Step Up to the Challenge

May 30, 2018Leave a comment

bruno-nascimento-149663-unsplash

Our challenges often prepare us for leadership and develop in us a sense of courage, strength and perseverance. Take Mary Crowley, founder of Home Interiors & Gifts, for example. She is considered one of premiere business women in Dallas, Texas. Her life was not an easy journey, but she as a woman with a firm faith in God, she grew and learned through each struggle in her life.

Married in 1932 and with children coming soon after, she and her husband struggled to survive through the Depression. Mary realized that if she was going to be able to feed her family, she would need to find a job. Although jobs were scarce at the time, especially for women, Mary chose a store she wanted to work in, dressed up and armed herself with a confident smile, walked in the doors of the store and got the job!

Without realizing it at the time, this job enabled Mary to develop a shrewd business sense that later prepared her to become head of a multimillion dollar company. Sadly, her marriage crumbled in 1939. She began studying to be a CPA and worked full time at an insurance company. Additionally, Mary suffered from insomnia, yet she turned her problems over to God. She used to pray, “Lord, you know I’ve got to get my rest. You worry about these problems. You’re going to be up all night anyway.” She would then go to sleep, leaving her problems in God’s hands. Her faith in God never wavered, and she found her confidence and strength in Him during those lean years.

In 1948 she married David Crowley, Jr. whom she had met at the insurance company. As a newlywed, Mary wanted to make her home as attractive as she could, despite her limited funds. She took a job as an accountant in a furniture company, and soon she began to notice that as people came to buy furniture, they had no idea how to accessorize their new furniture. Ideas began to dance around in her mind as to how she could help these people, but she also longed to be home with her children. In God’s way and in His timing, He began to put it all together. Several years later, a man who imported gifts and decorative accessories, asked Mary to become his sales manager in a new direct-sales company.

After working with this company for only three years, Mary’s staff had increased to five hundred women selling accessories through home parties. Sounds like a Joseph-type success, doesn’t it? The owner was pleased with the success, but he decided to add cocktail parties into the company functions, and he put limits on the commissions the sales women could make. Mary told him she didn’t agree with these conditions, so he sent her the office furniture that belonged to her and he was done with her position. Mary grieved the loss of being tossed off of that mountain, but she trusted God and knew He had a plan.

It was then that she birthed her own company, Home Interiors & Gifts. Mary followed God’s leading, and she gave Him credit for the success of her company. She knew that it was God who opened the doors, but it was her responsibility to walk through them. Mary’s desire was to help woman and minister to their needs. Many of the women who became a part of her team had never held jobs before and even needed help with their appearance.

Soon Mary’s company was helping women both personally and financially, paying dividends and bonuses. The business continued to grow and in 1962, the sales force recorded one million dollars in sales. Sadly, it was the same year she was diagnosed with cancer. She ended up fighting two bouts (mountains if you will) of cancer, but continued to fight on and bless many women in the process.

Mary was one of the first women to serve on the board of directors of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. She received two honorary doctorate degrees before her death in 1986.[i] Today, the Mary Crowley Cancer Research Centers in Dallas provide hope to cancer patients by expanding treatment options through investigational vaccine, gene and cellular therapies. Despite the setbacks Mary faced, God used her perseverance and creativity to inspire women and bring hope to generations of cancer patients as well.

What can we learn from her story?

Embrace the mountains in front of you and see them as opportunities for growth.
Don’t blame others or make excuses.
Do your work with excellence and integrity.
Be faithful in the small tasks.
Always ask, “Lord what do you want me to learn here?”
Keep your eyes on God’s plan for you.

Personalize It

What mountain are you currently facing in your leadership role?
What is God teaching you personally through this challenge?
How can you thank God specifically for this mountain?

Leadership 2

This is an excerpt from Positive Leadership Principles for Women

Photo by Bruno Nascimento on Unsplash

[i] Mary Trotter Kion, http://www.historyswomen.com/1stWomen/MaryCrowley.html

He is Unthwartable

September 18, 2017September 18, 2017Leave a comment

“I know that you can do all things;
no purpose of yours can be thwarted…”

Job 42:2

When is the last time your plans were thwarted? Given any day and our plans can be redirected, realigned and reworked. But not God’s plans. No purpose of God’s can be thwarted. He is un-thwartable! We cannot mess up His purposes. Job declared God’s un-thwartableness after he had been through some of life’s worst tragedies. He lost his possessions, his children and his health. Surely there was some mistake and God’s purposes for Job got mixed up with someone else’s blueprints – right?

Not according to Job. As he wrestled with understanding why this happened, God made it clear that His plans and purposes are much bigger than what we can see. He is in control of the entire universe. Nothing slips through His fingers. Nothing messes up His plans. He is able to bring redemption from even the worst of situations. His ways are not our ways. No one can take away the purpose He has set out for us.

This is an excerpt from Karol’s book, Pursuing God in the Quiet Places

Life Lessons Learned from Newborns

February 21, 2017Leave a comment

Processed with VSCO with c1 preset

Last week, my daughter and her husband welcomed their first baby into the world. As Grandma Kay Kay, I had the opportunity to spend a week with this new family of three. My main responsibility consisted of holding the baby while the sleep-deprived parents grabbed a few winks. Can I just say, there is no greater or more precious in the world than holding a newborn baby. His sweet coos and dreamy facial expressions kept me entertained for hours. As I studied this delicious gift from God, several life lessons seemed to pop into my head. Here’s a few thoughts we can glean from a newborn:

Unique Design – When we look into the face of a newborn, we can see beautiful and individual characteristics, both physically and emotionally. No two babies are exactly the same, but rather they are a reflection of our creator and His extraordinary handiwork. As we consider the people in our lives, may we never lose the wonder of this divine masterpiece. Let us look at every human as a blessing, worthy of respect and love, even those humans who don’t agree with our opinions or viewpoints. And let’s not forget that we too are thoughtfully designed by Him.

Trusted Rest – I loved rocking my grandson till he fell fast asleep in my arms. Holding him close, I thought about the many scriptures that encourage us to rest in the Lord by placing our trust in Him. How comforting and caring are our Heavenly Fathers loving arms! Often in our busyness, we fail to rest in those arms and enjoy His care, strength and love. We scurry and try to solve all our issues on our own. May we take a lesson from these little ones to trust and rest, casting our cares on Him, and allowing Him to hold us.

Expected Growth – As much as I love this tiny bundle of joy, I know he is not supposed to stay this way forever. He is expected to grow, day by day, year by year. He has a whole future ahead of him, filled with potential and learning. He’s not frustrated with himself because he doesn’t know how to feed himself yet. It takes time to grow into who he will be one day. We too have the potential for growth, mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally. Instead of living with frustration because of our mistakes, may we learn and grow from them. Let’s be patient with ourselves and recognize we are works in progress. We don’t want to be stagnant in our growth, but rather continually growing and learning to be all that God created us to be.

Remember, God is not finished with you yet. The apostle Paul wrote, “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Relish the unique way God designed you, trust Him and allow Him to develop you into the wonderful person He created you to be.

Seeing People – Seeing Potential

August 22, 2016Leave a comment

City Business Women

Think about the countless people you encounter each day…

…At the coffee shop.

…In the checkout line.

…During work.

…At the playground with your kids.

…Around the neighborhood.

…In your home.

Now ask yourself, “Do I really see these people as valuable individuals, or do I see them simply as figures passing through my day?” It’s easy to become focused on what we need to accomplish and miss the very present opportunity to interact and engage with the people in our path.

Several years ago, I was getting out of my car for an event at the Dallas Arboretum. The valet recognized me and said she had read some of my books. Trust me, this doesn’t happen very often, so understandably I wanted to visit with her. That encounter at the car led to an opportunity to mentor this positive and gifted young woman, and we are close friends to this day.

What made that connection work? It began by opening our eyes. She saw me as more than just a customer, but rather as a possible mentor. I saw her as more than a valet – I saw a smart girl filled with great enthusiasm and potential. What do you see as you observe the people around you?

How do we open our eyes to the treasure in others? What are some practical ways we can train our eyes to see beyond the immediate? Here are a few tips:

Strengthen your observation skills. Every time I’m in an airport waiting for my flight, I enjoy watching the people shuffling by me. I try to figure out where they are going and why, simply by observing what they are wearing or carrying. I employ a bit of imagination, but this little game helps me to pay attention to the details and improves my vision. Every person has a purpose or a reason for their journey, it takes a watchful eye to truly see.
Know their name. Savvy customer service companies are keenly aware of the power of a name. A thank you goes a whole lot further when it is accompanied by the person’s name and a smile. Often the name is easy to find because someone is wearing a name tag or handing you a credit card. If the name is not so obvious, introducing yourself only takes a moment. Use a name twice, then make a mental note of it, and you are more likely to remember it next time. Earl Nightingale put it this way, “Of all things people want, recognition is number one. And recognition means a name. It’s the sweetest sound a person can hear, even though you’ll never get them to admit it.”
Ask a question. The right question, at the right time can unveil a possible connection, a future opportunity or even a deep hurt or need. Recently, I was buying flowers at the grocery store and the customer next to me pushed aside the veil of isolation by saying, “Those are beautiful flowers. Are they for a special occasion?” What a great way to open up a conversation, when normally we would just stand there looking at our phones, waiting for our turn at the register. Questions are keys to unlock conversation and can be as simples as, “How are you doing today?” Or what about asking a waitress or a teacher or an Uber driver, “How can I pray for you?”

I know it’s a challenge for each of us to slow down, take our eyes off our agenda and pay attention to the people around us. Yet at the end of the day, what is more valuable than investing in another person’s life. It takes just a little extra effort to really see the person in front of us and care about his or her story, and certainly the reward is worth it. When we think about every individual as a beautiful creation of God, rather than just simply someone we pass on the street, it changes our perspective and makes every encounter shine brightly with potential.

Simply Radiant

April 27, 2016Leave a comment

Sunny Sunflowers Oil painting on canvas.

When I first met a precious woman named Ellen, I was struck by her radiant smile. At first I didn’t notice her cane, but as she gracefully made her way over to meet me I could see that she walked with a slight limp. Ellen told me that she was diagnosed with Spinal Bifida at birth, yet she was able to walk, and she was still thriving at seventy years of age. Ellen is literally a walking miracle, because most children with Spina Bifida were not expected to live into adulthood. Ellen was able to be the recipient of an experimental surgery at a young age which enabled her to walk. When I told Ellen that I wanted to write her story she said, “Well make it all about Jesus, not about me.”

Ellen’s focus is not on herself; it is on the God who loves and cares for her and continues to shine His light through her. Ellen views her physical limitations from a positive perspective. She recognizes that her challenges offer her an opportunity to reach out and serve other women who have disabilities, and we all have disabilities of some sort. Ellen is a beauty consultant and uses the platform of make-up and outward beauty to talk about the importance of inner beauty which comes from knowing the Lord. Here’s her mission statement:

Making a DIFFERENCE in women whose lives have been touched by disability, assisting with their choice for their eternal destiny, one lipstick at a time!

Ellen realizes that no one is perfect, and our imperfections lead us to a perfect God. It is in Him that we experience strength and joy in life. Ellen’s understanding of who God is, makes a significant difference in her life. One more thing I must tell you about Ellen is that she loves to pray. She looks to the Lord as her strength day by day, moment by moment as she visits with Him through prayer. Several times as I was engaged in conversation with Ellen she stopped to say, “Let’s go to the Father in prayer about this.” Right then and there she prayed. And what a beautiful prayer it was, filled with love and trust and joy in her Heavenly Father. Ellen is an example of a woman who lives with a confident hope in the Lord. She lives with a perspective of thankfulness for the opportunity to serve God with her disability. She also lives with a Heavenly focus, knowing that this world is not her home and that one day her earthly body will be transformed into a glorious one.

Perspective is everything, and it is a choice. We can view our frustrations and our disappointing circumstances with anger toward God, believing that this life is all we have. Or we can view difficulties from the perspective of “Lord, my eyes are on you. Use me in these circumstances for your glory. Help me and give me strength along the way.” With an eternal perspective we can live with confidence knowing that this isn’t IT. We can look forward with confident hope toward Heaven and place our confident hope in the God who will care for us here. Ellen is a radiant woman with an eternal perspective. I want to view the world like Ellen!

This is an excerpt from A Woman’s Secret to Confident Living