Motivate – Spirit of Stewardship

The Moment of Now

Seventy is the sum of our years,

or eighty, if we are strong;

Most of them are toil and sorrow;

they pass quickly, and we are gone.

Psalm 90:10

When was the last time you were motivated to do something and actually followed through?

I’m sure your intentions were sincere, but if you weren’t able to fulfill that task, what kept you? If you’re like most people, LIFE got in the way and you simply lost track of time and your desire in the moment to make it happen. As stewards of Christ and his teachings, you want to give back to the Lord in proportion to how he has blessed you. Sometimes that means slowing down. Other times we must quicken our pace. But it’s in that moment we make our decision.

In the past month I have adopted my wife’s 12-year old daughter, Brooke, and we welcomed a son, Josiah, now two weeks young. Time is more important than ever in my life. I’m making it a priority to slow down and value the time with my family. This is where I’m at today. Will life get in the way and take some of that precious family time away? I don’t anticipate that. I only plan to maximize NOW!

NOW is the time we gather at the dinner table and discuss our day.

NOW is the time I pray and play with my daughter.

NOW is the time I hold Josiah during those late night feedings and form that father-son bond, and don’t complain about being tired. 🙂

Make NOW your time to do what you’ve been putting off. Make NOW your time to give back to your church, community, and family. Time is all we have. What does time mean to you?

With enthusiasm!

Jeremy, CAP®

Good, Better, Best…

Have you ever stopped to ask yourself, “Am I giving life the best I’ve got?” Giving back and living your best life with enthusiasm is what Spirit of Stewardship is all about. It’s meant to motivate, educate, and maximize your life from a charitable perspective. Your thoughts, words, and actions do make a difference. Each issue will contain succinct, pertinent information to help you get more out of life, live healthy and positively, and motivate yourself to give back to others. Life is cyclical. Get up. Get ready. Get the kids ready. Go to work. Come home.Share a meal…maybe! Participate in family activities. Watch some tv. Go to bed so you can get up and do it all over again. Throw in some vacation time each year and there’s your life summary. Naturally this daily routine doesn’t apply to everyone, but whatever one’s routine, we’re left asking ourselves, “Is this it?”

I’m here to share with you that life is so much more when you give back based on how you’ve been blessed. Maybe your talent is making money, or your people skills allow you to excel at making friends and networking. Perhaps your strength is parenting, or you’re a good listener. Are you able to do best what you enjoy most? It doesn’t matter what you’re paid, your title, or your employer, if you don’t like what you do, then that makes life tough to get up for day in and day out. But if you do enjoy what you do and those other entitlements are important to you, then I believe through hard work, networking, and following the golden rule, opportunity will find you…which some people call luck!

Sometimes it’s helpful to reflect on how we got to where we are today to appreciate all that we have. Who among us can imagine spending 69 days underground like the Chilean miners? Have you thought about all the time you put into educating yourself? How has that been of value to you and those you now serve and educate? Maybe you had a parent, grandparent, or mentor who has given you some “pearls of wisdom” to steer you in the right direction. Perhaps now you’re in that position where you’re giving back to help someone or something. Those who give get so much more back in return. Do you believe this? Have you ever experienced the satisfaction of helping someone who can’t help you? If not, give it a try and see how that makes you feel.

I look forward to providing you with practical information that will make a difference for you and in the lives of those you touch. How do you get more out of life? Do good. Be better. Give your best. Good, better, best; never rest until your good is better and your better, best!

Step Up and Help Out

“A big part of my responsibility from the success we’ve had is to share the story so students can be inspired. You don’t have to separate giving from business, or your job from your passion.” – Blake Mycoskie, founder and CEO of TOMS Shoes, a company that gives a new pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair sold.

“When you are kind to someone, that person is more likely to be kind to someone else. When you are cruel to someone, that person is more likely to be cruel to someone else. You can make those decisions every day. I am not saying they are always easy, but they are important to make.” – Harvey McKinnon, The Power of Giving: How Giving Back Enriches Us All

Stating the Obvious

FEAR: How can I give to charity if I can’t even pay my own bills?

FACT: Charitable giving is a part of an overall strategy for taking control of your cash flow. If you start giving at the same time that you start building assets, your assets will still grow because you’ve chosen to adopt a fiscally responsible path for yourself.

FREEDOM: Instead of risking your financial freedom, giving will enhance it.

“The only question with wealth is what you do with it.” – John D. Rockefeller

Spotlight Organization

New Hope Life Center For Women

New Hope Life Center For Women goes beyond charitable giving and focuses on establishing a new paradigm for living. Women are encouraged to heal and grow, regardless of past pain and failure. They are given the tools needed to remain physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually strong throughout the rest of their lives.

I recently sat down with the president of the organization, Kathleen McCallister, to get her perspective on the good they do for women of hope.

Q: Why would someone want to support New Hope Life Center For Women?
A: “We’re successfully breaking the cycle by creating family and community instead of just a program.”

Q: What are the expectations of a woman entering recovery?
A: “When a woman enters the program, she commits to at least 9 – 12 months of holistic recovery. The holistic recovery integrates physical,mental, emotional, and spiritual health, as well as life skills and goal setting.”

Q: How do you measure success?
A: “We are successfully reversing the failure rate for female addicts in recovery and providing dramatic results for women, families, and the community. 75% of the women we graduate are clean and sober 1 year after program completion!”

Pay it forward: If you’d like to support the mission of New Hope Life Center For Women, you can contact them in the following ways.

3507 Harney Street, P.O. Box 31188
Omaha, NE 68131
402-345-4673

www.newhopelifecenters.org

Billionaires Lead The Way

“It’s an established principle that there’s something called leadership by example,” said Peter G. Peterson, a former Nebraskan and financier who plans to give more than half his net worth of an estimated $2-billion back to charity. Peterson, along with fellow Omahans, Warren Buffett and Walter Scott Jr., is among 40 billionaires (and counting) who pledged a percentage of their riches to charity.

The idea stems from Buffett and Bill Gates. In June they asked individuals and families to publicly commit to give away at least half of their wealth within their lifetimes or after their deaths. Their goal: $600 billion. If their campaign succeeds, it could change the face of philanthropy. This has a ripple effect on so many levels. One only has to question if that’s something we can also do, regardless of our financial status. If the “standard” of giving is 10%, you have to be impressed with the percentage that billionaires are giving back to mankind—from 50% upwards to the 99% Buffett has pledged to give back.

Buffett wants to “set an example” and “influence others to give.” Little may he have known it’s not just the billionaires he’s influencing. In 2009 Americans charitable giving fell 3.6% to $303.8 billion last year, down from $315 billion in 2008, according to Giving USA. In 2008, charitable giving fell 2%. This charitable movement should be making us ask ourselves, “What am I willing to do now or upon my death to support charities that mean most to me?” After all, we know we can’t “take it with us.” I’ve never seen a U-Haul hitched up to a hearse!