“The world certainly was designed with a sense of humor….  Inside every truth and every appearance, there’s a bit of opposite tucked inside.”  Pindar in The Go-Giver

How comfortable are you receiving gifts from others?  Explain.

And I have been a constant example of how you can help the poor by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”  (Acts 20:35, NLT)

Earlier this month, I highlighted the book The Go-Giver: A Little Story About A Powerful Business Idea (see 2/4/08 DG).  In that book are presented five rather unusual laws called “The Five Laws of Stratospheric Success.”  For the last several DGs I have been looking at each of those laws individually.

The last law is the Law of Receptivity which simply states, “The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving.”  As one of those radical Christians who believes the Bible should be interpreted literally, I strongly believe the words of Jesus as quoted by Paul in today’s scripture.

In fact, I daresay that most have grown up understanding that it is better to give than to receive.  Many of us have had that drummed into our subconscious so long that we don’t even know how to graciously receive a gift of any kind.  We sometimes even have trouble asking fair compensation for our labors.

I have never seen a commentary nor heard a sermon that explores this from the point of view that for someone to give, someone else must receive.  To take it to the extreme, if everybody literally refused to receive because they were holding out for the blessing that comes from giving, there would be nobody left to give to.  It would all come to a screeching halt!  Ridiculous, isn’t it?

Quoting from The Go-Giver, “Receiving is the natural result of giving.  If you give and then try to stop the receiving that comes back, you’re like King Canute watching the tide roll out and commanding it not to come back in.  It has to come back in, just as your heart has to contract after relaxing.”  Continuing to quote, “…the secret to success…to gaining it, to having it, is to give, give, give.  The secret to getting is giving.  And the secret to giving is making yourself open to receiving.”  Remember, the more you have, the more you have available to give.  Don’t shut off the flow.

And that, dear reader, ends the series on the five laws from The Go-Giver.  I do hope you’re inspired to get this book.  It’s a very powerful read.

Prayer Power
Lord, allow us to see the deeper truth behind your words as quoted in Acts 20 rather than just that which lies on the surface.  Grant us the ability to be as gracious in our receiving as we are in our giving.

Link of the Day
The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea

Blessings to you as you remain open to receive from some unexpected source with a simple “Thank you.”

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“What can I say? Gadgets are my life.  My name is Stacy, and I’m a gadget-holic.”  Stacy Finz

How well equipped is your kitchen for preparing healthy food?

She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls.  (Proverbs 31:15; NIV)

First of all I want to share with you what one of our readers sent to us.  Last week I wrote on the “Perils of PFOA.”   Robin Bianchi from Rochester, New York sent us this email.  “I was slow cooking spaghetti sauce one evening for about three hours in my aging electric non-stick fry pan….my parakeet died….the dangers are real!”  Thank you, Robin, for sharing that story with us. 

Last evening I walked around the kitchen looking at the various appliances, cookware, and kitchen gadgets that I use on a regular basis.  I began making a list of what I use most often.  This certainly won’t be an exhaustive list, nor will I be able to share everything I use in this posting, but it’s a start.

When asked the hypothetical question of what one thing I could not live without if stranded on a desert island, I’m quick to say, “My Cuisinart!”  I’ve used a food processor since they first came on the scene in the 1970’s.  There is no faster way to slice, chop, dice, grate or mix than by using a food processor.  They truly are a cook’s best friend.  If you don’t have one, begin saving for one or consider asking for one for an upcoming gift-giving occasion.

Probably the next most used appliance in our household is the blender.  I make smoothies at least five times a week using it.  I also use it for pureeing soups and sauces.  I also use a large kitchen mixer for the occasions of making bread, other types of dough, cheesecake batter or cookies.

To equip your kitchen in a truly healthy manner, a juicer is a must.  Fresh vegetable and fruit juices have tremendous nutrient value.

A crock pot is also a must.  I have two; a newer one that is large and oblong in shape and a very old one that still works great.   This past Sunday I slow cooked a venison roast with barbecue sauce in the newer one. I cooked some sweet potatoes in the older one at the same time.  When we came home from church, the kitchen smelled wonderful.  All I had to do was make coleslaw (using my Cuisinart) and dinner was ready!

The last appliance I’ll mention for now is the convection oven. Today’s link will tell you more about it.  I don’t have, nor do I recommend using a microwave oven.  I know that may seem extreme to many of our readers…but love me anyway!  Perhaps I’ll do a Daily Gram on the dangers of microwave cooking.  NOT a popular subject to be sure.

I’ll continue my “kitchen gadget” dialogue next week.

Prayer Power
Lord, You are so good to us and we are so thankful to You for the knowledge and wisdom You have given mankind to develop time saving kitchen equipment.

Link of the Day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQyroLZJWLg

Blessings on you as you equip your kitchen in a more healthy way!
 

“Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.”  Judy Garland

Why do we feel it is not OK to be who we really are?

How perverse you are! Is the potter no better than the clay? Something that was made, can it say of its maker, ‘He did not make me’? Or a pot say of the potter, ‘He does not know his job’?  (Isa. 29:16, NJB)

Earlier this month, I highlighted the book The Go-Giver: A Little Story About A Powerful Business Idea (see 2/4/08 DG).  In that book are presented five rather unusual laws called “The Five Laws of Stratospheric Success.”  For the last several DGs I have been featuring each of those laws individually.

We’re now up to the fourth law, the Law of Authenticity which states, “The most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself.”  Yea…sure!  Not much of a gift.  I’d be a lot more of a gift if I were better looking, like Jim over there.  Or if I had more money like Frank.  Or a more outgoing personality like Mary.  Or have a better education like Ann.  Or if I could just play the piano like Tom.  Man, I’d be the life of the party!  If only!  If only!  If only!!!

The only real “if only” is if only I would start to celebrate the way God made me.  According to the Law of Authenticity, one of the keys to “stratospheric success” is being yourself…being authentic.  You have to believe that people will be more impacted by the real you than by the false you that you are always pretending to be.  Here’s some of what The Go-Giver has to say about this:

“Reaching any goal you set takes ten percent specific knowledge or technical skills–ten percent, max.  The other ninety-plus percent is people skills.  And what’s the foundation of all people skills?  Liking people?  Caring about people?  Being a good listener?  Those are all helpful, but they’re not the core of it.  The core of it is who you are.  It starts with you.  As long s you’re trying to be someone else, or putting on some act or behavior someone else taught you, you have no possibility of truly reaching people….  You want people skills?  Then be a person.”

For some of us, this law may well be the hardest to follow.

Prayer Power
Lord, forgive us for all our complaining and dissatisfaction about how You made us.  Grant us the grace to recognize that You made us perfectly and gave us the perfect set of gifts and abilities to accomplish those tasks You planned for us to accomplish.

Link of the Day
The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea

Blessings on you as you choose to lay down one of the many masks that you use to conceal the real you.

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“There are so many kinds of winter squash it’s hard to believe they all belong to the same family, Cucurbitaceae.”   Marian Morash

When was the last time you bought (and prepared) a variety of squash…not counting zucchini bread?

The inside of the temple was cedar, carved with gourds and open flowers. Everything was cedar; no stone was to be seen.  (1 Kings 6:18; NIV)

Winter squash is one of those hearty winter vegetables that offer variety and substance to any meal.  They come in all shapes and sizes from round and elongated, to scalloped and pear-shaped with flesh that ranges from golden-yellow to brilliant orange. Most winter squashes are vine-type plants whose fruits are harvested when fully mature. They take longer to mature than summer squash and are best harvested once the cool weather of fall sets in. They can be stored for months in a cool basement–hence the name “winter” squash. 

Winter squash have hard, thick skins. And even though there are many varieties, they do not all taste the same and they have discernible flavor and textural characteristics.  When buying winter squash, choose firm, well-shaped squash that are heavy for their size and have a hard, tough skin. Don’t choose ones that have sunken or moldy spots, or cuts or punctures in the skin.

Some common types of winter squash are:

• Acorn squash: Has ridges in the dark green skin speckled with orange patches and pale yellow-orange flesh
• Buttercup squash: Has dark green skin and is part of the Turban squash family (hard shells with turban-like shapes), has a sweet and creamy orange flesh
• Butternut squash: Shaped like a large pear, this squash has cream-colored skin, deep orange-colored flesh and a sweet flavor
• Delicata: These are smaller and oblong  in shape with yellow skin accented with green,  one of the tastier winter squashes, with creamy pulp that tastes a bit like sweet potatoes.

If you’d like to see pictures of the various varieties, feel free to peruse this site:  http://whatscookingamerica.net/squash.htm

Today’s recipe uses the more common butternut squash that is easy to find and simple to prepare.  Enjoy!

Prayer Power
Lord, we continue to thank You for the wonderful variety, color, and texture of the food that You created for us to eat.  May we never cease giving You thanksgiving!

Link of the Day
Orange Maple Glazed Squash

Blessings on you as you experiment with some new vegetables in your menu.
 

“Let us so live that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry.”  Mark Twain

Who are some of the most influential people you know?  What makes them so influential?

But he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, becoming as human beings are; and being in every way like a human being,  (Phil. 2:7; NJB)

Earlier this month, I highlighted the book The Go-Giver: A Little Story About A Powerful Business Idea (see 2/4/08 DG).  In that book are presented five rather unusual laws called “The Five Laws of Stratospheric Success.”  For the next several DGs I am looking at each of those laws individually.  Last week, I highlighted the first and second laws, the Law of Value and the Law of Compensation.

Turning now to the third law, the Law of Influence which states, “Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people’s interests first.”  As a life coach, I love this law because this is the heart of a great coach…a willingness to make it all about the other person.

Ever heard that marriage is a 50-50 proposition?  Well, let me assure you…that’s a myth.  50-50 means you’re always keeping score.  I did this for you, therefore you owe me.  It’s a trap!  No, any successful couple will tell you that it’s a 100-100 deal.  I give you 100% whether or not you give me anything in return.  Here’s a Go-Giver quote to demonstrate how this same mindset leads to successful business dealings.  “Watch out for the other guy.  Watch out for his interests.  Watch his back.  Forget about fifty-fifty, son.  Fifty-fifty’s a losing proposition.  The only winning proposition is one hundred percent.  Make your win about the other person, go after what he wants.  Forget win-win–focus on the other person’s win.”

Zowie!!!  How revolutionary is that?  With that kind of attitude toward others, you quickly amass an “army of personal walking ambassadors.”  It’s not money nor position that create influence.  Rather, it’s influence that creates money and/or position.  Just another example of how most people’s thinking is backwards…very similar to the idea that “I’ll start to give when I have more.”  As we pointed out recently, it never works that way.  Start to give more and you will have more.  Put the other guy first and you will quickly develop influence which will create the money and position.

Folks, this book will rock your boat!  I can’t urge you enough to invest in yourself and read this story…again and again.

Prayer Power
Lord, this is hard.  Hard because it is so contrary to what we’ve been taught our whole lives.  Raise our sensitivities to opportunities to put the other person ahead of us and demonstrate a heart of agape love.

Link of the Day
The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business IdeaBlessings on you as you make a conscious effort to put someone’s interests ahead of your own this very day.
 

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“Everybody can be great because anybody can serve.”  Martin Luther King, Jr.

Who do you know that is a true servant?

Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.” (Mark 9:35; NIV)

Earlier this month, I highlighted the book The Go-Giver: A Little Story About A Powerful Business Idea (see 2/4/08 DG). In that book are presented five rather unusual laws called “The Five Laws of Stratospheric Success.” For the next several DGs I am looking at each of those laws individually. Earlier this week, I highlighted the first law, the Law of Value.

Let’s look now at the second law, the Law of Compensation which states, “Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them.” The Law of Value determines a person’s potential value while this second law determines how much you actually earn. Quoting from The Go-Giver, “Your compensation is directly proportional to how many lives you touch.”

This helps explain the troubling disparity between what good teachers, nurses, et al., earn when compared to athletes, rock stars, and the like. Again, “compensation is directly proportional to how many lives you touch.” That doesn’t mean that teachers and other dedicated people servants are worth less…just that they are compensated less simply because they touch relatively few lives in comparison to rock stars and other highly visible people. Kind of a hard pill to swallow, but I believe that if you will stop and reflect on it a bit, you’ll see that, like it or not, it seems to hold up in real life.

On the flip side, two very exciting realities emerge from The Law of Compensation. Again, quoting from The Go-Giver, “First, it means that you get to determine your level of compensation–it’s under your control. If you want more success, find a way to serve more people….It also means there are no limitations on what you can earn, because you can always find more people to serve.” Note especially the Martin Luther King, Jr. quote above. “Everybody can be great….” That includes you!

Find a way, or ways, to serve lots of people. Given the astounding rise in the number of millionaires in this country each succeeding year, people are demonstrating that there are a growing number of ways to “serve more people.” And no, most are not rock stars, nor highly visible. Indeed, we live in exciting times.

Prayer Power
Lord, open our minds to new and innovative ways to serve more and more people in ways that provide them value beyond what we ask.

Link of the Day
The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea

Blessings on you as you seek to find ways to extend the “reach” of your serving others.

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“Watch what you cook with; it may well be destructive to your health!”  Author prefers to remain anonymous

What are your pots and pans made of?  How many Teflon pans are in the house?

So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding; (Proverbs 2:2; NKJ)

So, what is POFA?  No, it’s not a new rock group or the latest blog out there.  PFOA is the abbreviation for the chemical named Perflurooctanoic Acid.  Perflurooctanoic Acid is used in the production of Teflon and other non-stick surfaces. 

According to Health Ranger, Mike Adams of NaturalNews.com, the chemical company that manufactures PFOA has stated that it is only used in the manufacturing process and should not be found in the final products.  However, it must be noted that this chemical is found in the bloodstream of 95% of American men, women, and children!  It seems that no one is quite sure how the chemical residue has made it into the bloodstream of such a large number of people if it is not located in the final product.

Research has shown that PFOA was still present in the blood for approximately four years after exposure, and levels were only reduced by half. PFOA has been implicated in causing increased instances of cancer of the pancreas, liver, testicles, and mammary glands. Also increased were instances of miscarriage, weight loss, thyroid problems, weaker immune systems, and low birth weights in newborns.

Heating non-stick cookware to high temperatures releases the PFOA into the air, and according to many sources, into your food — especially if there is a scratch in your non-stick cookware.

On a personal note, years ago when my health was nearly destroyed from various other chemicals, I was extremely sensitive to nearly everything.  Not knowing then about the dangers of Teflon, Jerry bought a new non-stick skillet.  The first time we used it, I could immediately smell a strong, chemical smell.  Then very quickly my face turned very hot and bright red.  Within a short time, I developed a headache and felt “foggy” in my thinking.  We returned the pan and have never bought another Teflon coated “anything.”

So, what can I use for cookware, you might ask?  I’ve used Stainless Steel for many years, although I’m reading that that isn’t necessarily the best as it is still a metal.  Enamel coated cast iron is good.  I also use regular cast iron skillets.  Glass and stoneware are the best for baking.  If you can find glass saucepans, grab them as they are very good to use and hard to come by.   (I also store my food in glass containers rather than plastic.  But that’s another day’s story!)

Prayer Power
Lord, help us to make the best decisions for our families.  Thank You for giving us the ability to seek out the truth and then the fortitude to walk it out.

Link of the Day
Various links to other articles about  the dangers of Teflon

Blessings on you as you examine your cooking utensils.
 

“You do not have to get something for nothing but can give to every person more than you take from him.”  Wallace Wattles

Who do you know who is a true giver?

A gift opens the way for the giver and ushers him into the presence of the great.  (Prov. 18:16; NLT)

Earlier this month, I highlighted the book The Go-Giver: A Little Story About A Powerful Business Idea (see 2/4/08 DG). In that book are presented five rather unusual laws called “The Five Laws of Stratospheric Success.” For the next several DGs I would like to look at each of those laws individually.

The first law is the Law of Value and simply states, “Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment.” Almost seems the antithesis of good business doesn’t it? That’s the point of the whole book. In a culture of distrust and “dog eat dog” as ours has become in many respects, the idea of giving more than you get paid for seems quite foreign and frankly, just bad advice.

In the dialogue in the book, it comes out that giving to get is not the proper strategy either, but rather giving out of the love of giving. In other words, giving to give is something you “do,” while giving because you love to give is something you are…who you “be.” As we’ve noticed in several of the past Daily Grams, you must be before you can do with any integrity. Quoting from The Go-Giver parable, “…but the point isn’t to [exceed people's expectations so they will] pay you more, it’s to give them more…because you love to. It’s a way of life. When you do, then very, very profitable things begin to happen.”

The author sums it all up by noting, “All the great fortunes in the world have been created by men and women who had a greater passion for what they were giving–their product, service, or idea–than for what they were getting. And many of those great fortunes have been squandered by others who had a greater passion for what they were getting than what they were giving.” Pretty significant shift in thinking, don’t you think?

Can you think of any modern day examples? I can think of a couple that Sharon and I have been blessed to be involved with over the past three or four years. The first that comes to mind is our web site guru and peer-coach, Dr. Randy Peck. I could give you story after story of how we’ve seen this working out in the way he approaches both business and friendships. Another is our good friend Tony Stoltzfus who taught us all we know about coaching, and who continues to be our mentor and encourager. A couple of others include our chiropractor and friend, Dr. Julia Trudeau, as well as a long distance mentor and colleague (whom I’ve never met face-to-face), Mike Klingler who lives in Portland, OR. There are others, but those four kind of rise to the top in my mind.

I’d like to encourage you to (1) get this book as it can change your life; (2) think of a couple of examples of people you know who embody the Law of Value; and (3) begin to look for ways that you can give more value than you expect to get in return. The stand back and watch what happens!

Prayer Power
Lord, let this law of value become a habit, a way of life for us. Grant us the grace to let that become who we “be” rather than just what we “do” as we happen to think of it.

Link of the Day
The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea

Blessings on you as you look for just one place where you can give more than you expect in return.

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Yankee Doodle went to town; Riding on a pony;
Stuck a feather in his cap; And called it Macaroni.

How many times in a week are you eating pasta?

They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong.  (Psalm 73:4;NIV)

I know there are lots of folks reading this who say they love to eat pasta!  It’s easy to prepare and relatively inexpensive.  However there is a very dark side to this glaring white food that Americans tend to have a love affair with.  White pasta is made from white flour.  White flour is what’s left after stripping virtually all of the nutrients and fiber from a whole kernel of wheat.  Then the missing nutrients are added back into the flour in the form of synthesized chemicals…and they call it “enriched!”

Studies now show that a chemical called alloxan, is used to make the already devoid white flour look “clean and beautiful.”  This alloxan destroys the beta cells of the pancreas. That’s right; you may be devastating your pancreas and putting yourself at risk for diabetes, every time you’re eating that “beautiful” white flour product.

Anyway, after all that processing we have a dead, lifeless powder that won’t go rancid and can be used as a perfect binding agent to hold together sugar, sodium, artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, additives, and other chemicals.  Products made with white flour are nutritionally useless, yet we’re told to eat 8-11 servings of them per day. The public has been programmed to believe that white flour products are “healthy” because they are low in fat, cholesterol, and calories. So people eat lots of pasta and bagels, believing they are eating healthy because these foods are “fat-free.”  However what food manufacturers aren’t telling you is that white flour products have zero nutritional value and can lead to poor health.  (Remember the whiter the bread, the faster you’re dead!)

A very common issue brought on by consuming white flour products is constipation.  Now, I know this isn’t a popular subject or one that’s talked about at the dinner table (so my mother always told me), but hey, I went to nursing school, so talking about bowel habits is no biggie for me.  Eating white bread, bagels, and pasta will only make all of these situations much worse.

I’ll offer you a challenge…try cutting out all white flour products for one week and see what you notice.  You may be “grouchy” at first, but then you may be pleasantly surprised at what you experience after eight to ten days of not putting this denatured, devoid, bowel-clogging concoction into your system.

Today’s recipe offers an alternative to the typical “mac-n-cheese.”  Now, it won’t taste like the “blue box”, but see what you think. 

Prayer Power
Lord, thank You for wisdom and knowledge to be able to sort out the best food choices for ourselves and our families.

Link of the Day
Mock Macaroni and Cheese

Blessings on you as you examine how much “white flour” you’re eating.
 

“Everything you want is an inside job!  The outside world is the world of effects; it’s just the result of thoughts.  Set your thoughts and frequency on happiness.”  Rhonda Byrne

What’s standing between you and happiness?

Praise the LORD! Happy are those who fear the LORD. Yes, happy are those who delight in doing what he commands.  (Psalms 112:1; NLT)

The last couple of issues of DG have been focusing on Marci Shimoff’s latest book, Happy for No Reason.  In one of the early chapters she outlines three guiding principles that the interviewed “Happy 100″  said helped them “become, or remain, Happy for No Reason.”  The third, and final, principle  is simply, “what you appreciate, appreciates.”

While Marci writes that this principle is based on the Law of Attraction (LOA), I prefer to think of gratitude as being the underlying foundation.  Gratitude and the LOA are closely linked, but unfortunately the latter has become a “lightening rod” issue with many over the last several years.  This sensitivity has largely arisen from the controversy over the hugely popular movie and book, The Secret.  (You may have recognized the author of today’s quote as being the creator and producer of The Secret.)  I personally find that The Secret boosted my faith in God’s magnificent plan to provide for us, but too many saw it as proposing that we don’t need God.  But, I don’t want to uncork that debate here.  I prefer to focus on one of my favorite topics–gratitude.  Totally non-controversial and kinda like “Mom and apple pie.”

Remember that Paul admonished us to let  our “lives overflow with thanksgiving for all he has done”  (Col. 2:7; NLT).  Of course, this ties into Marci’s second principle of a supportive God that we looked at last Friday, but the idea here is that because like attracts like, when you focus on those feelings of gratitude, more such feelings are “drawn” to you.  Another way of saying the same thing is, whatever you focus on expands.  And remember that Paul also told us to focus on the positive (Phil. 4:8).  This is not a new idea, but one that we seem to need to be reminded of almost daily (hourly for some of us).

I really resonate with Marci’s statement, “Many people focus on using the Law of Attraction to draw in the things they think will make them happy.  But that’s backwards.  Being happy is what draws in the things we want.”  Right on!!!  That’s like those who say that they’ll become givers as soon as they have more money.  It never works that way…you have to “be” before you can “do.”

Be “Happy for No Reason,” and you will attract the reasons to be happy.

Prayer Power
Lord, we thank You that You designed us to be happy…no matter what.  We invite you to do whatever You find necessary to remind us that there is much around us at all times be happy about.

Link of the Day
Happy for No Reason

Blessings on you as you attract some happiness your way this day.