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Showing posts from December, 2011

Experiencing New Life on the Job

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I'm a big believer in the career and life skill program we use at Bud's Warehouse to train people rebuilding lives from addiction, homelessness and prison.  A big part of that program is our weekly hood-check on Wednesdays where everyone shares what is going on in their life . I'm such a fan of this activity because of the tremendous camaraderie and personal breakthroughs I've witnessed over the years during this time.  Every company would see big benefits by implementing a weekly hood-check.  I've never heard of anyone following our lead...until now. A close friend of mine with a new start-up company just called me bubbling over with stories related to his recent start of the hood-check at his business. Every day on the job they are gathering in the morning to implement pieces of the Bud's Warehouse program in a for-profit setting.  He told me it's turned into one of the most incredible experiences of his adult life. The employees have

Advance Memphis Operates Staffing Service and Outsourcing Businesses

In one of Tennessee most disadvantaged communities, Advance Memphis operates two faithventure businesses as part of its goal to develop economic opportunity for the neighborhood surrounding the Cleaborn/Foote public housing developments. The organization started Advance Memphis Staffing in 2009 to employ program participants while meeting the staffing needs of businesses in the community. Program participants use the skills they developed in Advance's six week Job for Life job training program while working for clients like KTG USA, a local mill that produces paper products for its global parent company, Kruger . For more information on Advance Memphis Staffing, visit here . The faith based community development agency also runs Advance Memphis Outsourcing which provides assembly and piecework services for area companies like National Guard Products, C&D Plastics, and KAM Cross-Supply Services. For more information on this program, contact them here .

Faith and Action

Sometimes it seems that you pour all your time, energy and heart into a project or task only to see little movement towards your goals. Other times, all you did was get out of bed and big things started happening. On those days, it seemed as if you were operating in the sweet spot between God’s desires and your efforts in faith. I think it’s one of the great mysteries of following God: how to negotiate the balance between moving out in faith and waiting expectantly for God to move. In my life, I’ve found that I have a tendency to hang out in one or the other of the two extremes. Either, I find myself charging ahead with the doing or holding back praying for God’s guidance. More often than not, it’s the former because I am wired to be a doer. If I sense something would be good for God’s kingdom, I’m quick to attempt to make it happen. But sometimes I am wrong. At other times, when I’m unsure about God’s will, I find myself holding back, really wanting God to give cle