Lillie Ammann's Blog, page 153

How to Handle Your Finances While Freelancing — Guest Post by Jane Sanders

Working as a freelancer can be a rewarding and exciting way to supplement your income or even become its sole source. You'll have complete control over your work and scheduling, which are major incentives for most freelancers. Still, many are concerned with the potential lack of income stability while freelancing. To handle this, you will essentially have to become your own financial planner.

Know Your Financial Picture

The first step in handling your finances while freelancing is to have a clear picture of your expenses, debts, and other financial obligations. These include long-term planning such as retirement saving, home purchase, and student loan payoff. Don't forget to plan for work-related expenses such as office supplies, space rental, and travel to and from client meetings. The first step in handling your finances while freelancing is to understand your financial pictures.

Keep Your Expenses Low

Freelancing can be very unpredictable at times. Losing a major client can put a huge strain on your finances. Be prepared to handle the unexpected by budgeting accordingly and maximizing your savings during profitable periods. Take advantage of free service from the public library such as internet access, reading materials, and classes. Consider joining a co-op of other freelancers to pool expenses.

Keep Accurate Records

Keeping track of your contracts, invoices, and payments not only helps you manage your money while freelancing, it is very valuable when attempting to take on debt such as a mortgage. Because freelancing is non-traditional, lenders want to know that you have a solid financial outlook. This requires extensive documentation, such as as profit and loss statements, ledgers, and invoices.

Take Advantage of Freelancer Benefits

There are many benefits that are available to freelancers at nominal charges. Organizations such as the freelancer's union offer low-cost health insurance plans, retirement plans, and credit union memberships. Take advantage of these programs that are designed to help you save money while you perform your craft.

Network and Gain Clients

Most freelancers will tell you that the key to managing your finances is to have enough clients to keep you afloat in the event that you lose a major client. Attend networking events geared toward freelancers and meet other people in your field. Diversify your portfolio of clients to make sure you have adequate cash flow. Many freelancers have a mix of high- and low-paying clients that keep the money flowing on a regular basis.

Grab a Side Hustle

Many freelancers moonlight at traditional part-time jobs to supplement their income. You can still do what you love while enjoying the stability of a relatively stable paycheck. Some freelancers work as contractors for employment agencies during slow periods.

There are many ways to manage your finances while freelancing. From pooling resources with other freelancers to taking advantage of low-cost benefits, there's no reason your finances should suffer while you do what you love.

This article was contributed by Jane Sanders from Debt Management. Visit her site for tips on choosing the right debt management service.

Related Posts:Building Long-Term Client Relationships – Part 1: WhyFreelance Rates – Part 3: Setting Freelance Writing and Editing PricesBuilding Long-Term Client Relationships – Part 6: Nine Tips for SuccessToday is International Freelancers DayHow Do You Stack Up Against the Average Worker in America?Powered by Contextual Related PostsHow to Handle Your Finances While Freelancing — Guest Post by Jane Sanders was first posted on July 8, 2011 at 12:35 am.
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Time Management: 3 Executing

Table of contents for Time ManagementTime Management 1: PrioritizingTime Management 2: OrganizingTime Management: 3 Executing

[image error] We've talked about prioritizing and organizing, and now it's time to talk about getting things done.

I always know what my overall priorities are, and each day I know my specific priorities for that day. If I have appointments, they are recorded on my calendar. If have deadlines to meet, they will recorded in my tasks list. Everything else I need or want to do that day is likewise in the tasks list, prioritized.

Now, I am going to depart from conventional time management advice in several things I do that work for me. You can certainly get ideas from other people, but in the end, you have to decide what works for you.

Many experts recommend following a strict schedule. Go to bed and get up at the same time every day, and start and end work at regular times. If you have a project to finish, they say, don't just put it on your to-do list—actually put in on your calendar in a specific time frame. If you work well following a strict schedule, by all means do so. I don't like to follow a strict schedule; one of the reasons I freelance is so I don't have to report to a job at a specific time each day. In my current situation, it's not practical for me to follow a rigid schedule. My husband's needs don't adhere to a time frame, so I make myself available to him when he needs me and fit other things around his needs. It works best for me to know what I need to do but work out the details of when and how I do those things—except for scheduled appointments—as I go along. My work hours and the order in which I accomplish tasks varies from day to day. That may not work for most people, but it works best for me.

Another piece of advice experts usually give is to do your most important work early in the morning and leave tasks that don't require as much thought and concentration for later. That is the exact opposite of what is most efficient for me. I have always had a hard time getting started in the mornings. Several years ago, I wrote a two-part series on how I decided to begin my work day an hour later than my employees and the beneficial effect it had. My best thinking time is NOT early in the morning or when I first get to the office. Generally, I'm most productive in the wee hours of the morning. Unless scheduled appointments interfere, I'm asleep when most people are doing their most productive work before noon. I start work in the late afternoon or evening and tend to routine tasks first. Then after everyone else is asleep and I have no interruptions, I get my most important projects done. I find it difficult to concentrate for the first few hours after I wake, and I'm also distracted if I have a lot of unread emails or unheard voice mails. If you are most alert early in the morning, then follow the guru's advice and finish your major projects first thing. Save email and phone calls and social media until you're winding down. You are the only person who knows when your most productive time is and what you need to do to focus best.

I tend to personal items such as feeding the cat and cleaning the litter box before I come to the office, which is a small portable building in the backyard. I do my devotional and Bible readings online and my journaling on the computer, and I usually do those before anything else in the office. Then I go through email—handling each message only once whenever possible, make phone calls, moderate blog comments and write posts (which I usually schedule in advance), and check my feed reader and Facebook. After that, I work on major projects. In between all these, I take breaks to spend time with my husband and help him as needed. Although the way I work is contrary to what most experts recommend, it is effective for me, and I've been using the same productivity tips for a long time.

Whenever I change activities, I record the time in my Outlook calendar. As you can see in the image, I color-code different activities so I can see at a glance if I'm spending an inordinate amount of time in certain categories. Sometimes people chuckle when I tell them I record everything I do, but I bill my regular clients in quarter-hour increments, and if I don't put it on my calendar if I do a small job as I'm going through email, I could easily forget it. And if there were large blank spots in the calendar, I could easily forget (no, I don't trust my memory) whether I was eating lunch and visiting with my husband or working on a client project. By writing down everything, I know the important items are recorded.

Of course, there are variations in this based on the schedule and priorities of the day. If I have appointments—client meetings or, more likely, doctor's appointments for my husband—or am on tight deadlines for a major project, I may not open Google reader or Facebook for several days. More likely, if I'm really busy, I will just mark most of the blog posts read and skim through only the top news on Facebook. Knowing I'm getting behind distracts me when I need to be most focused.

I hope this short series has given you some ideas on how to most effectively manage your own time. Your system probably won't be anything like mine, but it should be fit your natural rhythms, as well as your personal and professional situations.

Share your own time management ideas or ask question in comments, and we can continue the conversation.

Related Posts:Productivity TipsTime Management 2: OrganizingFreelance Writers: Tips for Becoming More Productive While Working from Home – Guest Post by Brian JenkinsFocus and OrganizationBalance in LifePowered by Contextual Related Posts Previous in series Time Management: 3 Executing was first posted on July 6, 2011 at 12:15 am.
©2011 "Lillie Ammann, Writer & Editor". Use of this feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this article in your feed reader, then the site is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact me at lillie@lillieammann.com

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Independence Day 2011: God Bless America!

Today in the United States we remember the signing of the Declaration of Independence 235 years ago. We thank God for the freedoms we are blessed with in this country. May continue to bless America.

O ETERNAL God, through whose mighty power our fathers won their liberties of old; Grant, we beseech thee, that we and all the people of this land may have grace to maintain these liberties in righteousness and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ~ 1928 Book of Common Prayer

The song "God Bless America" was introduced by Kate Smith on Armistice Day, 1938. This video recreation is from the movie "This is the Army" in 1943.

Related Posts:Independence Day: Let There Be FireworksFlag Day and Honor America Days 2011Endowed by our Creator …National Day of Prayer 2011Religious Freedom Day 2010Powered by Contextual Related PostsIndependence Day 2011: God Bless America! was first posted on July 4, 2011 at 1:49 pm.
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Time Management 2: Organizing

Table of contents for Time ManagementTime Management 1: PrioritizingTime Management 2: Organizing

In the last post, we talked about what I believe is the most important element in time management: prioritizing.

Now, let's talk about getting organized. As I have said, I'm only sharing what I do, not giving expert advice. So I won't cover the various time management tools that are available. You can keep a paper-and-pen to-do list if you find it helpful. You can use  very sophisticated time and project management software if you need it to stay organized. Or, most likely, you will use something in between. Find what works for you—and use it.

I use Outlook as my primary organizer because I can integrate my email, calendar, and to-do list in Outlook with documents. For example, I receive an email from a prospective client asking about my editing a book manuscript.

I reply to the message with a PDF document with information for clients, explaining what I need to give a quote: pages for a sample edit, a synopsis or chapter summary, and answers to a few questions.
I drag and drop the message into Contacts, creating a contact file with the author's name and email address along with the message.
I create a mail folder for the prospective client as a subfolder of "prospective clients" and drag and drop both the original message and my response into the new folder.
If the prospective client replies with questions or incomplete information, I respond and store the messages in her mail folder. If she sends some of the requested material, I create a new folder in My Documents, as a subfolder of "prospective clients," which is a subfolder of "clients" and save any attachments there.
When the prospective client has sent all the information, I drag and drop the message into Tasks and assign a due date. Depending on the client's needs and my work in progress, I try to do sample edits and quotes within a few days.
When I work on the quote, I drag and drop the task into Calendar and record the time I spent.
I continue to file messages and documents in the prospective client's folder until she is moved to "clients" or the "not accepted" subfolder of prospective clients.
If the client does accept my proposal and hires me to edit her manuscript, I continue to keep her records (both email and documents) organized in the appropriate folders, to schedule the steps of her projects in Tasks, and to record the time spent in Calendar.

Here are some of the key elements of my organizational system that make it work for me:

My office is virtually paperless, so I don't spend time filing or looking for paper documents. Most of my work is electronic, and when I receive paper documents (such as contracts), I scan them and store them electronically.
My files—both email and documents—are organized in categories with main folders and several layers of subfolders: My Documents/Clients/John Smith/Book 1/Drafts, …/Book 1/Cover ,…/Book 1/Layout, …/Book 1/Promotion, etc.; …/Book 2/Drafts, etc.;   …/Website/Design, …/Website/Backups, etc.
With rare exceptions, my email inbox is emptied daily. When I check email, I try to process it at the same time. Unless I am in a hurry because of a scheduled appointment or deadline, I read and delete or file messages in the order they are received. If I need to do something in response to the message, I create a task for it as described above and file the email. Determining whether to save or delete a message can be challenging. Sometimes I think I should have a current subfolder under each client to file those iffy emails that I really don't need to keep permanently, but I do need to keep while I'm working a specific project. But I haven't done that, so I have more emails in file than I ideally should.
I have created documents with information on my services (a general document covering writing and editing; a document for editing clients with instructions on what I need to give a quote; and documents for self-publishing, formatting, resume, business, and website clients) as well as information for blog guests. When I get a query about work or guest posting, I reply with a very brief note and the appropriate document. I also have template emails that I use to cut down on the time and thought required to respond to similar emails.
My task list includes everything I need to do—phone calls I need to make as well as major projects. I don't depend on my memory for anything—and if I do try to rely on memory, I'm reminded very quickly that it doesn't work.
I record everything on my calendar–and I mean everything. There are two reasons for this: 1) I charge an hourly rate for most of my clients, because I do a variety of small jobs throughout the month, and it's not feasible to give a flat fee quote for each one. If I don't account for all my time, it's easy to overlook a quarter hour here and a half hour there of billable time. By keeping track of all my time, I don't forget those small jobs. 2) I can see how I spend my time. When I start feeling unproductive, I can look at the calendar and see large chunks of time marked Personal, which generally means I've had to help my husband more than usual. Or I may see large blocks of time marked Email/Blogs/Facebook and realize I need to be more selective in my blog reading. If I didn't see that time written in my calendar, it would be easy to say–and believe—that I don't spend much time online. I categorize and color-code every activity, so it's very easy to tell at a glance the amount of time I spent on client work compared to the time spent personal activities, social media, and everything else.
In addition to the Outlook Calendar, I also maintain two separate calendars in Word documents. My blog editorial calendar has my posting schedule—all the holidays and special occasions/events I want to blog about marked on the appropriate date, guest posts and reviews or interviews I have scheduled, and ideas for topics to write about. Although I have major deadlines in Outlook Tasks, my project calendar contains more details about large jobs. Those details include deadlines throughout the project for other people—the author, an associate who does a round of edits, the cover designer, beta readers, and others—and interim deadlines for me—first/second/third round of edits due, interior layout, upload file to online printer, review printer's proof. I find this much detail clutters up my Outlook calendar but is very easy to see when laid out in a one-page monthly calendar with nothing but deadlines on major projects visible.

This describes the tools and system I use for organization. You may prefer a different tool and another system. It doesn't matter how simple or complex your system is. What matters is whether it works for you. If it is effective for you, it is a great system.

Next time we'll talk about what I do on a daily basis.

photo credit: romana klee

Related Posts:Focus and OrganizationBuilding Long-Term Client Relationships – Part 3: My Business ModelBuilding Long-Term Client Relationships – Part 2: Getting StartedTips and Tricks: How to Write, Send, Reply, and Forward E-MailWhy Give a Sample Edit?Powered by Contextual Related Posts Previous in series Time Management 2: Organizing was first posted on July 1, 2011 at 6:46 am.
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Time Management 1: Prioritizing

Table of contents for Time ManagementTime Management 1: Prioritizing

Like the last post, today's post is the result of a request—or in this case two requests—in comments.

Dominic Faith from P/S Public Storage wrote:

Well Lillie, after reading your posts and comments, I feel that you should write a post on how to manage time. Many people want to know how you are so active with the blogs without compromising on your personal life and other routine things. May be a few tips would help us as well because I grow frustrated when after a week I check my blogs and have a huge number of comments to reply! Please share your strategy with us. Thanks.

Gareth Brown from Bentley Walker followed up with:

Dominic has said right what I wanted to. I understand this because I too have a blog and I get stressed out in checking it every now and then and moderating queries followed by answering questions. I want to know how can I manage time and give adequate attention to my blog while performing routine activities like office, family, travel etc. Thanks.

My initial reaction was that I'm certainly no expert on time management, so anything I would write on the subject wouldn't be very helpful. However, after giving it some consideration, I decided to tell you what I do for two reasons:

Perhaps something I do will be helpful to someone.
Maybe some people will feel less guilty to know they aren't alone in feeling overwhelmed with so many things to do and so little time to do them all.

The most important thing in managing time, I believe, is determining what is most important to you. None of us will ever get everything done that we want to do or that we feel we should do. The key is to spend most of our time on things that matter most to us.

I was blessed to have a wake-up call that made me realize I had to take action on my dream if I ever wanted to make it happen. It's so easy to drift through life and put off for tomorrow what we want to do so we can do what we think we have to do today.

I'm not advocating anyone fail to fulfill their responsibilities or honor their commitments. I started writing shortly after I had a stroke, but I didn't become a full-time writer for several years. I owned an interior landscape company, and I took the time I needed to sell the business to a company that promised to keep my employees and to serve my clients the same way I did. Though I realized I couldn't continue to delay my dream, I didn't recklessly abandon my current obligations. What I did was put writing high on my list of priorities. I changed my schedule so I could spend all day Saturday working on my novel. That meant I had to give up some things I had been doing on my weekends. Writing was more important to me, so I made time for it.

You've probably heard the saying you can have anything you want in life, but you can't have everything. Only you can determine what you want in life…and what you are willing to give up to get it.

A woman I know told me that writing is her first priority. "I figure I can do less important things—like eating, bathing, and sleeping—when my book is finished." Most people probably wouldn't give up eating or sleeping, and most of their friends wouldn't want them to give up bathing. But her hyperbole emphasizes how important writing is to her.

Priorities will shift over time and through varying circumstances. After Dream or Destiny was released, I started writing a novel about a secondary character (Bonita) in Dream or Destiny and expected to finish that novel and another one based on a different secondary character (Tess). However, my circumstances have changed. My husband now needs more help and attention, and I am gladly giving him my time, attention, and assistance. At this point in my life, writing fiction has moved far down in my priority list. Jack is my top priority.

Meeting my clients' needs is also high in importance. I honor the commitments I make to the people who trust me to edit or write for them, so client work gets done before projects of lesser importance.

I have always volunteered many hours each week to my church. Over the last couple of years, I have turned many of my responsibilities over to others. Although volunteering is important to me, it has moved down the priority list as family responsibilities have moved up.

Everyone needs down time—time to relax and recuperate. Reading is my favorite pastime, but I don't get many opportunities to sit and read for hours. Instead, I have a book on my Kindle at the dining table so I can read when I'm eating a meal or having a snack without Jack. I have another on my Kindle for PC so I can read a few paragraphs while I'm waiting for a file to download. I have another on my laptop for the weekend or holiday occasions when I can sit in the den with Jack and read for hours. Reading in snatches this way, I've read 26 books and reviewed them on Goodreads so far this year.

My other hobby is blogging.The two commenters asking my advice were impressed that I had time to reply to every comment and to post the monthly thank-you post. Interacting with commenters is important to me, so I will choose to moderate and reply to comments rather than do something else that is lower on my priority list. I don't get everything done, but—because it is a high priority—I usually do a good job of keeping up with comments on my blog.

When you look at managing your time, first establish your priorities. Only you can decide what is most important to you, based on your individual circumstances, values, obligations, and interests. You will never be able to do everything, but you can do anything.

In the next post, I'll give more specifics on how I get things done on a daily basis.

photo credit: garryknight,

Related Posts:Balance in LifeAn Anniversary: How I Became a Full-Time Writer"Someday" is TodayMy Reviews at GoodreadsLooking ahead …Powered by Contextual Related Posts Time Management 1: Prioritizing was first posted on June 28, 2011 at 11:32 am.
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"Someday" is Today

[image error]Although my love affair with writing started in high school, I never expected to be able to make a living as a writer. So I worked in government jobs for a few years, then started my own business—first a plant shop, then an interior landscape company. I always planned to write "someday"—when I had time, when I could afford to retire … "someday."

Then I walked into a chiropractor's office for a routine treatment and had to be carried out after suffering a stroke. I spent months in rehabilitation learning how to walk again, learning how to function again. I wondered, Would I ever be normal again? Would I be able to run my business? Would I be able to take care of myself?

Would I be able to write—or would I even be alive—when that mythical, magical "someday" arrived?

I realized "someday" is today. I was not—and you are not—promised anything beyond this present moment. If I wanted to fulfill my dream of writing "someday," I had to start.

Realistically, I couldn't start immediately because I was too incapacitated. However, I made the commitment that I would work as hard as I could to become functional again and that as soon as I could, I would start a novel. Nineteen years ago when I was in rehab, there were no computers in the therapy area. The rehab hospital allowed me to use the office computer in the therapy department as part of my occupational therapy to learn to type again. I worked as hard as I could every chance I got to practice typing—one letter at a time until I mastered them all, then gradually increasing my speed.

"Someday" actually arrived several months after my stroke when I returned to work during the week. I didn't have a computer at home, so I went to the office on weekends to write my novel on my work computer. That first novel was Stroke of Luck, a romance novel about a woman who had a stroke similar to mine. The writing was not only the culmination of a lifelong dream, it was also beneficial to my emotional recovery. Writing itself can be therapeutic, but so can achieving—or even taking steps toward achieving—any dream.

I've written other posts about my stroke wake-up call, but a recent comment reminded me that few people—or maybe no people!—were reading my posts in the early days of the blog, so maybe it's time to re-visit the topic.

Rhys from How to Preach left a comment on my post Stroke Awareness Month 2011:

Just reading one of your posts where you make this quite momentous remark; "After the stroke, I realized that 'someday' is today".

It took me many years to discover this, and I think you could well write more emphatically on just this point.

It is tragic when we discover we didn't do something, and it is now TOO LATE because that person is no longer there!

Do you have a dream that you're putting off for "someday"?

Are you delaying a family visit for projects at work or putting off starting your own business until you feel financially secure?  Are you waiting to reconcile with an estranged loved one until he apologizes to you? Are you postponing learning a second language until you have some extra time or avoiding returning to school until you aren't so busy? Are you deferring your art while you focus on your career or suspending a career change until the economy gets better? Are you procrastinating on something you really want to do because you're afraid you won't succeed?

Are you putting your dream on hold until that mythical, magical "someday" that may never come?

Someday is today! If you have dream, start on it now. Maybe all you can do is the equivalent of my sitting at a computer and hitting one key to type a single letter. But that single keystroke led to more keystrokes and faster keystrokes and more accurate keystrokes—until the keystrokes turned into pages of text and eventually a novel.

Make that first keystroke. Take that first step. Today is "someday"!

Related Posts:An Anniversary: How I Became a Full-Time WriterNational Stroke Awareness Month: My Stroke – the AftermathStroke Awareness Month 2011Writing, Health, and Well-BeingNational Stroke Awareness Month: My Stroke – The Next Three DaysPowered by Contextual Related Posts"Someday" is Today was first posted on June 24, 2011 at 5:55 am.
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Tribute to Farmers on Father's Day

My father was a farmer, and this video captures so much about him. I especially remember him being able to repair anything with baling wire and duct tape!

Related Posts:Hallelujah!Tribute to the Troops and Their FamiliesHow Great Thou ArtThe Case Against AbortionNational Library WeekPowered by Contextual Related PostsTribute to Farmers on Father's Day was first posted on June 19, 2011 at 12:03 am.
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Thanks to May 2011 Commenters

 

Thank you to the 86 commenters who left 123 comments in May. Your comments extended the conversation and added value and interest, and I enjoyed replying to every one of them.

 

Every month when I post thanks to commenters, I get questions about how I compile this list. I have explained my system in detail in Compiling Thanks to Commenters.

Top Contributor (9 comments)

Dawn Colclasure
Dawn Colclasure Blog

Major Contributors (4 comments)

Mia
SBP


Rhys
How to Preach

Outstanding Contributors (3 comments)

Christopher Roberts
Technology Bloggers


Dominique
4 Walls and a View


Jenny Lyons
Bingo Babe



 

Significant Contributors (2 comments)

abhilasham
Best Buy GPS


Ajeet
Techno Zeast


Alex Aguilar
Team Aguilar


Andrew Heaton
Good Honest Dollar


Angel
Coldwell Banker Jaco


Barney
PakOwn


Brent
Arthouse 42


Fred
Finally Fast Blog


Grace
Pricewise Favors


Jane
Toaster Oven Reviews


Jean Henry Mead
Jean Henry Mead, Novelist/Photojournalist


Karen
Pledging for Change


Karen Fisher-Alaniz
Write Now


mariosx69
Wadi Rum Seven Pillars Camp


Michaela
My Traveling Nanny


R.J.
Extremely Normal Couponing


Sarah
Writing Consultation

Important Contributors 

Alex
Gesund Abnehmen Rezepte


Alex  
Hairstyles 2010


Andreas
ArtikelDB


Anne
Best Locksmith Sydney


Barbara
Heart to Heart Sympathy Gifts


Boutaric
Topfolio


Brooke
The Bluestocking Guide


Bruce Walker
Dog Walkers Melbourne


Cheryl Malandrinos
Pump Up Your Book


Christopher  Roberts
Christopher Roberts 


Dan 
Discount Golf Club Store


Daniel
Retirement Story


Derra
Accent Reduction Now


dian
Bowen Agency


Dorthe
kor selv ferie


Edgar
Visitask


Emily
Prevent Morning Sickness


evelyn
n/a


Gerry Evans
Cheapest Merchant Accounts


Hawk
Best Web Flash Templates


Helen Ginger
Straight from Hel


Jane
Recover Deleted Files Easily


Jan McClintock
We Need More Shelves


JanMugot
Aldaz Moulds


Jason
Camden Place


Jill
Fitness Blog


Joe
The Law Offices of Joseph W. Campbell


John Adams
Cosmetic Surgery Abroad


Johnson 
Boho Clothing


Joseph
capilia by truly you


Kaplan
Celebrity Laser Spa


Kelly
Kelly Felix Blog


Kyle
Ascentive Blog


leo ancheta
Fast Phoenix Appliance Repair


Leonard
Savoir Ecrire


Lisa
Getting It Write for You


lovely
What If?


Maqsood
Second Chance Car Finance


Mark
LeCopywriting.com


Martin
Asset Tracking Management


Melissa
Ginny Corbett Photography


Mulyadi
Secrets to Successful Marriage


Nick
Best Treadmills Reviewed


Norb
Best PC Utilities


Patric
Billig bilförsäkring


Rob 
Go Click Cash


Robert
Villatas


Rocky
India Darshan


Ross
Boho Clothing


Russell Davison
Russell Davison


Sandra 
Megadyne


saravanan
Clean Green


Sensei Matt Klein
Fun affordable self defence karate for kids


Simon
Northern Monkey Creative Media


Steve
Rugged Depot


Summer
Internet Marketing Solution


Sus
Fitness Blog


Tim
Executive Ride


Tom
Casas de Lujo en Miami


Tracy McManamon
One Source Benefits


Trennscheiben
Winter Precision Grinding Tools


William
Pet Meds for Less


Wu
MicroscopeNet



Related Posts:Thanks to April 2011 CommentersThanks to March 2011 CommentersThanks to February 2011 CommentersThanks to January 2011 CommentersThanks to March 2010 CommentersPowered by Contextual Related PostsThanks to May 2011 Commenters was first posted on June 17, 2011 at 1:07 am.
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Flag Day and Honor America Days 2011

Today is Flag Day and the beginning of Honor America Days.

Flag Day commemorates the adoption by the the Continental Congress of the Stars and Stripes as the official flag of the United States. Citizens are encouraged to fly Old Glory to observe the anniversary.

Honor America Days are the 21 days between Flag Day and Independence Day and are designated for events to honor our country. May God continue to bless the USA!

ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us this good land for our heritage; We humbly beseech thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of thy favour and glad to do thy will. Bless our land with honourable industry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogancy, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought hither out of many kindreds and tongues. Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in thy Name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that, through obedience to thy law, we may show forth thy praise among the nations of the earth. In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in thee to fail; all which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ~ 1928 Book of Common Prayer

photo credit: Rainer Ebert

Related Posts:Endowed by our Creator …National Day of Prayer 2008National Day of Prayer 2009Flag DayNational Day of Prayer: For Such a Time as ThisPowered by Contextual Related PostsFlag Day and Honor America Days 2011 was first posted on June 14, 2011 at 12:53 am.
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Global Day of Prayer 2011

[image error]Today, Pentecost Sunday, is the Global Day of Prayer. According to the Global Day of Prayer website:

We can find inspiration for the Global Day of Prayer in the three parts of the birth of the Church: ten days of constant prayer leading to Pentecost, one day of prayer witnessed by the whole city and days of blessing that followed. For these reasons, the Global Day of Prayer has three parts.

Today was preceded by ten days of prayer beginning on Ascension Day and will be followed by ninety days of blessings, when Christian ministries and organizations are expected to form alliances to bring transformations to their communities.

Millions of people will gather around the world today and pray the following prayer for the world. Let us we all join together and call on the Lord.

A Prayer for the World

They lifted their voices to God with one accord. ~ Acts 4:24

Almighty God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

Together with believers all over the world,

we gather today to glorify Your Name.

You are the Creator of heaven and earth.

There is no one like You, holy and righteous in all Your ways.

We submit to Your authority as the King of the universe.

We pray with one voice to enthrone You in our hearts

and to honor You before the world.

Lord God, You alone are worthy of our praise and adoration.

Our Father in heaven,

Thank You for loving the world so greatly.

You gave Your only Son, Jesus Christ,

to die on the cross for our sins

so that we could be reconciled to You.

We are grateful to call You Father and to be called Your children.

Nothing can separate us from Your love.

Thank You Father, for adopting us into Your family

because of Jesus Christ our Savior.

Lord Jesus Christ,

You alone are worthy to open the scrolls of history,

for You were slain and have redeemed us to the Father by Your blood.

We confess that You are Head of the Church

and Lord of all heaven and earth.

May people from every tribe and language become Your followers

so that Your blessing brings transformation among all peoples.

Let Your kingdom be established in every nation of the world

so that governments will rule with righteousness and justice.

And may Your Name be great, from the rising of the sun to its setting.

Jesus Christ, You are the Savior of the world and the Lord of all.

Father of mercy and grace,

We acknowledge that we have sinned

and that our world is gripped by the power of sin.

Our hearts are grieved by injustice, hatred and violence.

We are shamed by oppression, racism and bloodshed in our land.

We mourn all loss of life in murder, war, and terrorism.

Our homes are broken and our churches are divided

by rebellion and pride.

Our lives are polluted by selfishness, greed, idolatry and sexual sin.

We have grieved Your heart and brought shame to Your Name.

Have mercy on us as we repent with all our hearts.

God of mercy, forgive our sins.

Pour out Your grace and heal our land.

Spirit of the living God,

Apart from You, we can do nothing.

Transform Your Church into the image of Jesus Christ.

Release Your power to bring healing to the sick,

freedom to the oppressed and comfort to those who mourn.

Pour Your love into our hearts and fill us with compassion

to answer the call of the homeless and the hungry

and to enfold orphans, widows and the elderly in Your care.

Give us wisdom and insight for the complex problems we face today.

Help us to use the resources of the earth for the well-being of all.

Holy Spirit, we need Your comfort and guidance.

Transform our hearts.

Lord Jesus Christ,

Because You were dead, but are now risen,

and the Father has given You a Name above all names,

You will defeat all powers of evil.

Tear down strongholds and ideologies

that resist the knowledge of God.

Remove the veil of darkness that covers the peoples.

Restrain the evil that promotes violence and death.

Bring deliverance from demonic oppression.

Break the hold of slavery, tyranny and disease.

Fill us with courage to preach Your word fearlessly,

and to intercede for the lost faithfully.

Almighty God, deliver us from evil.

King of Glory,

Come and finish Your work in our cities, our peoples and our nations.

We lift our voices in unison with believers from Africa and Asia,

from the Middle East and Europe, from North and South America,

and from Australia and the Pacific Islands—together we cry:

Lift up your heads, O you gates!

Be lifted up ancient doors

so that the King of glory may come in!

As Your deeds increase throughout the earth,

and as Your blessings abound to all the nations,

they will seek You, asking, "Who is this King of glory?"

Together we will answer:

He is the Lord Almighty!

Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!

Come fill the earth with Your glory as the waters cover the sea.

The Spirit and the Bride say:

Amen! Come Lord Jesus!

Related Posts:Global Day of Prayer 2009Global Day of Prayer: Prayer for the WorldGlobal Day of PrayerGlobal Day of Prayer 2010National Day of Prayer 2008Powered by Contextual Related PostsGlobal Day of Prayer 2011 was first posted on June 12, 2011 at 1:08 am.
©2011 "Lillie Ammann, Writer & Editor". Use of this feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this article in your feed reader, then the site is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact me at lillie@lillieammann.com

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