There is a story I used to read to my youngest from a devotion book for Toddlers called Tiny Talks: A Book of Devotions for Small Children. Brehane loved to follow Theo, Amy, Kim, and Chip and the gang through Tiny Town and find out how they feel about God.

The story was about Luiz. Luiz was upset because it was rainy and muddy outside and he could not go swimming with Chip. He grumbled and complained so much that his mother finally told him that there was plenty he could do around the house. He had his toys, books, games, things to draw and color with and more; and if he really wanted to be useful, she told him he could help her with the chores.

Luiz’s mother looked at her son and told him that God wants him to be happy and strong. She explained to him that is is up to us to decide everyday to either be a shiner or a whiner.

With that I asked Brehane is he were a shiner or whiner and I told him all the ways he whines….

• Mommy AJ won’t let me play the game
• Mommy I want it now
• Mommy why can’t I watch now.
• Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!

It really woke him up. We wrote the phrase “Are your a Shiner or Whiner” on our white board and we would read it daily. It is now a part of our daily communication when he goes into whining mode. When he hears it as he is about to throw a fit it really brings him back to reality.

Nehemiah 8: 9-12 was the bible passage the the book had me read to him. The memory verse was Nehemiah 8:10.

“And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who
taught the people said to all of them, This day is holy to the Lord your God; mourn not nor weep. For all the people wept when they heard the words of the Law.Then [Ezra] told them, Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet drink, and send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. And be not grieved and depressed, for the joy of the Lord is your strength and stronghold.So the Levites quieted all the people, saying, Be still, for the day is holy. And do not be grieved and sad. And all the people went their way to eat, drink, send portions, and make great rejoicing, for they had understood the words that were declared to them.”

The people in Nehemiah mourned after the Law had been read to them. I wondered why because the passage never quite made it plain. But then again it did.

When you read all of Nehemiah 8 you see that the people asked Ezra to read the book of the Law. As he read it, it would appear that they began to become convicted and guilty of their sin. They mourned and shed tears at the reading of the Law because understanding had been imparted to them by Ezra.

Don’t you know that once the Word has been made alive and revelations come it brings conviction where we are wrong?

As you think about your business, ask yourself what you complain about and why? Ask yourself why it is that God has blessed you with so much and yet you still find no joy in it.

Now maybe you need to make some changes…DO IT! Maybe you chose a path that was not quite what God had in mind…Walk the other way!

It’s a hard pill to swallow. I know because I swallow it almost daily.

I did inform you that I am not perfect and struggle too, didn’t I?

I challenge you today to stop the whining and complaining about what needs to be changed. Instead know that God wants you to have joy. He is the strength you need to make it through. Leave you where it belongs – behind God’s Glory and move in His flow so that your business becomes what He desires of you.

Are You a Shiner or a Whiner?

You will find that music, especially by Mary J. Blige, is a huge part of my mentoring structure. Why you may ask?

Music has the power to speak the words that many of us may not know how to form. It has the power to touch hearts, heal wounded spirits, and give a person a reason to keep hoping. People have been changed because of music (some for the good and others for the not so good). Trust me I know because when I was in my depression and my business was going to ruin, there were two artist in particular that I listened to day after day. I cried, I prayed, and I found solace in the words of Mary J and Calvin Nowell.

Today I want to use some of Mary’s lyrics again to help you see that you should never give up. You should breakthrough!

With Mary’s CD, “The Breakthrough” there is a call to women to stand strong, don’t give up and breakthrough. Listen to these verses from “You can’t hold a good woman down”…

“It doesn’t Matter what They say or do Don’t let ‘em Get to you, Don’t be afraid You can, you can
You can breakthrough Take what I’ve been  through To see that You can’t Hold a good Woman down
Went through The same point Of givin’ up I felt Like I had enough Went to the edge Of the ledge But I didn’t jump “My Life” Will sum it up You can’t Hold a good Woman down”

Someone read this is ready to give up! Your business is hurting and you are just not sure you can make it; and yet you know that you were destined to have your own business! You may be on the ledge and I know what that is like. I have been there too. I was at point in m life about seven years ago when I sat on the ledge daily and wished I could just go to sleep and never wake up. I was ready to just give it all up. But God’s grip of grace would not let me give up. Like Mary I did not jump and My life does sum it up….

You can’t keep a good woman down.

It is Satan’s job to make you feel as if nothing you do matters and make you feel like walking out on the ledge. Don’t you do it. There are too many resources available to help you hold on and make your business something that is glorifying to God and perfect fit for you. Just like Mary and myself, God has his grip of grace on you. He won’t let you fall. So you be sure to hold on and breakthrough the storm.

It may enrage you and shake you up a bit but in Psalms 46 you can see where God is your refuge and strength, an ever present help in the time of trouble. Therefore do not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Be still, and know that he is God; He will be exalted among the nations, He will be exalted in the earth.”

You can breakthrough into a more authentic you. The You that you were meant to be.

Your business does not have to fail because you feel like you can’t measure up to a society that is all about the almighty dollar. If you are ready to give God your business and design it to His glory, there is help. Your passions, your purpose, and your personality can provide you with the path for business you seek. You can be you and earn a living. You can glorify God by being an ethical business owner. Let’s talk about the possibilities of change for your life so that your business thrives!

You may be careful about waste and extravagance, but you need to be willing to invest in quality supplies in order to create a house that is not only beautiful, but can withstand the elements and endure the test of time.

Investing in the necessary tools for your success should be the same for both your personal and professional life. It is important that you take the time to make sure you have thoroughly explored the options and that I have a clear picture of my goal.

You need to plan, research, and enlist the advice of others so you can have a realistic idea of the skills needed to achieve my goals. Once you have a strong understanding of your plan, you move forward to acquire the necessary skills and resources.

Think about Christ. In everything he did there was success. Why?

• He invested his time and energy into doing the will of his Father. (John 6:38)
• He invested time in prayer and study. (Luke 6:12, Luke 2:41-52)
• He invested time in preparing and training his disciples for the work to be done once he was gone from the Earth. (Luke 9:1-10)
• He invested his time and energy into helping the blind to see, the lame to walk and the oppressed to be free. (Luke 4: 16-21)

He understood the power of investing for a successful return on investment! He understood the power behind investing his time and energy in doing the work of the Lord.

The success of Jesus saved your very life. Would it really be that hard for you to invest some time, energy, and yes, even money in your success?

We are told in the Word to do all things as unto the Lord. Invest your time, energy, and yes your money too in doing those things for your life and business that are pleasing unto God. Then you will have invested in true success

Ponder these Questions:

1.  Do I have a clear picture of my goals?
2.  Have I taken the time to figure out what skills I may need to achieve my goals?
3.  What investments are necessary to succeed?

As an online business woman, one thing that always seems to be a must is to be productive in business. I say… HOLD ON! Time to put on the brakes! Since when did productivity only apply to business.

If you read my one of my few opening posts here on Life and Business Integration then you know that my revelation for this entire site came from the example of the Proverb Woman. This woman was the epitome of a woman living her life fully integrated.

Not that she was perfect; but she was in alignment with God’s will for her life. She took her gifts, talents, and skills and use them to run her business to the glory of God. As she obeyed God’s lead, her life was more and more productive.

She is not the wife, at home, tending to the kids and her husband day and night as so many would have you believe. Nor is she a hard core business woman who thinks that kids are better off with the nanny or granny.

The Proverb Woman in the Bible is an idealized woman. She is the woman we should all strive to be. And get this..she does not have to be married to be a virtuous woman. This woman knows who she is and stands strong in Whose she is. She knows that all she has is because God said, Yes!

With that said, her focus is on being productive in all areas of her life; and yes, for her, business is a part of it.

It is very important as we move forward in our business that we remember that productivity is not just about business. It is about your entire life.

• Eating right, exercising, and caring for your body is being productive
• Taking care of a sick child is being productive
• Spending time in the Master’s suite for renewal and communication with Him is being productive
• Taking the time to play or read to your child, or anyone’s child is being productive
• Getting some sun and enjoying God’s beauty is being productive

Productivity is important in business. It means that you are working at success. However being so productive in business that you are not productive in life means that you are missing out on what matters most.

The Proverb Woman’s productive manner can be an example for both men and women. Her productivity started with God’s guidance and ended with God’s glory!

Now go and make your day PRODUCTIVE!!

When you are in business, it is important to make roots. Why? There are many reasons and I will attempt to cover a few here.

When you are building a business online, you learn a lot quicker than you do with a typical brick and mortar. Whether this is true because of the low overhead, or the availability of low cost learning sources, the fact is that you can build a business online faster than most. However, there is a danger in building too fast online.

That danger lies in not nurturing what you already have before you try to move on to the next thing. I know this well because I did it often and sometimes I still take on projects or implement ideas without checking to see if the crop of what I have already planted is ripe and ready for the picking. That is the addiction of an entrepreneur because we are usually creative visionaries.

If the crop is not ready then trying to harvest will not yield much for your business at all. It is important to nurture with the proper nutrients so that your crop can grow plentiful and you can reap the benefits of a prosperous garden. You cannot start one part of a garden, neglect it and then move on to the next part.

Yes there are times when you have to dig it all up, turn te soil over and start again; but if you not even nurturing the plants, then how do they a chance to grow and yield you great fruit.

Sometimes you need to go back to the instruction book to understand how your garden is growing.

When it comes to implementing new ideas or projects into your business, it is important to pray  godly wisdom. Too many times we ask God to bless our ideas without considering if it is in His plans for our business.  With His wisdom as your guide you can be assured of making the right decisions for your business; and it works well for your life too.

Another way to understand the growth of your garden is by seeking Godly council. Psalms  1 tells the importance of seeking godly council and the benefit of doing so. For those of us who follow the Lord, we have to be careful who we follow or go to for advice. That does not mean that they are bad people. It just means that if you follow behind people without a solid foundation, then you too are building on shaky ground.  Hanging around people who are godly and wise will help you to determine if you are on the right track. Some people will agree with everything you want to do; but a godly and wise person will help you see the big picture and consider the cost before you move forward with you plans.

One of the best things you can do for your business is plan. It is easy to get an idea in your head; but it is the planning that will make the difference in success or failure for your business. Sit down and create a plan that works for you…but do plan. I have to admit I am bad with this one. I can think up the ideas in my head and the plans too. It has taken me a long time to learn how to sit down and plan out what I need to do to get things done.

To grow your business the right way you have to prune sometimes too. That means that there will be times when you have to cut some stuff loose. Whatever is not producing results needs to go. For the online business owner that can mean shutting down and starting from scratch or revamping what you currently have.

Pruning can also mean rethinking the services or products you have and maybe removing or adding to them. Look at what you have in your current structure and ask yourself what is working and what is not. Be honest with yourself and don’t be afraid to remove waht needs to be removed. It is very a liberating action.

Your business is your garden. Treat it like you would a precious rose bush. If you nurture it well, it will provide you with a harvest of bountiful blessings. If not you get nothing but thorns and sticks.

How does your garden grow? What do you do to nurture your garden? What are some tips you have for growing a profitable business?

When you are a believer, then your business is a part of your walk with God. As a business owners who follows the Word, there must be some foundation used that will help you run your business God’s way; so that success comes as a result of our obedience. The Word tells us that if we delight in the Lord then He will give us the desires of our heart. Our desires ultimately stem from the will of God in our lives; and when we connect to that, success finds us.

There are four main points of reference that I believe any business owner needs to have at the forefront of their decision making process. Those are:

• Integrity – One definition for ‘integrity’ is “the quality or state of being completed or undivided”. For the faithful business owner, this means standing and not wavering. Does it mean perfection? No. What it does mean is that we are to be faithful and strong in our beliefs. We are not straddling the fence; but we know without a doubt that God is in control and that no matter what, the victory is ours. When you have integrity you conduct your business with the morals and values founded upon the strongest Foundation you know.
• Morals – When you look up this word it says “principles or habits with respect to right or wrong conduct”. Therefore to conduct your business with the pillar of morals you need to develop habits that lead you to right thinking and acting. Morals should be your compass point for all you do in business. If something is wrong but will make you money, then it is immoral. If what you do to conduct your business goes against the Word of God, then it s wrong and needs to be reevaluated. Even something like lying on your tax return is wrong and needs to be adjusted. It is a smart idea to develop godly habits and adopt Biblical principles when you are a believer in business.
• Values – When you value something you regard it highly. When you regard something to the extent of esteem it , then you care for it as if it were the last thing in the world within your possession. WOW! Think about this and ask yourself if you value your buisness as if it were the most precious thing in your world. That does not mean to say it becomes your god but it does mean that you have an understanding that what you do have, was given to you by the Father and must be treated as such. Your values should match your morals and be guided by your integrity.
• Ethics - “The discipline dealing with what is good and bad and with moral duty and obligation” was the definition given for ethics. In a nut shell that means knowing what you need to be doing and what you need to leave alone. It pretty much encompasses your values, morals and integrity all into one.

Everyone should have Pillars that help them run a successful business. These four I believe will old your business together and help your balance things out. Of course there are other pillars but for me these along iwth my faith are homebase for running my business.

What are your pillars for running a Faith Based Business?

I wrote one post on this blog and then I quit posting. I really had no idea how to approach this one. I just knew that it was time for LaTara Ham-Ying dot com. I was just waiting on God because I was truly stumped as to which way to go.

There are already blogs about how to start a business, how to maintain, and all the rest. Really there are many of those and I follow a few like Alice Seba, Kelly McCausey, Ali Brown, and more. There are plenty of blogs that give you opinions about products and things like that like Dr Mommy Chronicles and even my own mom blog, Mom Unplugged.

I just felt like there should be something different. So that is why I just waited.

For those who know me, I have epiphanies often. God gives them to me while I am washing dishes, taking baths, and reading books. I can’t remember what it was I doing when the focus of this blog came to me.

Since I truly believe that you cannot separate your faith and business, I am going to share about just those things: faith and business.

Too many times we try to compartmentalize our life and it just does not work like that. Everything flows together. It is the same for business and faith. For me I cannot separate the two. This is a fact for many others who  believe in Jesus as savior and God as the creator of it all.

So on this blog you will find information about doing business God’s way. I will pretty much be sharing about how faith, business, and even life go together. Sure I will share information about resources, products, and cool things that I think any person can benefit from but my focus is on faith and business.

The world is a crazy place now and many people negate the power of God or simply deny Him all together. Even many who say they are believers exhibit a totally different persona when it comes to business. It just can’t be that way.

It is my hope to show that business and faith do mix and that when it comes to the business of a believer, that God is the CEO and Chairman of the Board.