Lillie Ammann's Blog, page 52

National Day of Prayer 2017

Today is the National Day of Prayer 2017. The theme is For Your Great Name’s Sake! Hear Us… Forgive Us…Heal Us! Taken from Daniel 9:19.

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. ~ Prayer for Our Country from the 1928 Book of Common Prayer

Once an Entrepreneur, Always an Entrepreneur

© Depositphotos.com/DragonImages

I never intended to become an entrepreneur. My dream was always to write, but I was convinced I couldn’t make a living from writing. I was excited to go to work in the government’s War on Poverty as an employment counselor because I thought I would be helping people who were struggling. I became more and more disillusioned, thinking we were doing more harm than good, until I finally couldn’t do it anymore.

During my time in that job, I started growing African violets and making terrariums

as a hobby. When a coworker saw an ad seeking artists and craftspeople to rent space in a in a quaint arts-and-crafts gallery, she challenged me to give up my job and sell terrariums for a living. Although I had never even thought about going into business, I was ready for a change and opened a tiny plant shop. That was my first small—miniscule, really—business, more than forty years ago.

© Depositphotos.com/Vitalinka

As I gradually figured out what I was doing, I expanded that little shop and actually made a little money. Then I joined forces with a potter who had a shop a few doors down from me. We opened a plant and pottery store in a strip mall. I managed the store while my partner made pottery. I learned a lot more about business since I was making all the decisions that affected the profits for both of us. That venture ended when I was robbed and molested in the store; I was afraid to work alone, and we couldn’t afford to hire someone to work with me.

Although my inclination was to go home and hide, my husband wouldn’t let me give in to self-pity. In the retail store, people had asked me to help them with plants in their offices. I started an interior landscape company working from my home. For the first year or more, I always went to the client where I felt safe. I did everything myself—from designing the interior landscape to buying and preparing the plants to installing them to going back weekly to water and maintain the plants. Through the years, I moved into a warehouse facility and hired eighteen employees. That business grew to be one of the top three interior landscape companies in the city, and I operated it for sixteen years.

Like so many people who started a small business, I knew far more about my products than about business. In my retail stores, I sold African violets, houseplants, and terrariums, all of which I knew about from my hobbies. In the second store, we also sold a lot of handmade pottery, but it didn’t require constant care like plants did. However, when I went into the interior landscape business, I suddenly had to learn much more about how to provide the services my clients needed. It’s fairly easy to keep plants watered and groomed when you’re in the store with them every day and can check them anytime and respond immediately if a plant shows signs of stress. It’s quite another to take care of a plant in an office and leave it for a week.

I joined professional organizations and attended seminars and read trade magazines to learn the technical skills of the industry. But then I also had to learn about business. So many challenges were daunting: managing a staff of eighteen people—most of whom worked independently, going from client to client all over town, handling legal issues like contracts with the landlord and many clients, knowing where and when to order and how much inventory to maintain, figuring out the profitability for each individual client… and on and on and on.

I took advantage of a variety of opportunities to learn to run my business. I joined the chamber of commerce, attended workshops, and participated in activities.

Another challenge I faced was that I was a female in my late twenties and early thirties when most of the business owners at that time were men who were older than me—and not always welcoming to young female interlopers. It would have been easy for me to be intimidated, but I learned a trick: simply calling other people by their first name seemed to put us on the same level immediately. Today, it’s very common to use first names on short acquaintance, but Mr. and Mrs. or Miss were the norms in the 1970s.

I also joined an organization called Women in Business, which was very helpful for women business owners, both from formal training sessions and from informal discussions with peers. I was active in that group for many years. The organization no longer exists, but there are other groups for women and minorities. I don’t advocate separatism—everyone in business should associate with all their colleagues through chambers of commerce and other organizations and groups. However, sometimes a specialized group can be invaluable to help with specific issues.

I also took advantage of opportunities for training, whether it was from a professional organization for interior landscapers, business organizations like the chamber of commerce, or companies who provided training sessions in large auditoriums. Today, you don’t even have to attend in person; excellent training is available online at reasonable cost or even free. 

Of course, I always worked to show that I was as competent and knowledgeable as anyone else. I joined the chamber’s speakers bureau and gave talks on entrepreneurship. I wasn’t sure anyone benefited from my presentations until I visited a client business and met the owner for the first time. All my dealings had been with the facility manager. When I made a quality control visit, I knocked on the door of the corner office, introduced myself, and explained I was checking on the plants. The lady behind the desk said, “I’m so glad to meet you. You’ve been my inspiration.”

I was shocked because I had never met this woman before. She went on to explain that her husband had started the business, but had died unexpectedly at a critical time in the growth of the company. She had always been a stay-at-home mom raising four sons, including a severely disabled son whom she still cared for as an adult. When her husband died, she was overwhelmed. The other three sons worked in the business but were not prepared to run it. She wanted to continue her husband’s dream company, but she had no business experience. She arranged for the care of her disabled son and started to work. One of the first things she did was attend a presentation I made at the chamber of commerce. She told me that my story of starting from nothing and building a successful company inspired her, and when she felt discouraged or fearful, she would tell herself, “If that woman can do it, I can, too!”

Although I was thrilled that I encouraged her, I knew I didn’t succeed on my own. I also learned to take advice. At one point, we were extremely busy, and everything seemed to be going well, but we just weren’t making the money we should. I hired a consultant who helped me determine the costs and profit on each client. He told me that I wasn’t charging enough for my services, and I needed to raise prices, especially on certain clients. When I protested that I couldn’t raise prices because of the competition, he said I could price like my competitors and go out of business or raise my prices and make a profit. I started raising prices at the end of each client’s contract. Although I was sure that I would lose customers who wouldn’t agree to higher costs, I lost only two—the two who were the most difficult to work with, the same two who were losing me money instead of making it, two clients I was glad to lose. My preconceived ideas were all wrong, and businesspersons can’t let preconceived ideas and fears stand in the way of success.

After I had a stroke at the hands of a chiropractor, I decided it was time to realize my lifelong dream of writing. I always planned to do it someday, but I realized someday had arrived. After I recovered sufficiently to be able to work, I started writing on weekends and continued to run my company until I found the right opportunity. Two of my major competitors and I sold our three companies to a large national chain, and I started my freelance writing business.

My first novel was Stroke of Luck, a romance novel about a woman who had a stroke like the one I had. I received rejection after rejection, usually with some comment similar to the one an editor told me in person when I pitched my book at a conference: “Nobody wants to read about a cripple!” So I put the manuscript away and went on to other things until I learned of a publisher seeking romance novels with handicapped central characters. I was so excited that someone wanted my story, I signed a contract without doing any due diligence on the company.

Then I bought several ebooks published by the company. I was appalled and contacted the editor, telling her I was concerned about the poor editing in the books. She explained they were a new company and hadn’t properly edited the manuscripts before publishing them. “In fact,” she said, “we’re looking for an editor to edit those books. Yours was the cleanest manuscript I’ve seen. Will you edit for us?” So began my career as an editor. After editing a dozen books for the publisher, I started freelancing for self-publishing authors.

I have written three novels, a nonfiction book about my late husband, and several short how-to ebooks. I have edited more than four dozen books, both nonfiction and fiction, and helped the authors self-publish most of them. Resumes, business documents, manuals, academic papers, and much more have all been part of my repertoire in the last two decades. My clients benefit from my business experience, often getting advice along with writing and editing services.

Though I’m slowing down, I’m still working at an age when most people have retired. Once an entrepreneur, always an entrepreneur!

Resources for Beginning and Aspiring Entrepreneurs:

HP Life

IRS Small Business and Self-Employed Tax Center

Small Business Administration

 

Featured Image: © Depositphotos.com/macniak

Infographic: How to Stay Productive When You’re Tired

When you’re tired, the best thing you can do is to get some rest. However, when you’re a freelance writer and editor, sometimes you must keep working to meet a critical deadline. The infographic below from STL provides some helpful tips to stay productive even when you’re exhausted. Use these tips to get you through your deadline—then get some rest.

How to stay productive when you’re tired [Infographic] by the team at STL

Devotion for Easter Sunday

Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb. So she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.” So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb. The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first; and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in. And so Simon Peter also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself. So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed. For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. So the disciples went away again to their own homes.

But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; and shesaw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus.  Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”  Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and that He had said these things to her.

So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained.”

But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”

After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” Then He said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.” Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”

Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name. ~ John 20

Thomas doubted the testimony of the other disciples because he did not personally see Jesus. When Jesus appeared to him also, Thomas believed—both that Jesus was alive and that Jesus was the Lord. We have two centuries of testimony of reliable witnesses—not only words but changed lives. Jesus is alive! Jesus is Lord!

Lord God, I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sins and that He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven, and He will come again in glory. Maranatha! Come quickly, Lord Jesus!

He is risen. He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Image: © Depositphotos.com/kevron2002

Devotion for Holy Saturday

After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body. Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight. So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. Therefore because of the Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there. ~ John 19:38-42

It’s hard for us to understand the devastation that the disciples must have felt after Jesus was buried. They had been so sure that He was the Messiah, the Christ. They expected Him to conquer their enemies and raise up His Kingdom. Instead, He had died the tortuous death of the worst of criminals, humiliated before people who mocked Him. Their dreams had died—but so had their dear Friend whom they loved. They were doubly in grief and felt all was lost. Let us put ourselves in their places on this Holy Saturday. Let us experience the depth of their pain today so we can experience the depth of their joy tomorrow.

Heavenly Father, I know the end of the story, but let me feel the grief that the disciples felt on Saturday so I can experience the joy they experienced on Sunday. Make me deeply aware that all Jesus went through—His arrest, torture, death on the cross, time in Hell while He was buried—was for me. Let me feel the pain today to make the joy tomorrow even greater. In His name. Amen.

Image: © Depositphotos.com/zatletic

It’s Friday…But Sunday’s Coming

This powerful video is a great Good Friday devotion.

Devotion for Good Friday

Pilate then took Jesus and scourged Him. And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and put a purple robe on Him; and they began to come up to Him and say, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and to give Him slaps in the face. Pilate came out again and said to them, “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you so that you may know that I find no guilt in Him.” Jesus then came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold, the Man!” So when the chief priests and the officers saw Him, they cried out saying, “Crucify, crucify!” Pilate said to them, “Take Him yourselves and crucify Him, for I find no guilt in Him.” The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and by that law He ought to die because He made Himself out to be the Son of God.”

Therefore when Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid; and he entered into the Praetorium again and said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. So Pilate said to Him, “You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?” Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.” As a result of this Pilate made efforts to release Him, but the Jews cried out saying, “If you release this Man, you are no friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar.”

Therefore when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out, and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, “Behold,your King!” So they cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.”

So he then handed Him over to them to be crucified.

They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha. There they crucified Him, and with Him two other men, one on either side, and Jesus in between. Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It was written, “JESUS THE NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE JEWS.” Therefore many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Latin and in Greek. So the chief priests of the Jews were saying to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews’; but that He said, ‘I am King of the Jews.’” Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.”

Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His outer garments and made four parts, a part to every soldier and also the tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece. So they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, to decide whose it shall be”; this was to fulfill the Scripture: “They divided My outer garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.” Therefore the soldiers did these things.

But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” From that hour the disciple took her into his own household.

After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, said, “I am thirsty.” A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth. Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.

Then the Jews, because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. So the soldiers came, and broke the legs of the first man and of the other who was crucified with Him; but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe. For these things came to pass to fulfill the Scripture, “Not a bone of Him shall be broken.” And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.” ~ John 19:1-37

Everything that happened on the day of Crucifixion led up to the final words of Jesus, “It is finished.” When Jesus said those words, He was saying that He had accomplished everything He came to earth to do. He had taken on the sins of the world hanging on that cross and by His sacrifice, He brought salvation and eternal life to all who believe. Unlike the animal sacrifices of earlier times that had to be repeated, His sacrifice was once and for all—finished forever. All we have to do is accept what He offers, take up our cross and follow Him.

Heavenly Father, I am in awe at what Jesus did for my sake. As unbelievable as it is, I know if I were the only sinner in the world, He would have made the same sacrifice for me alone. How can I begin to appreciate how much He and You love me? Guide me by the Holy Spirit to live the life You want me to live. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Image: © Depositphotos.com/zatletic

Devotion for Maundy Thursday

While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”

After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to His disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.”

And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done.” Again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. And He left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more. Then He came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up, let us be going; behold, the one who betrays Me is at hand!”

While He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, came up accompanied by a large crowd with swords and clubs, who came from the chief priests and elders of the people. Now he who was betraying Him gave them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him.” Immediately Judas went to Jesus and said, “Hail, Rabbi!” and kissed Him. And Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you have come for.” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and seized Him. ~ Matthew 26:26-30, 36-50

So much happened on Thursday night! Jesus and His disciples celebrated the Passover, and Jesus instituted Holy Communion. In the Gospel of John, we learn that Jesus washed the feet of the disciples. Jesus and His disciples go to the Garden of Gethsemane, where the disciples fall asleep while Jesus is praying. He asked the Father to let the coming ordeal pass from him. He knew exactly what would happen—physical torture, humiliation, death. Worst of all, He would take all the sin of the world—past, present, and future—upon Himself, and the Father would turn His face away from Him. That separation—the only moment in all of eternity when They would be apart—was far more agonizing than anything else. Yet, Jesus continued, “not as I will, but as You will.” He knew what would happen. He dreaded it—but He accepted it.

Lord, I can’t fathom the love that motivated the Father and the Son to be separated, even if for an infinitely small amount of time. And it was all for me—for me and every other sinner who will accept Your gift of grace and salvation. We don’t deserve Your great mercy, Lord, but You are full of love, mercy, grace, and peace. Please make me as willing as Jesus to do Your will. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Image: © Depositphotos.com/sedmak

Devotion for Wednesday in Holy Week

And Herod with his soldiers, after treating Him with contempt and mocking Him, dressed Him in a gorgeous robe and sent Him back to Pilate. Now Herod and Pilate became friends with one another that very day; for before they had been enemies with each other.

Pilate summoned the chief priests and the rulers and the people, and said to them, “You brought this man to me as one who incites the people to rebellion, and behold, having examined Him before you, I have found no guilt in this man regarding the charges which you make against Him. No, nor has Herod, for he sent Him back to us; and behold, nothing deserving death has been done by Him. Therefore I will punish Him and release Him.” [Now he was obliged to release to them at the feast one prisoner.]

But they cried out all together, saying, “Away with this man, and release for us Barabbas!” (He was one who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection made in the city, and for murder.) Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again, but they kept on calling out, saying, “Crucify, crucify Him!” And he said to them the third time, “Why, what evil has this man done? I have found in Him no guilt demanding death; therefore I will punish Him and release Him.” But they were insistent, with loud voices asking that He be crucified. And their voices began to prevail. And Pilate pronounced sentence that their demand be granted. And he released the man they were asking for who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, but he delivered Jesus to their will. ~ Luke 23:11-25

Pilate knew Jesus had done nothing worthy of death, but he was too concerned about appeasing the crowd to do the right thing. Instead, he turned an innocent man over to persecution and execution to save himself trouble.

Lord God, I never want to be a Pontius Pilate—so focused on my own selfish interests that I fail to do the right thing. Especially I ask for the courage and strength to always proudly proclaim my love for Jesus. In His name I pray. Amen.

Devotion for Tuesday in Holy Week

Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking Him and beating Him, and they blindfolded Him and were asking Him, saying, “Prophesy, who is the one who hit You?” And they were saying many other things against Him, blaspheming.

When it was day, the Council of elders of the people assembled, both chief priests and scribes, and they led Him away to their council chamber, saying, “If You are the Christ, tell us.” But He said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe; and if I ask a question, you will not answer. But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” And they all said, “Are You the Son of God, then?” And He said to them, “Yes, I am.” Then they said, “What further need do we have of testimony? For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth.” ~ Luke 22:63-71

We know what came later; we know who Jesus is. It’s easy to condemn the Jewish religious leaders for thinking Jesus blasphemed, but we would have responded any differently if someone claimed to be the Son of God? They were selfishly trying to protect their own power and prestige. But even without their selfish motivations, the chief priests and scribes would have found it incredible that an itinerant preacher with a ragtag following and no power base could be the Son of God.

Thank You, Lord, that I know the rest of the story. I know that Jesus is the Son of God, King of kings, Lord of lords, God of gods. He gave His life to cleanse me of my sins and to give me eternal life. I can never be grateful enough, but I ask that You guide my life in the way You want me to live. In His name. Amen.