Purpose Magazine

PURPOSEon the Scene

28 NAACP Hosts the 36th Image Awards Ceremony

4 PURPOSE Magazine M a y / J u n e 2 0 0 5

MAY/JUNE 2005Giving More Meaning to Life

Contents Vol. 15 • No. 1

Youth with a PURPOSE

23 Truly in LoveShow Your Love for God, andYour Life will Become aMinistry to Others.

by Lindsay GrayCulturalUnderstanding

24 Japan, My HomeLiving in Another Country Can Be Exciting and Humbling.

by Dr. Rachel L. Hamilton Kersey

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Page16

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IN EVERY ISSUE…3 Publisher’s Perspective

5 Letters to the Editor

6 Living on Purpose

13 Zig Ziglar’s Motivation for Daily Living

23 247 Purpose Place

26 Book Views

27 Calendar of Events

Visit PURPOSE online at www.purposemagazine.com …

FEATURES

8 Marriage is a Precious Gemby Dr. Myles Munroe

18 Kirk Franklin & ‘The Family’For This Couple Life Evolves Around the Family.

by Anita S. Lane

Business & Finance

BUSINESS 12 Plan For SuccessDo You Have a Support Team For Your Business Dreams?

by Shari R. Stephens

FINANCIAL WISDOM14 Creating Family WealthLeave an Inheritance to Your Children’sChildren No Matter How Much You Earn.

by Natalie C. W. Norman

Parenting on PURPOSE16 Modeling Excellence For Your ChildTwo Key Character Traits Will Give Them an Edge.

by Angelita S. Jacobs

17 Who Runs Your House?by Dr. Deveonne Tyree Cooke

Health & Healing

20 Giving Kid-Friendly Foods a Healthier EdgeStart with a Healthy Heart

22 Up & OutSeven Fun Ways to Get Fit With Your Family

Page 24

5PURPOSE MagazineM a y / J u n e 2 0 0 5

STILL GOING STRONG

The last three editions—the issuefeaturing Pastor Rod Parsley, the Dr.Martin Luther King, Jr. Edition, and theWomen's Edition—were all wonderful.They had some great feature stories.Plus, I love reading the editorials by thepublisher.

Congratulations! If I'm correct, it hasbeen 14 years of publishing a qualitymagazine for Purpose. And after allthese years, Purpose is still going strongbecause it is a blessed publication.

Elizabeth JonesChicago, IL

POSITIVE FEEDBACK

I have been receiving Purpose for awhile and it is a very good magazine. Itcontains such positive articles to read.In fact, I have never read anything neg-ative in it.

Also, I have attended a couple ofyour anniversary and awards dinners;one with Cicely Tyson and one withClifton Davis. They were wonderful pro-grams and I enjoyed them both.

Alfrieda WattsColumbus, OH

ENCOURAGEMENT

This is a word of encouragement foryou, Ella Coleman, because we knowthat God’s servants/ministers do not re-

ceive a whole lot of encouragement.Congratulations to you for being mighti-ly used of God. You shall be like a firmtree planted, bearing much fruit. Youare divinely planted and divinely attend-ed to; whatever you venture forth to dofor the glory of The Lord, you shallprosper.

John and Judy KolbRochester, MN

LIGHT IN A DARK WORLD

With so much happening so quicklyin the world today—good and evil—it isencouraging to read a magazine likePurpose. I am grateful that Purpose is alight in a dark world, especially whenwe honestly assess what the majority ofmedia buy into—sex and violence inparticular.

Whatever occurs, please keep stand-ing for what's morally right.

Richard J. BurkeCharlotte, NC

LETTERSto the EditorPUBLISHER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Ella Coleman

EXECUTIVE EDITORAnita S. Lane

CONTRIBUTING EDITORSJullian BlackwellMelanie Diggs

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSMyles MunroePam Vinnett

Zig ZiglarDiane Blackmon

Deveonne Tyree CookeLindsay Gray

Rachel L. Hamilton KerseyAngelita S. Jacobs

Natalie C. W. NormanShari Stephens

PRODUCTION DIRECTORCarole Brannon

PHOTOGRAPHERSRobert RandolphWillie JenningsKojo Kamau

EDITORIAL INTERNMonica Warren

SPECIAL EVENTS COORDINATORRubye Wright

CIRCULATION/DISTRIBUTIONLarry Coleman

Kathy Grant

CORRESPONDENTSPhyllis Larrymore-Kelly

Hollywood, CA

Andrew BriscoChicago, IL

O N T H E C O V E RKirk & Tammy Franklin

Photo by Willie Jennings

Purpose Magazine is published bi-monthly byEllavation Enterprises, Inc.

P.O. Box 83020 Columbus, OH 43203

Phone: (614) 418-1785 • Fax: (614) 253-2283E-mail: [email protected]

www.purposemagaz ine . com

Copyright © 2005, Ellavation Enterprises, Inc. Allrights reserved. No portion of this publication maybe reproduced or duplicated in whole or in partwithout prior permission from the publisher. Sub-scription rates: $25.00 for nine issues in the U.S.and $36.95 in Canada; $40.00 other internationalsubscription orders. Single Issue: $3.00 newsstandprice. Standard postage paid at Columbus, Ohio.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Send your letters to:

PURPOSE Magazine Letters to the Editor

P.O. Box 83020 Columbus, OH 43203

email: [email protected] Letters may be edited for clarity and length.

May/June 2005 Vol. 15, No. 1

Pastor Rod ParsleyBattles forMorality in America

Uncovering the Origins & Purpose of Man

Simple Methodsfor Releasing Stress

Pastor Rod ParsleyBattles forMorality in America

Uncovering the Origins & Purpose of Man

Simple Methodsfor Releasing Stress

November/December 2004 • $3.00Giving More Meaning to Life

Harvest/Holiday Issue

Where is a Woman’s Place?The Roles, Rights, and Purpose of Women in a Changing World

How to ChooseA Good Man

for Marriage

The Divine Covenant of the Woman

Light, Delicious, andHealthy RecipesFor Lent

Giving More Meaning to Life March/April 2005 • $3.00

‘Model’ of SuccessGenma Holmes Steps from the Pages of Fashion into a Different World of Business

‘Model’ of SuccessGenma Holmes Steps from the Pages of Fashion into a Different World of Business

Women’sI S S U E

January/February 2005 • $3.00Giving More Meaning to Life

King Center & Denny’sPromote Kingian

Nonviolence Principles to America’s Youth

Dr. Billy Graham Extends Eternal Purposeto 92,000 at Rose Bowl

Discovering the Hidden Leader

in You

Homeland SecurityProtection from

Internal Enemies

Anti-Landmine Film Presented at Nairobi Summit

Rare Jewel Honors Legacy MLK inSapphire

Rare Jewel Honors Legacy MLK inSapphire

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. S P E C I A L E D I T I O N


Life is a wonderful thing. Sure, it has its share oftrials, but there are many precious, wonderfulmoments in between. Joining the PurposeMagazine family as the Executive Editor is oneof those precious, wonderful moments for me.

As a result of a great friend operating in her purpose,Publisher Ella Coleman and I were divinely connected.After prayer and many hours—talking over the phone and inperson—getting to know oneanother and sharing the vision,Ella and I are confident thatGod has ordained our meetingand our working together toachieve all that He haspurposed for Purpose Magazine.

CELEBRATING FAMILY

You’ll note that the themefor this issue is “Celebrat-

ing Family and 14 Years ofPublishing.” As a wife andmother of four children, I amvery passionate about mother-hood, marriage, and family. Family is the foundation ofsociety. If we as parents do not fulfill our God-givenpurpose to help our children discover their purpose,they will struggle as adults. Like most adults today,they’ll spend the first ten to twenty years of their adultlives discovering what God truly intended for them andonly then start walking it out.

In the meantime, they have exerted time, energy,and money in pursuits outside of their purpose. They’vesuffered unnecessary heartbreak, lengthy detours andcommitted irrevocable mistakes. Why sit by idly andwatch our children experience this when we can do

our part to provide the love, attention, direction, andteaching our children need to come into adulthoodalive and full of passion and purpose? The Bible tells us“to redeem the time for the days are evil.” The soonerwe know and act on our purpose the sooner we’re ableto advance God’s kingdom and begin transforming ourworld. What parent doesn’t desire for their child to be a

world-changer? Yet, this willonly happen if your child isinfused with and driven bypurpose.

ABIDING IN GOD’S WILL

It is my sincere honor to bedivinely connected with a

magazine of such excellenceand purpose. Helping individu-als find more meaning in life byhelping them discover and ful-fill their purpose is a humblingmission. However, the answerlies in plain view throughoutGod’s word. It is now mycharge to continually seek the

Lord and abide in His perfect will, so that I can helpproduce a magazine that helps others do the same.

Life truly is a wonderful thing…when you’re living iton purpose.

Anita S. Lane is executive editor of Purpose Magazine.

“Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘this is the way, walk in it.

Whenever you turn to the right hand or when you turn to the left.’”

Isaiah 30:21 NKJV

Living onPurpose

By Anita S. Lane

If we as parents

do not fulfill our God-given purpose

to help our children discover their purpose,

they will struggle as adults.


by Dr. Myles Munroe

MARRIAGEis a Precious Gem

The deepest and most intimate of all human relationships, marriage shines brightly in a fast-moving world of formulas and fads.

lot of people are confusedabout marriage these days. Inthe eyes of many, the institutionof marriage has become irrele-

vant, an archaic relic of a simpler andmore naive time. They question whethermarriage is still a good idea, particularly intoday’s more “liberated” and “enlightened”culture. Concepts such as honor, trust, faithful-

ness, and commitment seem old-fashioned and

out of touch with modern society. Many people

change partners as easily as they change shoes

—and almost as frequently!This confusion over marriage should not surprise us,

considering the bewildering barrage of worldly attitudesand philosophies that hit us at every turn. Every day,books, magazines, movies, and television soap operas,sitcoms, and prime-time dramas bombard us with imagesof wives cheating on their husbands and husbands cheat-ing on their wives. Unmarried men and women hop intobed with each other at the drop of a hat, and just asquickly hop out again to find their next partner.

People today shop for relationships the way they shopfor clothes. They “try something on for size,” and if it doesnot fit, they simply try something else. When they findsomething that suits them they wear it for a while until itfades or goes out of style. Then they throw it out or hangit up in the back of their closet and rush out to replace it.

We live in a disposable, “cast-off-and-throw-away” so-ciety that has largely lost any real sense of permanence.Ours is a world of expiration dates, limited shelf life, andplanned obsolescence. Nothing is absolute. Truth existsonly in the eye of the beholder and morality is the whimof the moment. In such an environment, is it any wonderthat people ask, “Doesn’t anything last anymore? Isn’tthere something I can depend on?”

One major symptom of a sick society is when we at-

tach to our human relationships the same attitude of im-personal transience that we display toward the inanimateand disposable items that we use in everyday life.Marriage is the deepest and most intimate of all humanrelationships, yet even it is under assault. Is marriage stillviable in modern society? Does it still make sense in ourtransitory world? Is marriage still a good idea?

MARRIAGE IS GOD’S IDEA

The answer is yes. Marriage is still a good idea be-cause it is God’s idea. He created it. He designed it.

He established it and defined its parameters. Contrary tomuch contemporary thought and teaching, marriage isnot a human concept. Mankind did not simply dream upmarriage somewhere along the line as a convenient wayof handling relationships and responsibilities betweenmen and women or dealing with childbearing and par-enting issues. Marriage is of divine origin.

God Himself instituted and ordained marriage at thevery beginning of human history. The second chapter ofGenesis describes how God, taking a rib from the side of the man He had already created, fashioned from it awoman to be a “suitable helper” (Genesis 2:20) for theman. Then God brought the man and the woman togeth-er and confirmed their relationship as husband and wife,thereby ordaining the institution of marriage.

From the outset, God established marriage as a per-manent relationship, the union of two separate people—a man and a woman—into “one flesh.” When Adam firstlaid eyes on Eve, he exclaimed, “This is now bone of mybones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be call ‘woman,’ forshe was taken out of man.” (Genesis 2:23, emphasisadded.) God’s design for marriage is found in the verynext verse; “For this reason a man will leave his fatherand mother and be united to his wife, and they will be-come one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24)

“One flesh” is not simply the “gluing” of two peopletogether but rather the “fusion” of two distinct elementsinto one. If I glue two pieces of wood together, they arebonded but not fused. They remain two separate pieces ofwood, and sufficient heat or pressure will break the bond.

A


It is different with fusion. When two elements are fusedinto one, they become inseparable. A force of sufficientmagnitude may destroy them, but it can never disjointhem. A man and a woman who have become “one flesh”under God’s design for marriage cannot be separated with-out suffering great damage or even destruction. It wouldbe the spiritual equivalent of having an arm or a leg tornfrom their bodies. When God ordained man and womanshould “become one flesh,” He plainly had a permanent,lifelong relationship in mind. Jesus, the great Jewish rabbiand teacher, made this abundantlyclear during a discussion with somePharisees over the question of di-vorce. The Pharisees asked Jesus ifit was lawful for a man to divorcehis wife, pointing out that Moseshad permitted it in the law.

It was because your hearts werehard that Moses wrote you thislaw,” Jesus replied. “But at the be-ginning of creation God ‘madethem male and female.’ ‘For thisreason a man will leave his fatherand mother and be united to hiswife, and the two will becomeone flesh.’ So they are no longertwo, but one. Therefore what Godhas joined together, let man notseparate. (Mark 10:5-9)

“What therefore God has joinedtogether, let no man separate.” If marriage were ofhuman origin, then human beings would have the rightto set it aside whenever they chose to do so. Since Godis the one who instituted marriage, He alone has the au-thority to determine its standards and set its rules. Healone has the authority to do away with it.

MARRIAGE IS A FOUNDATIONAL INSTITUTION

Another important truth about marriage is that God estab-lished it as the first and most fundamental element of

human society. While the family is the basic foundation ofany healthy society, marriage is the foundation of the fam-ily. Marriage is foundational institution that predates all otherinstitutions. Before there were nations, governments,churches, schools, or businesses, there was the family;and before the family there was marriage.

Marriage is foundational because it is on this relation-ship that God began to build society. When God broughtAdam and Eve together in the garden, marriage was theframework for the development of their social interactionas they grew together. It was in the context of marriagethat they learned their responsibilities toward each otherand lived out their commitment.

Human society in all its forms depends on marriage forits survival. This is why the current low regard for mar-

riage in the minds of so many is so dangerous. With alltraditional values and foundations being assaulted at everyturn, is it any surprise that marriage is under attack aswell? With so many people so confused about marriage, isit any wonder that society in general is in such disarray?The adversary’s global attack on marriage is actually an at-tack on society itself, and ultimately an attack on God, theCreator and Manufacturer of society and marriage. The ad-versary knows that if he can destroy marriage, he can de-stroy families; if he can destroy families he can destroy so-

ciety; and if he can destroy societyhe can destroy humanity.

Marriage is also the foundationupon which the Church, the com-munity of believers and God’s spe-cial society, rests. The New Testa-ment describes the relationshipbetween Christ and His Church asbeing like that of a bridegroom to hisbride. This analogy has significantimplications for understanding howhusbands and wives are to relate toeach other. For example, in his let-ter to the church in Ephesus the firstcentury Jewish apostle Paul wrote:

Submit to one another out ofreverence for Christ. Wives,submit to your husbands as tothe Lord. For the husband isthe head of the wife as Christ is

the head of the church, His body, of which He isthe Savior…Husbands, love your wives, just asChrist loved the church and gave Himself up forher…“For this reason a man will leave his fatherand mother and be united to his wife, and thetwo will become on flesh.” This is a profoundmystery—but I am talking about Christ and thechurch. (Ephesians 5:21-23, 25, 31-32)

The relationship between Christ and His Church is amodel for that which should exist between husband andwife: a relationship of respect, mutual submission, andsacrificial love.

From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible often uses theword house to refer to the smallest and most basic unitof society—the family. The “house” is the foundation ofsociety, and marriage is the foundation of the “house.”The health of a marriage determines the health of a“house,” and the health of a house—“houses”—deter-mines the health of the nation.

A healthy “house” is the key to both a healthy churchand a healthy society.

MISCONCEPTIONS OF MARRIAGE

It is the same in the Church. A church’s health dependson the health of the “houses” of its members, particu-

larly those in leadership. Good family management is a

It takes only a few minutes to get married, but

building a marriage requires a lifetime.


fundamental requirement for church leaders. Paul madethis clear when he wrote to Timothy, “Here is a trust-worthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being anoverseer, he desires a noble task. He must manage hisown family well and see that his children obey him withproper respect. (If anyone does not know how to man-age his own family, how can he take care of God’schurch?)” (1 Timothy 3:1,4-5)

A healthy “house” is the key to both a healthy churchand a healthy society. The measure of a healthy “house” isa healthy marriage. Marriage is a foundational institution.

PROCREATION IS NOT THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF MARRIAGE

One misconception many people have, both insideand outside the Church, is that the primary purpose

of marriage is the propagation of the human race. TheBible indicates otherwise.Although in Genesis 1:28, God is-sued the charge to man to “befruitful and multiply.” And al-though He defined marriage as theparameters in which reproductionshould take place, procreation isnot the primary purpose of mar-riage.

As contemporary society plainlyshows, marriage is not necessaryfor procreation. Unmarried menand women have no trouble at allmaking babies. So contrary to thecommon idea that marriage ismainly about making babies, mar-riage actually serves as a deterrentto rampant reproduction. There are at least two reasonsfor this. First, the social and moral requirement of beingmarried before having children is still very strong inmany places. Most people are still sensitive to the re-spectability of marriage, and that respect holds back a lotof procreation that would otherwise take place. Were itnot for the institution of marriage, human beings wouldbe even more prolific than they already are. Second, mar-ried couples who take their responsibilities seriously arecareful not to conceive and give birth to more childrenthan they can adequately love and care for. Paul hadsome strong words on this subject. “If anyone does notprovide for his relatives, and especially for his immediatefamily, he has denied the faith and is worse than an un-believer.” (1Timothy 5:8)

There is nothing sinful or unbiblical about carefuladvance family planning. (Let me make it clear thatabortion is not “family planning,” nor is it “health care.”Abortion is the termination of life and the premeditateddestruction of potential. It is the death of destiny andthe interference of divine protocol. Abortion is rebellionagainst the known will of God.) On the contrary, true

family planning is mature, responsible stewardship.

SEX IS NOT THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF MARRIAGE

Another common misunderstanding is that marriageexists for the purpose of legitimizing sexual rela-

tions. Marriage should never be equated with sex be-cause sex is not the primary purpose of marriage. Sexualunion is not and never has been the same thing as mari-tal union. Marriage is a union that implies and involvessexual union as the establishment of a blood covenant,a central obligation, and a pleasure (see 1 Corinthians7:3-5), but the three are not the same.

First of all, marriage involves commitment. Sex hasvery little to do with commitment; it is a 100-percentphysical response to physiological and biochemicalstimuli. Sex is one expression of commitment in mar-

riage, but it never creates commit-ment. By itself, sex neither makesnor breaks a marriage. Marriage isbroader and deeper than sex, andtranscends it. Marriage is perhapsone percent sex; the rest is ordi-nary, everyday life. If you marryfor sex, how are you going tohandle the other 99 percent?

For many years it has been acommon belief that adulterybreaks a marriage. That is simplynot true. Sex does not create amarriage, so how can it break amarriage? Adultery is sin and, ac-cording to the Bible, the only le-gitimate grounds for divorce for a

believer. Even then it is not automatic. Divorce is notmandatory in such instances. Adultery does not breakthe marriage. Breaking the marriage is a choice.

Recognizing that sexual union and marital union arenot the same is absolutely essential to any proper under-standing of marriage. It is also essential in understandingdivorce and remarriage. Marriage is bigger than, distinctfrom, but inclusive of sexual union. Absence of sexualactivity will never unmake a marriage, nor will its pres-ence alone turn a relationship into marriage. Marriageand sex are related but they are not the same.

A “GEM” OF A MARRIAGE

How then should we define marriage? If marriage is notprimarily for sex or procreation, then what is it? As al-

ways, we can find the answer in the Bible. God’s Word istruly amazing; nothing we read in it is there by accident.The basic Greek word for “marry” or “marriage” is“gameo,” which derives from the same root as our Englishword “gem.” That root word literally means to “fuse to-gether.” Fusion of different elements into one describes the

VWhile the family

is the basic foundation of any healthy society,

marriage is the foundation of the family.


process by which precious gems are formed deep in theearth. That process is also an apt description of marriage.

Precious gems such as diamonds, rubies, emeralds, andsapphires are formed far underground out of ordinary ele-ments that are subjected to great heat and massive pressureover an extended period of time. Heat, pressure, and timeworking together can transform even the most commonmaterial into something extraordinary. Take coal for exam-ple. Coal is formed when partially decomposed wood orother plant matter is combined with moisture in an airlessenvironment under intense heat and pressure. This processdoes not happen overnight, but requires centuries.

Although coal is basically a form of carbon, its con-stituent elements can still be distinguished under chemi-cal analysis. Coal that remains in the earth longenough—thousands of years—under continuous heatand pressure eventually is transformed into diamond.Chemically, diamond is pure carbon. The distinct ele-ments used in its formation can no longer be identified.Pressure has fused them into one inseparable element.Heat gives diamond its luster.

Marriage as God designed, it is like a precious gem. Firstof all, it develops over time. Diamonds don’t form in tenyears; they require millennia. It takes only a few minutes toget married, but building a marriage requires a lifetime.That’s one reason why God established marriage as a per-

manent, lifelong relationship. There must be sufficient timefor two people with separate and distinct backgrounds andpersonalities to become fused together as one flesh.

Secondly, godly marriage becomes stronger under pres-sure. A diamond is the hardest substance on earth. Millionsof tons of pressure over thousands of years fuse and trans-form carbonized matter into a crystal that can withstandany onslaught. A diamond can be cut only under certainconditions and using specially designed tools. In a similarway, external pressures temper and strengthen a godlymarriage, driving a husband and wife closer together. Justas pressure purifies a diamond, so the everyday problemsand challenges of life purify a godly marriage. A husbandand wife face the pressure together. The harder things get,the stronger their union grows. Marriage fuses two differentpeople into one so that under pressure they become sohard and fast that nothing can break them.

Godly marriages and worldly marriages respond dif-ferently to pressure. In the world, when the going getstough, partners split up. Like those two pieces of woodglued together, they are bonded but not fused. The heatand pressure of life break them apart. That same heatand pressure fuse a godly couple together so that theirmarriage grows ever stronger, until they become insepa-rable and unbreakable.

(Continued on page 30)

“Iwant to own my own business,set my own hours and do thingsmy own way!” This is something

that most of us view as very desir-able. In order to make this dream areality a lot of things must first be inplace. Of course, you need yourbusiness plan, a product or service,and a company name. These are es-sential, but I want to talk about oneof the most vital things you will needthat most people do not consider—your support team. We need motiva-tional support, financial support, andfamily support.

MOTIVATIONAL SUPPORT

When it comes to starting a newbusiness, our motivational needs maybe the greatest of all. The truth of thematter is that every entrepreneur hasto look the fear of failure straight inthe eye and yet press forward. This iswhat strengthens us, builds us, andmakes our success so much sweeter.

Without motivational support,you may easily give in to defeat be-fore ever giving yourself and yourbusiness a chance. Everybody needsat least one cheerleader in his or herlife. If you have no one telling youthat “you can make it” and no oneencouraging you to press ahead,then you must find someone imme-diately! Stop reading and go!

Without motivational supportyou will most likely take rejectionpersonally. You may feel slighted ifyour service is not used. You mayface difficult days and not get backup. Never go it alone. Find yourcheerleaders. They can come insmall packages like your children.They may be friends, co-workers,

your spouse, your pastor, or yourparents. Find them and rely on themto help you bring your businessdreams to pass by getting youthrough rough spots.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT

You may go to a bank and bor-row money for your business, butremember to realistically plan howfar you can go with that money.What if business doesn’t pick up inthe first month, third month or sixth

month? Will you still be financiallyable to pay your personal bills andyour business bills? Whether yourbusiness makes money or not youstill have to have all the necessitiesof a reputable business, like aphone, Internet, electricity—get mypoint? You may need an alternativeplan for financial support. Of course,if you choose not to borrow money,then you will need that much morefinancial support. Always run theworst-case scenario so that you willbe prepared.

FAMILY SUPPORT

Family support is also very im-portant. I remember the first time I

got really sick after starting my busi-ness. My daughter asked me, “Whydon’t you just call yourself and sayyou won’t be in today?” She broughtout a point that morning that, al-though I had a sore throat, cough,and fever, there was no one to call.And the proposal was still due in afew days.

What if the tables had beenturned? What if she had been sickalso? How would I have been ableto manage? Having your own busi-ness means that you still need fami-ly support just like you did in thecorporate world. Don’t mistakenlythink that you won’t. The truth isyou may actually need it more.Many people who have a home of-fice think that they will be able tobe at home with the children andsimply work. However, they findthat it isn’t always as easy as theythought it would be. Make sure youhave family support in place.

Business success can happen foranyone. However, you have to re-member to expand your businessplan to include motivational sup-port, financial support, and familysupport for a well-rounded andtruly successful entrepreneurial ex-perience.

Shari R. Stephens is the owner of SkillsetSolutions in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Skillset isa human resource development company thatspecializes in professional development, smallbusiness and corporate training. She can bereached at http://skillsetsolutions.com.

“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.”

Ecclesiastes 4:9 NKJV

Plan For SuccessDo You Have a Support TeamFor Your Business Dreams?


by Shari R. Stephens

BUSINESS

Without motivational

support, you may easily

give in to defeat…

Z I G Z I G L A R ’ S M O T I V A T I O N F O R D A I L Y L I V I N G

The Best Education EquationGood Parent + Good Teacher = Good Student

Zig Ziglar

Not too long ago, I received abeautiful letter from DeniseYung who teaches third grade

in a California school. She encloseda photograph of fifteen students whowere present the day the photo wastaken, and letters from all seventeenof her students. It was quite evidentas I read the letters, observed theclear printing and correct spelling ofthe words and the way the childrenexpressed themselves, that these arefortunate third-graders indeed.

These beautiful children ofSpanish, Asian, and Caucasian de-scent were not only reading but sev-eral of them displayed artistic talentin the pictures they drew for me.Also, a number of them displayedremarkable writing talent as theyused correct grammar in virtuallyevery case. Their parents and theirteachers have obviously given thema marvelous start in life.

According to a study done inMissouri, roughly two-thirds of achild’s working vocabulary has beenacquired by age three, and psychia-trist Ross Campbell’s studies revealthat 80 percent of a child’s characteris formed by age five and 90 percentof his or her personality by ageseven. I mention this simply to saythat by the time these kids got toschool they already had a goodcommand of the language. They hadalso learned some of the principlesof getting along with other peopleby being on their best behavior. Thisincludes the proper use of mannersand respect, not only for the teach-ers but for the other kids as well.

Teacher Denise Yung has beensharing with her class some of mystories, and the students really relate

to them. That’s not surprising, be-cause the Center for Creative Re-search out of Greensboro, NorthCarolina, said that the most effectiveway to teach is by parable. Researchreveals this is especially true whenyou’re teaching values that willstand children in good stead all oftheir lives.

Several of the students told mein their letters that they were im-pressed with one particular truestory that I like to tell. They learnedthe lessons of selfless sacrifice, de-votion, love, and how one person’schoices can change history. Thekids were awed that the mother inthe story would give up her life sothat her baby could live, and werepleased to learn the baby hadgrown up and become very success-ful. They went into great detailabout the story—evidence that para-bles make learning and remember-ing what was learned much easier.

However, this message is aboutMs. Yung’s students. I was impressedwith their compassion, their willing-ness to learn, their affection for theirteacher, their respect for those whoovercome obstacles in life, and their

overall attitude. In my judgment,their letters displayed something thatwould be ideal in all schools—thatis, to have parents who prepare theirchildren for school by teaching thembasic manners and some of the fun-damentals of education before theystart school.

When those parents take theirkids to school, they don’t drop themat the schoolhouse door and say,“Teacher, I want you now to educatemy child.” Instead they stop in andsay, “What can you and I do to edu-cate my child?” Yes, here’s a classicexample of parents who were effec-tive, which increased the teacher’seffectiveness, and they cooperatedfor the mutually beneficial objec-tive—namely, to prepare these chil-dren for life. I wish that all educatorswould adopt Ms. Yung’s attitude. I’vehad the privilege of witnessing herattitude at the seminars we conduct,and all of America could use a gooddose of what Ms. Yung has. Americaand the world would blossom if allparents took the first steps, thencombined with the teachers on thesecond and succeeding steps to pro-duce disciplined, courteous kidswho recognize and appreciate thebenefits of a good education.

Zig Ziglar, is one of the top motivational speak-ers and trainers in the world. He is the author ofOver the Top; Staying Up, Up, Up, in a Down,Down, Down World; Zig: The Autobiography ofZig Ziglar, and others. Also, he is chairman of theZig Ziglar Corporation in Carrolton, TX. Visitwww.zigziglar.com to receive his free magazine.

“Now we, brethren (and sisters)as Isaac was, are children

of promise.” Galatians 4:28 NKJV


“A talent can be cultivated in tranquility; a character only in the rushing stream of life.”

—Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

In this issue, I celebrate the gooddeeds of long-term investors whohave amassed wealth over manyyears to bestow upon their fami-

lies. These dedicated, self-sacrificingsouls lived frugally, preferring to se-cure a better future for their children.

How did they do it? They learnedto substitute “stock-picking” prowesswith patience, tenacity, and frugality.They planted many seeds over timeand waited with patience and confi-dence on rain from the market…indue season. Ultimately, they acceptedthe responsibility of saving to invest intheir family’s future. They earned onlya modest living from their wages, yetthey held sacred their commitment tosave for their children’s futures.

Many individuals express a goal ofaccumulating wealth for their family’sfuture. They indicate plans to save fortheir children’s college education butso many fall short of this goal. Themarket is not to blame but rather, thelack of savings discipline on the partof the individual.

Investing as a Scapegoat

Agreat number of people investbecause they lack the discipline

to save. They invest with hopes thatthe market will provide funds to edu-cate their children, so they won’t haveto save to do it. They look for themarket to parlay $10,000 into$100,000—in five short years—be-cause of their refusal to save over thepast twenty. In effect, they expect thestock market to deliver more to theirfamily than they have personally com-mitted. But know this: the stock mar-ket will never work harder for yourfamily than you.

I urge my clients to assess critical-ly their willingness to sacrifice fortheir family’s future. After all, it takesvery little discipline to save whenthere is a surplus of income. Thosewho are truly committed to saving fortheir family’s future will save at theexclusion of their personal interest.

Planning to leave a legacy is aworthwhile objective. However, if youconfine your “interests” to your life-

span, you’ll be challenged to save foryour children’s future.

Hold Your Child’s Inheritanceas Sacred

Consider this: the portion of yourearnings to which you forfeit

ownership is not yours to consume.We are rightfully compelled to renderthe tithe to God, taxes to the IRS,and 10 percent to our future (retire-ment plan). What about our chil-dren’s future?

If you truly want to leave an in-heritance for your children, you canbegin today, regardless of your re-sources. Identify some portion of yourincome as belonging to your children.If you regularly resist the temptationto spend your tithes, you can applyGodly discipline to enrich your chil-dren. Earmark a small percentage or

fractional percent of your income forinheritance. Hold it sacred; as spend-ing it would be robbery. Monitor yourconsumption patterns and, as neces-sary, adjust your living needs to ac-commodate your savings goals. Iwarn you in advance: it is more diffi-cult to exercise patience and savingsdiscipline than it is to gamble on theovernight success of a fledgling com-pany in the stock market.

The stock market has done a stel-lar and consistent job of enhancing in-dividuals’ efforts to accumulate wealthover time. However, it has renderedfew families rich overnight. Most in-vestors have generated wealth througha combination of hard work, sacri-fice, saving and investing over time.

The market can only multiplywhat you plant (invest). It matters lit-tle how the market is performingtoday if you are committed to savingand investing over the long haul. Thenext time you take a critical look atyour investment statement, lay a dis-cerning eye on your checkbook.Where have you planted yourseeds…or did you consume them all?

Natalie C. W. Norman is a financial advisor withRaymond James & Associates, Inc.; memberNYSE/SIPC.

Any information provided in this article has beenprepared from sources believed to be reliable,but is not guaranteed by Raymond James &Associates, Inc. and is not a complete summaryor statement of all available data necessary formaking an investment decision.

“A good man leaves an inheri-tance to his children’s children,

but the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.”

Proverbs 13:22 NKJ

Creating Family WealthLeave an Inheritance to Your Children’s Children No Matter How Much You Earn

FINANCIAL Wisdom

by Natalie C.W. Norman


The stock market will never work harder for your family than you.

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