his.  Each of us may have the very same mission, but the “net” we use as fishers of men will be unique to each of us.

This morning, when I looked up the verse I was trying to find, I realized just how profoundly the passage speaks of God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ and what I want people to know about them –

“For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen” (Ephesians 3:14-21).

What about you? What’s your message?

I’ve been pondering a lot lately about the principles of forgiveness and unconditional love. How does one unconditionally love someone you cannot trust? How does one forgive someone who very well may betray, deceive or hurt you again?

I had the privilege of previewing an excellent book before it went to print. Victoria Fielding’s “A Piece of Time” gave me a critical puzzle piece along my path to more fully understanding the principles of forgiveness and unconditional love.

At one point in the story, the main character summarizes,

“There were many dancers, many styles of dances, with innumerable dances being performed simultaneously on the stage of life. And who was to say that one dancer was any better than another? No longer did I think it was just my stage. It was everyone’s stage, and we were all just inexperienced dancers bumping up against each other, and—for the most part—trying to get our steps down, and trying to do our best. That was all. And that was enough.”

This morning as I was pondering on the subject further, it occurred to me that I’ve been taking things very personally. When someone makes a mistake, blows a fuse, or does something that makes my life difficult, I’ve been taking it personally. I’ve been acting as if I’m the main character on the stage, and it’s all about me and how other people treat me. I’ve been betrayed. I’ve been deceived. I’ve been used or treated like dirt.

How am I supposed to keep loving someone who may betray me again, may deceive me again, or may use me again? How am I supposed to unconditionally love those people?

But what if Victoria Fielding is right? What if we’re all dancers, performing simultaneously on the stage of life and all those things I perceive as “about me” aren’t personal at all! What if it’s other people bumping up against me as they try to play their roles in life? We’re all imperfect and human. Rarely is someone else’s mistake all about us.

I call a child for dinner and he yells at me rudely. I can take that personally. I could think, “How disrespectful! How rude! He doesn’t love me at all. How ungrateful!” Or I could realize this child was acting out of character and there must be more to the story. Sure enough, I later learn that he was mad about something else and my calling him three times for dinner was the last straw. It had nothing to do with me.

Someone once said, “No man knows my history.” We don’t know each other’s histories. We don’t know the string of incidents, choices, and beliefs that led someone to a particular act. Perhaps he was flailing his arms dancing on the stage of life and smacked you upside the head because you were the closest person around.

Have you ever noticed on crime dramas like “Criminal Minds” it’s rarely that the murderer simply despised the victim? There’s always this string of events, circumstances, choices and the perpetrator’s view of life that led to the crime. By the time the FBI team gets to the bottom of it, we see the perpetrator’s twisted view of reality caused by a myriad of factors that made the person snap.

Of all people who could take betrayal, deceit, and even murder personally, it would be Jesus Christ. But there’s one thing about Jesus — which I believe enables Him to love each of us unconditionally no matter what we do — and that is He doesn’t take our actions personally. Even though our actions caused Him pain, He still prayed on the cross, “Forgive them Father for they know not what they do.” What if he wasn’t only talking about the soldiers driving the nails?

Jesus knew it wasn’t personal. And even if it felt very personal, He never took it personally. He knew that we all have a history, and we’re all imperfect dancers on a stage “for the most part—trying to get our steps down, and trying to do our best.”

That’s why if we’ll come to Him, and give Him not only our sins, but also all the times we’ve felt offended, betrayed, deceived, or injured, He can take those things and replace them with love — unconditional love that never ends. He will “bind up the broken hearted, proclaim liberty to the captives, and open up the prison to those who are bound.” (Isaiah 61:1-2)

Will you join me in shifting perspectives? Can we stop taking other people’s actions personally? Can we choose to believe that, “we are all just inexperienced dancers bumping up against each other, and—for the most part—trying to get our steps down, and trying to do our best?”

(A Piece of Time by Victoria Fielding will be available online and in some Cosco’s in September. For more details visit www.VictoriaFielding.com )

Would you like God’s help in your career or your business? If so, I’d like to share with you a rare look inside my story of faith and how God helped me build my business.

Dr. Joseph Peck of “The Story Behind the Story” interviewed me the other day about my latest bestseller, “Trust Your Heart: Transform Your Ideas to Income.” This was no ordinary webinar. Dr. Peck is a generous, Christian man who probed into my faith and how it weaves into my business success.

You can find that webinar recording here.

I hope this will bless you — especially if you’re trying to build a business around your ideas and dreams and want God’s help along the way.

One of the biggest things that holds you back from living your life purpose and being the person you were created to be are emotional, mental and energetic blocks. Remove the blocks that stand in the way of your dreams. To find out more, watch this brief video about the method I use to get rid of my blocks.

Get more information at Energy Serenity.

If you really want to impact lives, you need to distill your message down to it’s most succinct and powerful form. It’s sort of like distilling it down to an essential oil offering a strong solution to your market. Discover what you cal learn about your message and working synergistically with others by modeling essential oils.

It’s so important to understand and work from your core passion. If you don’t, you’ll procrastinate and feel overwhelmed. But if you work from your core passion you’ll have greater success and enjoy life more in a more effortless, meaningful way.

Discover more about uncovering your core passion in this video:

Be sure to take the Step Into Destiny test free.

Don’t just overcome the negative thoughts you have about yourself, use them to your advantage! They can actually work for you if you give this quick and easy exercise a try!

Learn more about Kirk Duncan’s “My Dot People” here.

Would you like to fine tune your message (or your mission)? In this video I share three things you can analyze in yourself that will help you discover your message and your mission in life.

Get the first 50 pages of “You’re Here for a Reason: Discover & Live Your Message” here.