Renew Your Strength to Get the Promise

Apostle Steven W. Banks, delivered a message last Sunday that was deeper and more introspective than I could appreciate at the time. The message related to God’s desire and ability to renew our strength and, as the Apostle mentioned upfront, it wasn’t going to be what we wanted to hear. Like most messages on waiting, we give it a tepid response and then wonder why it doesn’t manifest a major change in their lives. But I know that anticipation leads to manifestation, and I know that Apostle Banks has always delivered timely words into my life so I opened up my level of anticipation and took in the word on Sunday. I still didn’t get the message so I then listened to it again on Destiny Cast and again in the car. Each time I listened to it I heard God say “ I will renew your strength” and I would silently and respectfully reply “Don’t bother, just give me what I asked for now.”

By Thursday morning, I hit a breakthrough after dropping the kids off at school. (Yes, I just mentioned that part because I wanted you to know that I’m a good dad that takes his kids to school.) After dropping the kids off (Yep, there it is again) I headed to my government job with the good benefits, stable salary and byzantine list of rules and regulations. I thought about a certain high level purchasing document that I’m putting together. In short, I have to put together a 10 page paper, advertise and receive proposals from firms, create a review committee to review those proposals, rank and score them, conduct interviews and negotiate with the best firm. I must do all this in order to award a contract for a few hundred thousand dollars that, by policy, will expire before 5 years.

In my history with this process, the winning firm is ecstatic in the first year of the contract and then frustrated and upset in the fifth year when it’s all over. They ask if I can renew the contract and I tell them that the policy won’t allow me to renew the contract beyond five years. If they want the contract, they must start the process all over again. This is much like my current life. I was ecstatic over the word that God was speaking over my life five years ago. I was full of faith and hopeful. However, in the past several months, my faith has waned and my frustration level has peaked. The worst part, however, is that I feel like I’m hitting a five year wall where I have to start the process over again (pray, sow, believe, hear a word from God, act on it then wait).

So, while listening to Apostle Banks’ message again, and thinking about my job’s purchasing process I, once again, hear God say “ I will renew your strength”. But this time I get a completely different appreciation of the statement. I realize that God is not saying He will give me strength to hold on for a few more years. God is saying what I can’t say to those firms at the end of their 5 year contract. God is acknowledging that I struggled and strained and pleaded and hoped and exercised perfect faith five years ago. He’s saying that He knows that my frustration and anger has risen lately and I’m not where I used to be. AND He is saying that He’s going to renew the promise and the blessings He has in store for me based on my strong faith of five years ago.

So instead of coming to the end of a period, I am being given a new five year window of blessings BASED ON the perfect faith I exhibited when I was fresh and hopeful. God is saying not to worry about the recent issues I’ve had. God is saying to me, “I will renew your strength” and to that I can now reply, “Thank you Lord. Thank you for the strength to carry on.”

Philip Page, Jr.

Read This While You’re at Work

This message is best read on a work computer at about 8:15am. The message is more timely after you have made it to your job – on time, I presume. The message is more powerful after you’ve gotten your coffee and fixed it with the perfect blend of real cream and artificial sweetener. The message is more relevant after you’ve stopped to chat with your coworkers – your girls, your boys and the “always friendly” receptionist – going over the television shows from the previous night. Once you’ve done all of that, please read the rest of this message.

There are approximately 14 million people who are out of work. Yep, 14 million (with an “m”) people whose only job is to look for a job. Now don’t feel guilty. It’s not your fault and you didn’t cause the problem. I’m sure if you had a job to give then you would give it. Unfortunately, most of us are not in position to give anyone a job. We’re scraping by and it’s not our fault that the other 14 million people can’t do the same. It’s not our fault, but it is our problem. It’s definitely my problem. As much as I would like to isolate myself from the statistics of my country I am unable to do so. Mainly because I passed some gang members on the way to work, I avoided eye contact with a few homeless people at a stop sign and I hurried past a well-dressed, and overly polite, unemployed lady as I went past the receptionist’s desk on the way to my office. The statistics are all around me and it’s time to do something.

This is probably the appropriate time to tell you what prompted my line of thinking. Before leaving for work, I watched five minutes of the morning news. It was just enough to tell me that too many of the nation’s elected leaders don’t support President Obama and they are content to wait him out. To get the real sense of what is going on, listen to these words as you say them out loud “many of our elected leaders are hoping that a new president will be in office in January of 2013 while 14 million people suffer without work”. The only thing worse than that is the fact that I can only vote once and elections don’t come around as often as the morning news. But I digress when the real opportunity is to stop talking about THEM and focus on what I can do.

Today, I can do at least three things to help the nation’s unemployed. Each has a global, national and local impact and I ask that you join me in the cause.

1) Buy something today. Don’t let fear stop you from getting the things you need. Fear, and only fear, stops the economy. Your faith in a brighter future, can get the economy moving. And by buying something you need, something important – maybe a book, some organic food, school supplies for someone else’s kid – you’ll be making the economy move in the right direction.

2) Vote for something today. Yes, I know elections only come every two or four years but you can contact your elected officials any day of the week. Click on this (link) to find your representative and tell them to do something now. I’m not telling you what to say, just say something and say it now.

3) Pray for someone today. In this nation, one nation under God, prayer is sent to Heaven on a regular basis. Most of those prayers deal with things we want for ourselves. I’m asking you to pray for someone else. Pray for President Obama, pray for the people you pass on the street and pray for your friends that are looking for work. Just pray.

Ok, if you have read this and your boss still hasn’t stopped by your office to make sure you’re working then you’re ahead of the game. Put down your coffee and do one more thing – thank God that you have a job. Thank Him that you have the opportunity to be a benefit to someone else and get paid in the process. Thank God for the opportunity and the ability to work. Now get busy.

Philip H. Page, Jr.

Much Love for Lebron

While the world laughs at the loss of Lebron James and the Miami Heat, let me be among those who wish support and encouragement to my man Lebron. Yes, this loss to Dallas was ugly and I can’t really explain how it happened. Then again, I don’t have to. There has been an endless stream of people quick to explain why Lebron lost, why his decisions were wrong and why his life is over. No doubt the people speaking the loudest are those who have never won anything, never excelled at anything and are content to live a lackluster life while criticizing others. Well, list me among those who think that a life full of challenges is a life worth living. List me with those who consider it better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. And list me with those who have much love for Lebron.

Now keep in mind that I am not a fan. I don’t own a Miami Heat jersey and I don’t know the particulars of Lebron’s journey from high school to the NBA. I guess I don’t really love Lebron as much as I love the lessons I gain from observing his young career. Before reaching the age of 30, Lebron has taught the world three powerful lessons: potential isn’t promise, promise requires practice and practice must be perfect.

Potential isn’t Promise

What overshadows Lebron’s great accomplishments on and off the court is his greater potential. People tend to judge him, and compare him to what they believe to be his potential. But potential is not a promise. We all have the potential to be something much greater than we are. Only God can judge us on that potential for only He knows what we were given at birth and what we are required to do before death. To the rest of us who watch from the cheap seats or view on a flat screen consider how terrible it would be if we were judged by that potential rather than on our own actions. And remember potential is the possibility of a better future, not the promise that it will happen.

Promise requires Practice

Many of us operate our life on the promise of something. Maybe our parents promised us an inheritance or our boss promised us a promotion. Maybe we believe God gave us a specific promise in life. I previously operated my life on a promise that was never fulfilled until I learned the missing element of practice.

When Lebron entered the league, there seemed to be a promise from the basketball gods that he would retire with three to six championship rings. That was the promise, the possibility that he could be the best ever. As we all now see, with the difficulty of getting the first ring, the promise is only the motivation to work. It is the work, the practice, that turns the promise into reality.

Practice must be Perfect

While practice is important, it’s only the perfect practice that allows you to reach your potential. Everyone rehearses before a performance, everyone prepares before an event and even the great Lebron James attends regular practice leading up to a game. Perfect practice requires that you invest enough time and effort to reach the level of mastery in your craft. This perfect practice gets you beyond mere success to reaching your full potential. Or, in the case of Lebron James, it gets you from being a great success on the court to becoming a multiple ring NBA champion that replaces Michael Jordan as the best ever.

So, as the world laughs, I want to say thank you to Lebron James. Thanks for trying, thanks for succedding and thanks for continuing to get better. Your life is a constant reminder that my potential isn’t promised, my promise requires practice and my practice must be perfect. To Lebron – I wish you peace in the offseason and success when the next season begins. In the meantime, let’s both work on minimizing the voices of others and maximizing the great potential that God has given us.

Philip H. Page, Jr.

While You Wait (3 Keys)

So I have just been passed over for a great job, one that I really wanted. It’s not as depressing as it sounds. Contrary to the pitiful stares of those who have attempted to console me, I am not depressed. I am still alive and I am still ahead of the game. I am in a bit of agony but I still know that my gifts and talents can’t be suppressed. I am more than fine.

My agony is not from the conditions of my current situation, I just don’t like the wait. The boring, uninspiring, inactive wait. I don’t like being stagnant and hoping that someone else will do something. Even more, I don’t like putting my faith in time. Sure, time heals all wounds but I believe that the length of that time is shortened by your level of activity. So, my strategy to kill the wait, or at least shorten it, is to get busy.

There are three things to remember when you get busy. First, Refocus on the purpose for your life. If you were ever working on anything productive, there had to have been a purpose at the core of that. What was the reason you wanted that new job? Why did you start that business? Why did you write and submit that proposal? Whatever the reason, recenter yourself by refocusing on the purpose within it.

Second, Restrategize the plan for pursuing your purpose. Now that you have your core purpose firmly in your sights, you need to find a new or different way to pursue it. Your recent setback was a sign that your current strategy needs tweaking – not changing or abandoning, just tweaking. Take this new information and alter your plan to ensure that your future efforts have the impact you intend.

Lastly, you need to Reengage. The time for sitting and sulking is over. There has never been anything good to come from that. Pity is for the pitiful. Hope is for the hopeless. Seek only empowerment, the opening of a door that you must walk through to get what you want. Position yourself for that open door by reengaging. Reengage in the job search, reengage in the purpose search. In the sports vernacular, get back in the game. Just be sure to do it now. While you wait.

Philip H. Page, Jr.

Top 10 Reasons You Didn’t Get the Job

Learning from the mistakes of others is the best way to learn.  I think it’s beneficial in everyday life and it’s absolutely critical for someone in the job search process.  When a typo can get your resume thrown away, you have to take advantage of the errors of the people that came before you to have a shot at your dream job.   With that in mind, I decided to create a short list of mistakes that should never be made again.

Listed below are ten crucial mistakes that can kill your job search and leave you wondering about what happened. I labeled them the “Top 10 Reasons You Didn’t Get the Job”. Some of the mistakes were made by yours truly but most mistakes were those I witnessed and vowed never to repeat. In any case, you have the opportunity to learn a great deal from the missteps and miscues of others.  So read, laugh and learn in order to keep yourself in the hunt for your dream job.

Top 10 Reasons You Didn’t Get the Job:

10. Your email address has "sexy", "buns" or "stud" in it. Having a questionable email address may suggest that you have questionable character. Either that or you’re just too lazy to spend 30 seconds getting a free Hotmail, Gmail or Yahoo account. I know you may have had the same email address for years but now is the time to change. Go with something basic like your name. Or, to stand out in the right way, you can create an email address related to the job you want. Who wouldn’t hire the accountant at ILoveNumbers@???.com or the salesperson at DoubleQuota@???.com?

9. Your outgoing voicemail message has a soundtrack to it. Remember when you fell in love with that Michael Jackson song and wanted to share it with the world. Well, that time is over. No one wants to hear 5 minutes of Beat It or Thriller before they can leave you a message. And  if you think an instrumental is alright, think again.  Listening to jazz in your car is nice but listening to jazz on someone’s voicemail is creepy.  For your own good, kill the background vocals and make sure your outgoing voicemail message is as professional as you want people to think you are.

8. You dropped off your resume while wearing your exercise clothes. No one wants to put on a power business suit just to drop off a resume. You probably say to yourself, It will only take me a second so who cares what I look like? Well, if you want to get a job then you should care what you look like at all times. You don’t have to dress up but you should show that you care about your appearance. Many resumes have been flagged, or trashed, because of the appearance of the person who submits it. So go professional or go home.

7. You called more than 3 times to confirm the interview. It’s very important to be in the right place at the right time but that doesn’t mean you have to stalk the receptionist with a series of calls. Just take notes the first time. You can’t afford to leave the company with the feeling that you can’t remember basic facts (like 9:00am) or follow basic instructions (like “park in the adjacent lot”).

6. You loaded up on scents from Bath & Body Works before the interview.

This is not intended to be negative towards Bath & Body Works. I actually think it’s funny when people smell like cucumbers and boysenberry. The problem comes when you’re locked in a small conference room with a fruity-smelling applicant for an hour. This is a no-win situation.  When you leave the interviewer lightheaded from inhaling too many scents, they can’t assess your qualifications and they won’t hire you.

5. You didn’t load up on soap, breath mints or floss before the interview. This one is just basic hygiene. Everyone has bad breath once in a while but when you carry it into an interview it says that you are terribly unaware of things (or smells) that are right in front of your face. Get a breath mint, get the job.

4. Your MySpace page (or Facebook profile) has your summer beach pictures on it. The impact of social media on a job search cannot be overstated. When you post pictures of yourself at the beach or at a bar, you make your personal life accessible to every potential employer. Nothing good can come of this. Even if the pictures are innocent, the employer can’t tell whether you’re drinking your fifth glass of vodka or your first Sprite.

3. Your friend’s MySpace page (or Facebook profile) has your summer beach pictures on it. Remember the saying, “If you show me your friends, I’ll show you your future.” The people who want to hire you know that this saying is true. Why else would companies give bonuses to current employees for recommending their friends? So be careful when someone points a camera phone at you on the weekends. The next step is being tagged on Facebook and immortalized online.

2. Your salary demands include access to a Prius so that you can help save Mother Earth. This is just silly. Save Mother Earth on your own time and save the salary demands for after the employer brings it up. When you do talk about salary, make sure your request is based on what you can bring to the job, not your personal spending habits or your social beliefs.

1. You referred to the receptionist as "Honey", "Dear" or "Babe". This one sounds obvious but it is a classic example of how people kill their chances of getting a job simply because they do something to offend the front desk staff.  Remember, these are the people that process applications, setup interviews, distribute interview packets to hiring managers and handle communication between you and the company. Do you really want to offend them in any way? It’s like you’re asking for your application to be lost or you’re begging to get the worst interview slot. Take my advice.  Treat the receptionist, and everyone else, with respect and keep yourself in the game.

That’s it. The Top 10 Reasons You Didn’t Get the Job. In reality there are easily 100 more reasons but you get the idea. Countless others have made the mistakes that you read about so there’s no reason for you to make them.  Just focus your job search on what you really want and be sure to put your best foot forward at all times.  That’s the best way to avoid silly mistakes and keep yourself on the path to your dream job. 

By Philip H. Page, Jr.
Author of Getting Up AGAIN – Surviving Unemployment and Pursuing Destiny

God Knows His Name

When my grandmother was alive I used to enjoy spending time at her house.  This was before her skills declined and before she moved into the assisted-living facility.  The grandmother I remember had outlived two husbands, owned several homes and was full of life.  She spent her days selling  health products door to door and her evenings entertaining her family.  It was during those evening times that I was able to sneak a few minutes with her.  Even with my two sisters and countless cousins present, my grandmother always had one on one time with me. 

I called her Granny.  I’m not sure why or when I started calling her that.  I just know that if I called my Granny then she would always be there.  Funny thing, though, Granny wasn’t her only name.  When we spent time at her house I heard her called many names.  Momma, mom, Big Momma, Cleo.  And these were just the names used in her home.  If we were in church she was Sister Cleo or Mother Starke.  If we were on a sales call she was Girl or Sugar. 

My Granny had many names and she answered to them all.  Whenever one of her names was used in love, she would respond with an open heart, a kind word and an eager spirit.  Watching this as a child allowed me to realize that the name isn’t as important as the spirit in which it is used.  It was the spirit, the attitude of the heart, that caused us to get what we needed.  Quality time, a kiss on the cheek, a tight hug.  If you knew my Granny and you called on her, she would give you all she had and whatever you needed.

Now that I am a man I tend to conjure up childhood memories when faced with adult situations.  Like when a coworker referred to God as Jah.  Hearing it for the first time, in a thick Jamaican accent, I immediately thought of Bob Marley and images of music and marijuana came into my head.  I became offended and it showed on my face.  Now I like Reggae music as much as the next guy but I couldn’t get over the fact that someone was calling my God while using a name that I associated with drug use and raucous behavior. 

Fortunately for me, my coworker spent the time to let me know who Jah was to him.  He wasn’t trying to convince me of anything but, over time, he taught me a lot about Jah.  Turns out, his description of Jah was identical to my description of God.  We had both come to know Him as our Peace, our Savior and the Lord of our lives.   We called Him different names but, whenever we needed Him and called Him in love, He came running.  Just like my Granny, He has different names but He answers to them all.

The experience with my Jamaican friend has opened my eyes to a deeper understanding of God.  While I’ll always know Him as God, I’m not offended when others call Him by a different name.  While I learned about God through Jesus, the Christ, I acknowledge that others may have come to know Him in a different way.  Such an acknowledgement used to challenge my faith and threaten the doctrine which has framed my life since the first day of Sunday School.  But now, this acknowledgement only reminds me of the infinite greatness of a God who is not limited to one language or restricted to American soil. 

I can’t say enough that God is always going to be God to me.  I am always going to be a Christian and I am always going to praise the name of Jesus.  I must add, however, that my God’s family is large and it includes people who live in other countries, have different experiences, speak other languages and operate in other worlds.  

As a sign of respect for my God, I refuse any description of Him that limits His reach or His appeal.  As a sign of love for my God, I stretch my arms out wide and I embrace all of His sons and daughters.  Please know that I’m no longer concerned with what you call Him.  Just call Him and know that He will respond in love and give you whatever you need. 

By Philip H. Page, Jr.
Author of Getting Up AGAIN – Surviving Unemployment and Pursuing Destiny

The Rewards of the Overcomer

Sometime over the past several months I forgot that this year, 2010, was the Year of the Overcomer.  It was proclaimed to be the Year of the Overcomer at the very beginning of the year and in a very conspicuous way.  I was there when it happened.  My pastor heard from God on this matter and spoke accordingly.  I celebrated what was said and prepared for a year that would begin in struggle and end in success.  But sometime, soon after the new year began, I forgot about overcoming and settled for maintaining.

I maintained so long that I didn’t remember the command to overcome until today as I left a prayer service at my church.  Someone used the term “Overcomer” in a decidedly confident way that brought it all back to me.  I instantly remembered that this was my year to overcome.  I also remembered that this was my year to embark on something that risked a long and enduring battle.  At that point I remembered why I chose to forget that this was the Year of the Overcomer.

As fulfilling as it may be to overcome, much of the desire to overcome is lost in the knowledge that overcoming requires the endurance of unpleasant circumstances .  I had decided early in the year that the battle wasn’t worth it.  Subconsciously, I determined that it was better to maintain than to overcome.  I accepted that it was better to settle for a little than give up a lot no matter what the reward.

You may think I should be ashamed of this subliminal surrender but I forgive myself for it.  That was months ago and I’ve grown up a lot since then.  I realize, through the pain of complacency, that getting a little is painful when you know that you gave up a lot.  So I’m late but I’m ready to embrace the Year of the Overcomer.  For those of you who join me in being late to the party, know that there are benefits to being an Overcomer .  Actually, there are three life-changing rewards that are laid out in the second chapter of Revelations and each one belongs to you no matter when you show up.

1) Tree of life – In Revelation 2:7 God says, to the Overcomer He will give the right to eat from the tree of life.  Elsewhere in Revelation God explains that this tree is in the place of paradise.  Then in Rev. 22:2 He says that the tree of life bears twelve crops of fruit and yields fruit in every month.  To put it plainly, the first reward of the Overcomer is that you will have access to an enduring supply from God and enjoy His fruit in every season of your life.

2) Crown of Life – In Rev. 2:11 God says that He will give the Overcomer the ability to overcome death.  For us that means that whatever trials and tribulations exist for our lives, we will not endure the painful and life draining effects.  Although we have to endure, the second reward of the Overcomer is the ability to endure battle without showing scars; to receive the promise without any continuous evidence of the pain.

3) Hidden Manna – In Rev 2:17 God says He will give us the “hidden” manna.  You probably remember that, in the wilderness, the Israelites were sustained by manna that fell from the sky.  In this move of God, the manna fell from the sky and was given to the just and the unjust, those who righteously praised God’s goodness and those who complained that He wasn’t doing enough.

For us, the Overcomers, God is saying that He has hidden some of His goodness and does not intend to give it to everyone.  Each believer will receive the promises of God but some of us will receive an extra helping of His blessings.  The third reward of the Overcomer is that we will receive the promise plus a bonus that we won’t have to sweat to receive.

Although I stated that there were three rewards, there is actually a fourth reward.  It is somewhat of an overall blessing that encompasses the others.  More importantly, it shows how God dotes on those He loves and always gives more than enough.  This fourth reward, as described in Rev. 2:25, says that God will give the Overcomer the authority to rule the nations.  This blessing is setup for those who endure until the end and shows themselves to be worthy of the call.  To those who overcome God gives the rights and the responsibility to rule in His stead.  For all of the time that He is removed from the earth, the Overcomer stands in His seat and rules with His power.  What an awesome and indescribable gift.

So as I think on the three rewards of the Overcomer, and even the fourth overarching reward, I have decided to overcome.  I don’t deny that it is a self-serving decision but it is one that I am compelled to make aside from the benefits.  As I reflect on what has happened in the current year, I cannot sit by and accept the mediocre when my eyes have been opened to the supernatural.  The only question left is Will you join me?  There’s room to rule, dominate and enjoy the rewards that God has promised in the second chapter of Revelations.  Don’t worry about being late.  Just make the decision to overcome.

By Philip H. Page, Jr.
Author of Getting Up AGAIN – Surviving Unemployment and Pursuing Destiny