LENTEN FOOD FOR THOUGHT TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS

In my readings today, my attention was drawn to a special reading in the Bible that has food for thought for our Country that is suffering from greedy mistakes and selfishness of the ignorant. Here is the reference from Deuteronomy 30:15-20.

"Look, today I have set before you life and death, depending on whether you obey or disobey. I have commanded you today to LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD and to follow His paths and to KEEP HIS LAWS, so that you will LIVE and become A GREAT NATION, and so that the Lord your God will bless you and the land you are about to possess. But if your hearts turn away and you won't listen---if you are drawn away to worship OTHER gods---then I declare to you this day that you shall surely perish; YOU WILL NOT HAVE A LONG, GOOD LIFE IN THE LAND you are going in to possess."

"I call heaven and earth to witness against you that today I have set before you LIFE or DEATH, BLESSING or CURSE. Oh, that you would CHOOSE LIFE; that you and your children might live! CHOOSE TO LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD AND TO OBEY HIM AND TO CLING TO HIM, for HE IS YOUR LIFE and the length of your days. You will then be able to live safely in the land the Lord promised your ancestors...."

"Oh, the Joys of those who do not follow evil men's advice, who do not hang around with sinners, scoffing at the things of God. But they delight in doing everything God wants them to, and day and night are always meditating on His laws and thinking about ways to follow Him more closely."

"They are like trees along a river bank bearing luscious fruit each season without fail. Their leaves shall never wither, and all they do WILL PROSPER."

"For the Lord watches over all the plans and paths of godly men, but the paths of the godless LEAD TO DOOM." (Psalm 1)

"What profit is there in gaining the whole world when it means forfeiting one's self? (Luke 9: 25)

Sufficient for the day is the challenge that God gives us to live in the NOW!

MANAGING YOUR ACHIEVEMENT PROGRESS WITH SPIRITUAL GROWTH

On the eve of Ash Wednesday, 2009, we are asked and encouraged to focus our attention to the issues that are really important in our personal lives. "From dust we came and back to dust we will return." Yet, the important information needs to be positive for a committed spiritual person. Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are essential to growth in the spiritual life. During Lent, we are empowered to manage our time, our talents, and our treasures to seek the Kingdom of God and His Kingship over us. To make significant progress in our spiritual growth, which is the most neglected treasure in our human life, our efforts are to learn what will assist us to nourish and to foster environments that are conducive to Ladder of Achievement Successes. We will find that holiness, formation, and the positive cultivation of our various human environments will create a new attitude and a new creation towards making spiritual achievements that are founded in eternity.

Prayer is essentially communication with our Creator through His human instruments of change. Before talking to others about our Creator, we need to have a personal relationship with our Creator through the power of prayer. All of the various opportunities of intensive holiness development comes from a personal encounter with the "ALPHA AND THE OMEGA" every moment of our human existence. God's love is expressed through actions of dedicated human beings who recognize the living presence of God in our lives.

Formation encourages us to learn more about the "Uncaused Cause" of all Creation. Using spiritual food with the written and the spoken "Word made Flesh" from the origins of true spiritual growth enhances our chances of gaining Wisdom through Understanding of the divinely inspired Words of God. There are many sources of God's creation that gives us examples of exemplary lives lived for a divinely inspired purpose. When you choose literature to read, choose only the best to develop a Spiritual Achievement Level that is unsurpassed and divinely inspired. His Word is Everlasting and Enduring for each day.

Creating better environments for the common good takes spiritual preparation beyond the usual and hasty human approach. Mother Teresa gave outstanding examples in her life on earth with her attention to spiritual growth through intensive prayer, fasting, and almsgiving beyond the heroic. Even the Indian government was amazed at her attention and her respect for the poorest of the poor in her environments in Calcutta. She earned an earthly proclamation of her honest and humble attention to the neglected, the homeless, the dying, the diseased, the handicapped, the destitute, and the unborn. Her outstanding example has earned her an eternal reward far greater than any earthly prize.

Let us make this Lenten Season an opportunity to renew our pledge to the Creator of our human existence to grow in holiness, in study, and in acting with the joy of love for the human environments that are our challenges. "Whatever you do to the least of my brothers and sisters, you do to ME." "Where two or three gather in My name, there am I in their midst." Pray for the conversion of our United States of America to GROW SPIRITUALLY during these times of economic challenges. Take the initiative to make amends for the failures of others who have brought economic disasters to the hard-working people of our Republic. May our homes become a LIVING TEMPLE and an ENTHRONEMENT OF GOD'S PRESENCE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN. GOD IS LOVE!

IDES OF FEBRUARY 2009 RECOGNITION AWARD --- LOVERS

Congratulations to the recipients of the Ides of February 2009 Recognition Award -- THE LOVERS OF THIS WORLD! Those individuals who have a holistic, realistic, and spiritual understanding of what LOVE REALLY IS and GIVE THAT LOVE TO ALL THAT THEY COME INTO CONTACT. There have been many examples over the centuries of persons who have laid down their lives for others by their actions of LOVE...GIVING WITHOUT ANY THOUGHT OF A RETURN OR REWARD. These individuals who we are honoring will never be highlighted in the world's media nor will they every be a celebrity status that the world thinks important to reward and to recognize. The inner qualities of these special recipients is FULL OF LOVE AND AN UNCONDITIONAL GIVING OF THEIR TIME, THEIR TALENTS, AND THEIR TREASURES. Their uniqueness is ageless and without any stereotyping. THEY LIVE THEIR FAITH, THEY ENCOURAGE HOPE, AND THEY EXERCISE THEIR UNCONDITIONAL LOVE FOR ALL HUMAN BEINGS without considering the cost of their investments or return on their investments.

There are as many definitions of Love in the world as there are individuals who live in this world. However, their ACTIONS OF LOVE SPEAK VOLUMES without a word being uttered. They are in tune with the needs of others without harming the respect that is to be rendered to all human beings. They go about from day to day activities seeking ways to improve the quality of life and expectations of the neglected, the outcast, the homeless, the depressed, the sick, the aged, the dying, the underemployed, the unemployed, the disabled, the disadvantaged, the uneducated, and numerous others are considered "unworthy" in society. THEY GIVE THEIR TIME, YOUR TALENTS, AND THEIR TREASURES TO GIVE OTHERS A HAND UP RATHER THAN A HAND OUT. They are non-governmental sponsored, and they obtain their funds from generous lovers of humankind to dispense to those who are in need of RECEIVING LOVE. Yes, these persons create the atmosphere for the positive thrust of individuals to pursue the LADDER OF ACHIEVEMENT because they are LOVED, RESPECTED, HONORED, AND ADMIRED AS FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF THE WORLD'S LOVERS WHO TOPPLE THE "HATE" AND THE "VENOM" OF THE SELFISH, THE GREEDY, THE ELITISTS, AND THE NEGATIVE TYRANTS OF THE WORLD. GOD'S LOVE WILL CONQUER ALL THROUGH HIS STEWARDS OF LOVE WHO ARE ESTABLISHING THE KINGDOM OF GOD ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN. The IDES OF FEBRUARY 2009 RECOGNIZES THE WONDERFUL INSPIRATION, COURAGE, DEDICATION, AND DETERMINATION OF OUR AMBASSADORS OF LOVE.

ENHANCING ENVIRONMENTS WITH EFFECTIVE STEWARDSHIP

For many centuries, men and women have been discussing the challenges of caring for "Mother Earth." To honestly make a difference, many persons have proposed a variety of methods to cure the ills that have plagued the growth of fertile land and its many environments. In many cases, other persons have decided to "rape" the Earth with their plunderings by ignoring the warning signs that nature gives as a hint to surviving great disasters.

In realizing that men and women have the responsibility of really caring for the God-given resources, some individuals have made greed their mark on precious lands and nature's priceless gifts. This is far from progress in achieving the positive development that nature intended men and women to find and to nourish with gentleness, with compassion, with respect, and with integrity. Why have so many persons exploited the precious gifts that have been offered for their stewardship? The return on investment has been damaged by self-seeking developers, by unethical investors, and by governmental mismanagement. Who really cares about "Mother Earth?" You can count on the Creator of this Universe to have a definite say in what has transpired over the centuries. But, who is really listening? Who is really making the Earth a priority? Enter the intelligence or the lack of intelligence expressed by the men and women whose attitude about what Nature has to offer vasilates by their greed, their negative ambitions, and selfishness.

Enhancing our environments takes dedicated individuals at all levels to make the change in attitude. If we lack seriousness about our spiritual development, we will lack compassion and respect for our natural resources. Unless individuals make a change by reflecting on the beauty, the grace, the awesomeness, and the future of our environments, we can expect a continual decline in our attitude for our human resources as well. Each person has a genuine responsibility to add to the value to the environments around them by positively doing something significant in resurrecting our natural resources. Through education, service, and progress in the redevelopment of our natural resources and of our human resources, all persons will make a turn of events in taking action for the benefit of their own environments and the environments that they impact. To give back to nature with a positive attitude will bring about a renewal of mind, heart, body, and soul for the God-given treasures that have been misused and underestimated throughout the centuries. This is the task of every person on the face of this Earth.

WE ARE ALL STEWARDS OF THIS MOTHER EARTH BY OUR POSITIVE ATTITUDE AND OUR RESPECT FOR OTHERS, FOR OURSELVES, AND FOR THE ENVIRONMENTS THAT WE USE RATHER THAN ABUSE. For those who like to be considered as the architects of this change, many need to be wary of their agendas and their motives which are suspect at best. If any suggestion sounds too good to be true, you can be assured that the suggestions are too good to be true. We will all pay for the mistakes of others over the years through their WELL-THOUGHT INTENTIONS that are misguided and selfish. WE ARE THE STEWARDS OF GOD'S KINGDOM ON EARTH. WE NEED TO SANCTIFY OUR ENVIRONMENTS. WE NEED TO TAKE LESSONS FROM THOSE SAINTS AND MARTYRS WHO TAUGHT US ABOUT HOW TO BETTER USE OUR GOD-GIVEN TALENTS, TREASURES, AND TIME.

EDUCATION......SERVICE.....PROGRESS.....

In concluding the National FBLA-PBL Week for 2009, let us consider the THREE THEMES that each membership pin has imprinted on its special logo. These special Themes focus on EDUCATION, SERVICE, AND PROGRESS. For all future business leaders throughout the world, these theme markers are significant in any holistic organization that has special goals to attain its mission. Let us consider each of these valuable areas that accomplish the mission of maximizing the ascent up and down and forward on the LADDER OF ACHIEVEMENT. "We did it" has meaning for all members of the National Future Business Leaders of America/Phi Beta Lambda (Future Business Leaders) and their Professional Division membership. To achieve a 100 percent rise to the top of the ACHIEVEMENT LADDER signifies a networking, partnering, and collaborating successful endeavor.

EDUCATION is the total learning environment that molds and forms an individual from conception to natural death. Every unique individual has many opportunities to embrace a learning environment that starts with the family, a home location, a formalized educational network, and an informal educational system that recognizes a "classroom without walls." Lifelong learning is available for every person from their early formative years to their "rewirement" years of continual formation. Recognizing the multiple intelligences and the various learning styles for each individual is a challenge for any educational facilitator, coach, associate, or professional educator.

In the work world and in life situations, all of the talents, aspirations, goals, aptitudes, interests, desires, achievements, accomplishments, and other educational gems focuses on the growth of the individual to find and to develop their individuality to the maximum IF THEY CHOOSE TO ACCEPT THE CHALLENGES IN THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENS. With the effective and efficient use of modern technologies, education is within reach of every person who really wants to learn and is willing to be a learning recipient. Our educational environments have many challenges that are yet to be resolved for the benefit of all concerned. Throwing money at Education is not the answer. Giving a positive environment for the learning process wherever that may be is an important factor to be understood.
Effective communication works when there is an effective understanding environment for all of the tools of communication devices.

SERVICE to the community with the skills, talents, and academic achievements accomplished makes more sense when the community recognizes that there is a mutual working relationship in receiving the well-intentions of the server. Giving back to the community and being truly interested in the welfare of the community means an unselfish and generous giving of oneself for the benefit of the common good. As in all good services, individuals will appreciate the wholesome approach to giving with the best positive attitude possible for all concerned. Laying down one's life for the sake of others is commendable. In addition, "washing the feet of others" speaks volumes without a word being uttered. Actions do speak louder than words in providing SERVICE-PLUS in any situation. What each person does in their community does make a difference.

PROGRESS comes from a mutual understanding of the mission in life, of the goals to achieve that mission, and of the day-to-day accomplishments to make haste slowly. There are some professions that very seldom see the actual outcomes of their efforts. What they sow, many others will reap from their efforts. Progress has nothing to do with productivity especially in human growth and development. Accumulating certificates, "sheepskins," awards, and other recognitions does not define progress in the holistic manner. Growth from within sometimes is very difficult to measure, but the results in the long run will indicate the effectiveness of the process that some persons make every day of their lives. To make one person more important than another is a social way of classifying technical and academic progress. To enjoy what you have been prepared to do with your God-given talents and abilities is PRICELESS.

Remember to consider how EDUCATION, SERVICE, AND PROGRESS has affected your life to this point. What are you going to do with the many opportunities to enhance your continuing and lifelong Education, your Service to others and yourself, and your Progress to reach the ultimate goal of your existence...ETERNITY WITH YOUR CREATOR. IN GOD WE TRUST!

"ONLY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT...."

In a recent comment made by a national political figure, the thoughts of many independent critical and creative thinkers may disagree with the following statement: "Only the Federal Government is the Only Entity capable of resolving our national economic crisis by the passage of an economic stimulus bill in Congress." When such statements are made in the political arena, you can be sure that the price tag will be enormous and ineffective to heal the wounds of the unemployed, the underemployed, the homeless, the forgotten, the uneducated, and the misguided. Expanding the spending opportunities of the Federal Government and their many Governmental Agencies is obviously not made to assist the typical taxpayer who has been paying the brunt of the budget for years. The "snowball" started coming down the hill in 1935 in economic quick fixits with the overwhelming debt that we now owe in 2009. In the early years, the proposals were in dollars and cents, but the current "federal bandage solutions" have price tags in the TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

Many honest and very interested new voters really did get involved in 2008 to voice their opinions by their votes. However, the appointments at the Executive Branch patterns the 90s with the "new" people involved with the same philosophies in evidence. During the mid 30s, the John Maynard Keynes enthusiasts adopted the " DEFICIT FINANCING" theory as a way of the Federal Government to control the economy through public ownership and nationalization of major industries. In economics terms, this is called SOCIALISM. When the private sector had an opportunity to show what could be accomplished, these Keynesian advocates were dismayed and determined to get back into operation when the situation presented itself...ENTER 2008 and a Recession. The private sector was denied an opportunity in the mid 30s and the private sector is being challenged and ignored in 2009. Whatever happened to networking, partnering, and collaborating in our COUNTRY'S LADDER OF ACHIEVEMENT PROGRESSION? For many sincere voters who thought CHANGE WAS COMING, they will see CHANGE LIKE YOU NEVER SAW CHANGE BEFORE!

Watch out, SILENT MAJORITY, your turn will come to bring the Federal Government to its knees by your positive approach in making the Ladder of Achievement really work in the real world without any mismanagement and greediness that we are experiencing by the NO-CONFIDENCE-IN-CONGRESS attitude. Be patient as history has taught Americans. Your turn is coming to reassess your vote or your non-vote of the current SPENDING WITHOUT ANY THOUGHT OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FUTURE OF AMERICA. Use the C.O.P.E. approach as you observe and listen to the current political rhetoric and the usual Washington Spin. We have many Challenges in our Country and in the World today. We have many Options that may need to be discerned before taking erratic and unproven decisions. The risks are great and far-reaching.
We have Plans that may or could be implemented to successfully turn the tide of our current dilemma. And yes, we have Evaluations approaches that allows us to review and determine whenever we need to change course or stay the course.

"Always remember what you have learned. Your education is your life. Guard it well!" (Proverbs 4:13)

NATIONAL F.B.L.A.-P.B.L. WEEK - 2/8 - 2/14

From February 8 through February 14, 2009, Future Business Leaders of America and Phi Beta Lambda, Inc. is celebrating National FBLA-PBL Week. During this special week all FBLA and PBL members are promoting their membership and their preparations for their State and National Conferences through their respective local communities. FBLA-PBL, Inc. is the largest student organization in the world that is overlooked because of other student groups that often get more media attention than FBLA-PBL. These Future Business Leaders focus on Education, Service, and Progress in their respective careers. In addition, there is the Professional Division membership for the former FBLA and PBL members and interested business community leaders to assist in leadership development of all interested business career students.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL FORMER FBLA AND PBL MEMBERS AND TO THE CURRENT MEMBERS OF FBLA AND PBL. MAY YOUR MISSION CONTINUE TO TOUCH THE LIVES OF MANY INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE LIVING THE GOALS OF THE FUTURE BUSINESS LEADERS OF AMERICA AND PHI BETA LAMBDA IN THEIR RESPECTIVE STATES AND IN THE WORLD COMMUNITY. YOU HAVE ALREADY MADE A DIFFERENCE BY YOUR MEMBERSHIP AND BY YOUR ACTIVE INVOLVEMENT WITH THE BEST ACHIEVEMENT LADDER OPPORTUNITIES IN YOUR CAREER LIFETIME. ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO CLIMB THE SUCCESSFUL PATH OF THE LADDER OF ACHIEVEMENT WHICH SAYS: "WE DID IT." JOIN FBLA, PBL, AND THE PROFESSIONAL DIVISION TODAY. MAKE TIME TO SHOW THAT YOU MEAN BUSINESS!

YOUR VALUES WILL DETERMINE YOUR ACHIEVEMENT LADDER GOALS!

As we determine the challenges that we will meet in the NOW, we are reminded to let go of the past and prepare well for the future in the NOW. Allowing the past and the future to ROB us from our focus on the NOW, we waste time and energy that may result in better results as we review our values, which include personal, philosophical, social, psychological, and spiritual. Understanding our inner focus from our self-reliance and our self-confidence will accomplish our short term and our long term goals. However, if our mission statement is blurred by external influences, then our objectives and our goal setting will create havoc for our ascent up the Ladder of Achievement on a daily basis. To positively make a change in attitude, we need to focus our aptitudes, our interests, our altitudes, and our commitment to be WHO WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE rather than on WHAT WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE. Many individuals lose sight of their personal growth and development and are easily influenced by the whims and fancies of other environment forces that impact our thinking and our value judgments.

Self-discovery takes a life time to find and to resolve. As we set short term goals based on our MISSION IN LIFE, our long term goals will warrant an assessment that may be critical to resolving our positive approach in climbing the spiral, horizontal, and vertical dimensions of our Achievement Ladder of Success. Success is sometimes failures turned inside out. When we open the door from the inside of our human existence, we allow ourselves to become vulnerable to positive and negative influences of the world, the flesh, and the demonic. Hopefully, our self-actualization will be founded on sound principles, sound philosophy, sound reason, and sound spiritual guidelines consistent with the Creator of all human existence. BEING YOURSELF AND KNOWING YOURSELF focuses on the realities of human existence. We reap what we sow. Allowing our Creative Self and our Critical Self to work together allows for the holistic growth of the human being to learn more about the next level of existence. We are but pioneers in this world discovering what a pilgrim needs to seek eternity. We are in the world, but now of the world. We have a jealous Creator who loves us unconditionally and without any strings attached. To focus our dreams, our visions, our goals, and our human existence to lean on the Eternal guidance allows the person to grow in ways that our humanity was meant to be.

What are your goals in life? How are you focusing on your uniqueness? How are you determining what values are real and worthwhile? Who will you listen to in achieving your positive approach to your LADDER OF ACHIEVEMENT VENTURE? YOU GAIN YOUR 100 PERCENT ACHIEVEMENT LADDER LEVEL BY STARTING NOW! SEIZE THE DAY! BE A NOW PERSON WITH CONFIDENCE!

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE PITTSBURGH STEELERS...SUPER BOWL 43 CHAMPIONS!

Having worked, gone to school, and lived in Pittsburgh, my excitement overwhelms me today to the Super Bowl 43 Champions...THE PITTSBURGH STEELERS. Although my timetable put me to bed before the beginning of the second half, my curiosity took to the computer at about midnight to see the results. WOW! WHAT A COMEBACK FROM A TEAM WHO KNEW HOW TO STICK TOGETHER TO MAKE A NEW ACHIEVEMENT POSSIBLE....SIX SUPER BOWLS WINS...THE MOST IN NFL HISTORY....YEAH! PITTSBURGH!

Yes, Pittsburgh has always been my first love since my first teaching assignment was in Pittsburgh, my Master's degree was earned in Pittsburgh, and the beginning of my married life started 43 years ago in Pittsburgh. In addition, my business experiences started in the Pittsburgh area as well. Going to a Steel Mill in 1956 was a tremendous experience for a Business and Industry Day for Educators. Watching Steel Town lose Steel Mills was an unfortunate experience, but the people knew how to come back. What an ethnic variety in that Western Pennsylvanian atmosphere!. Many languages, many customs, and many good friendships were witnessed and experienced. My heart still lives in Pittsburgh even though my upbringing was at the opposite end of the State of Pennsylvania...South Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love.

Again, CONGRATULATIONS TO THE SUPER BOWL 43 CHAMPIONS...THE PITTSBURGH STEELERS FOR YOUR OUTSTANDING TEAMWORK IN OFFENSE, DEFENSE, AND SPECIAL TEAMS. YOU DESERVE TO BE OUR 2009 REIGNING NFL CHAMPIONS. MAY YOU ALWAYS BE AN INSPIRATION TO ALL OF THE YOUNG PERSONS WHO ARE GROWING UP IN THE PITTSBURGH AREA AND WORLDWIDE. YOU ARE THE CHAMPIONS! MAY GOD CONTINUE TO BLESS YOU...NOW AND ALWAYS AND IN ALL WAYS...