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A Student’s Search For Identity

“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).

Today, more people are experiencing hardship and loss than ever before in their lifetime.   Everywhere I look and everything I hear speaks of desperation.  It is a cry that is coming from tremendous loss.  Some are experiencing great financial loss; others are losing their jobs, families, friendships and health.

God has been reminding me recently of His Sovereignty and the promise in His Word, which so clearly and tenderly speaks to us that He is present with us in our very personal situations.  What a promise! If you feel alone in your circumstances know that you’re not.  God is with you, and with such gentleness, yet firm assurance, He beckons you to a greater life where there is no fear and there is no anxiousness, but only rest in Him.

Isaiah 43:2 says: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you.  Even when you walk through fire, and when the waters overwhelm you, I am there.”

Know that God is walking with you during not only the sweet times in you life, but especially during the difficult times.  David, when running from King Saul for his life, cried out to God and declared that He was setting His face like a flint before Him.   He knew that He must keep his eyes, not on his circumstance, but like a rock, immovable upon God and God alone to get through his many years of trials.

Even Joseph, when sold into slavery and then imprisoned for no wrong doing, remained faithful to God and eventually named his second child Ephraim meaning, “God prospered me in the land of my affliction.”

God often uses the times in our lives where everything seems to be going wrong around us, to get us to the very place that He intends for us.

Remember Romans 8:31, which says; “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”

I once heard a quote that goes like this:  “If you look inward, you get depressed.  If you look outward you get stressed.  If you look upward, you get refreshed”.

Let’s look upward together!  Let’s set our face like rocks before God.  He is faithful and just to perform His promises and His Word over our lives.

Heavenly Father, I love You and thank you for reminding me of Your Sovereign hand over my life and that You are with me in everything that I am going through.  Thank You that I can cling to You, knowing that You are in control and that You are with me every step of the way in my circumstances.  I cling to Your promises and open my heart to fully trusting in You as I continue to feed on your faithfulness.  Amen.

Questions: How do you handle the stresses in your life? How can you take your eyes off the difficult circumstance? What are some steps that you need to take to start to trust God fully for your situations?

“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).

Today, more people are experiencing hardship and loss than ever before in their lifetime. Everywhere I look and everything I hear speaks of desperation.  It is a cry that is coming from tremendous loss.  Some are experiencing great financial loss; others are losing their jobs, families, friendships and health.

God has been reminding me recently of His Sovereignty and the promise in His Word, which so clearly and tenderly speaks to us that He is present with us in our very personal situations.  What a promise! If you feel alone in your circumstances know that you’re not.  God is with you, and with such gentleness, yet firm assurance, He beckons you to a greater life where there is no fear and there is no anxiousness, but only rest in Him.

Isaiah 43:2 says: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you.  Even when you walk through fire, and when the waters overwhelm you, I am there.”

Know that God is walking with you during not only the sweet times in your life, but especially during the difficult times. David, when running from King Saul for his life, cried out to God and declared that He was setting His face like a flint before Him.   He knew that He must keep his eyes, not on his circumstance, but like a rock, immovable upon God and God alone to get through his many years of trials.

Even Joseph, when sold into slavery and then imprisoned for no wrong doing, remained faithful to God and eventually named his second child Ephraim meaning, “God prospered me in the land of my affliction.”

God often uses the times in our lives where everything seems to be going wrong around us, to get us to the very place that He intends for us.

Remember Romans 8:31, which says; “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”

I once heard a quote that goes like this:  “If you look inward, you get depressed.  If you look outward you get stressed.  If you look upward, you get refreshed”.

Let’s look upward together!  Let’s set our face like rocks before God.  He is faithful and just to perform His promises and His Word over our lives.

Heavenly Father, I love You and thank you for reminding me of Your Sovereign hand over my life and that You are with me in everything that I am going through.  Thank You that I can cling to You, knowing that You are in control and that You are with me every step of the way in my circumstances.  I cling to Your promises and open my heart to fully trusting in You as I continue to feed on your faithfulness.  Amen.

Questions: How do you handle the stresses in your life? How can one start to take one’s eyes off their difficult circumstances and turn them to the Lord? What are some steps that you need to take to start to trust God fully for your circumstances?

“From now on if you listen obediently to the commandments that I am commanding you today, love God, your God, and serve him with everything you have within you, he’ll take charge of sending the rain at the right time …” Deuteronomy 11:13-14 (The Message)

Repeatedly, the Bible says to “serve the Lord with all your heart.” God wants you to serve him passionately, not dutifully. People rarely excel at tasks they don’t enjoy doing or feel passionate about. God wants you to use your natural interests to serve him and others.

How do you know when you’re serving God from your heart?

The first telltale sign is enthusiasm. When you’re doing what you love to do, no one has to motivate you, or challenge you, or check up on you. You do it for the sheer enjoyment. You don’t need rewards, or applause, or to be paid, because you love serving in this way.

The opposite is also true: When you don’t have a heart for what you’re doing, you’re easily discouraged.

One characteristic of serving God from your heart is effectiveness: whenever you do what God wired you to love to do, you get good at it. Passion drives perfection. If you don’t care about a task, it is unlikely that you’ll excel at it.

On the other hand, the highest achievers in any field are those who do it because of passion, not duty or profit.

We’ve all heard people say, “I took a job I hate in order to make a lot of money, so someday I can quit and do what I love to do.” That’s a big mistake. Don’t waste your life in a job that doesn’t express your heart.

Remember, the greatest things in life are not things. Meaning is far more important than money. The richest man in the world once said, “A simple life in the fear-of-God is better than a rich life with a ton of headaches” (Proverbs 15:16, The Message).

Don’t settle for achieving “the good life,” because the good life is not good enough. Ultimately, it doesn’t satisfy. You can have a lot to live on, and still have nothing to live for. Aim instead for “the better life” – serving God in a way that expresses your heart.

Figure out what you love to do – that which God gave you a heart for – and then do it for his glory!

Question: In today’s tough economy, it may not be possible to always be doing a job we love. How can we nonetheless seek to glorify God regardless of our current occupation?

About this Author: Rick Warren

How to Love the Job You’ve Got
Every day we hear about people making radical career changes. The opportunities exist, but will all these changes make us any happier once we get there? Maybe the question is not “how can I get the job I’ll love?”, but “how can I love the job I have?” Following are four practical steps towards coming to terms with why you do what you’re doing. Take some time to think about it, and you might be surprised by what you find. Read more

Take action: Whether it’s at home, at school, at work, or elsewhere, we all face conflict. Why not try our Dealing With Conflict online interactive life lesson?

You said it: This week, Diana commented on 5 Levels of Communication, saying “Sounds like he has fear of intimacy issues. I would suggest you see a counselor.” Read the article and add your own thoughts: Read more

Video: Street Level – Communication
Are hearing and listening the same thing? In this Street Level video we went to the streets to get your opinions. Add your own thoughts in the comments! Read more

Feature: Overcoming Anger
As we look at relationships today we have to ask: what has gone wrong? How can we personally overcome -anger- that enemy which causes so much relationship distress? Read more

Coming up next week: One of the topics of our upcoming online chats is “Does Prayer Really Work?” Join us in the chat room October 4th 2009 @ 9:00pm EST for this chat or see also our full chat calendar for other upcoming topics.

“But godliness with contentment is great gain” (1. Timothy 6:6).

The telemarketer was trying to convince me that the product he was trying to sell me would greatly improve my life.

“Thank you,” I said. “But I have everything I need to be happy.”

“Wonderful!” he said and hung up. It works every time! Try it!

But really, I wasn’t just joking. When I think of where I’ve come from and where I’m now, my heart is overflowing with gratitude. Let me tell you what I mean.

A few decades ago, my mother came to Canada as a war widow with four small children and a huge travel debt. She worked as a farmhand, a cleaning maid, and in a cannery until the day she turned 65. In time she had paid off all her debts, even the mortgage on her own home. Moreover, each of us children were able to pursue post secondary education and land good jobs: two of my siblings as teachers, a sister in secretarial work, and I as a nurse. In time we married and had our own families. Our children have also been able to realize their God-given dreams: some as doctors, teachers, missionaries and proud parents.

“Would your children have done as well had you stayed in Germany?” my aunt wondered. I don’t think so. Canada is indeed the land of opportunity.

But the greatest blessing of all is the fact that in Canada we enjoy religious freedom. In Ukraine under communism my parents and grandparents attended secretive meetings in a barn. To own a Bible or to go to church was a crime punishable by death or deportation to Siberia. But here in Canada we can still worship freely in whatever church we please.

And that is why when I see a Canadian Maple Leaf unfurled in the wind or hear the majestic sound of our Canadian anthem, my heart swells within me and tears come to my eyes. I’m eternally grateful for being able to call Canada my home.

And yes, I do have everything I need to be truly happy.

On this Canada Day let us thank God for our country and spend some time in prayer for our leaders using the words of 2 Chronicles 7:14: “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

NB: To buy a copy of Lead, Kindly Light, our family’s story, go to my web page: www.helenlescheid.com

Questions: Today, let’s take the time to thank God for all the blessings that He has bestowed upon us.

About the Author Helen Grace Lescheid

Daily audio podcast: A second daily devotional, Fellowship with God, today on the Men’s Devotional Blog

Join us for our Daily Devotional Chat today in our Women’s Chatroom at 10:30 am EDT.

“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).

Today, more people are experiencing hardship and loss than ever before in their lifetime.   Everywhere I look and everything I hear speaks of desperation.  It is a cry that is coming from tremendous loss.  Some are experiencing great financial loss; others are losing their jobs, families, friendships and health.

God has been reminding me recently of His Sovereignty and the promise in His Word, which so clearly and tenderly speaks to us that He is present with us in our very personal situations.  What a promise! If you feel alone in your circumstances know that you’re not.  God is with you, and with such gentleness, yet firm assurance, He beckons you to a greater life where there is no fear and there is no anxiousness, but only rest in Him.

Isaiah 43:2 says: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you.  Even when you walk through fire, and when the waters overwhelm you, I am there.”

Know that God is walking with you during not only the sweet times in you life, but especially during the difficult times.  David, when running from King Saul for his life, cried out to God and declared that He was setting His face like a flint before Him.   He knew that He must keep his eyes, not on his circumstance, but like a rock, immovable upon God and God alone to get through his many years of trials.

Even Joseph, when sold into slavery and then imprisoned for no wrong doing, remained faithful to God and eventually named his second child Ephraim meaning, “God prospered me in the land of my affliction.”

God often uses the times in our lives where everything seems to be going wrong around us, to get us to the very place that He intends for us.

Remember Romans 8:31, which says; “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”

I once heard a quote that goes like this:  “If you look inward, you get depressed.  If you look outward you get stressed.  If you look upward, you get refreshed”.

Let’s look upward together!  Let’s set our face like rocks before God.  He is faithful and just to perform His promises and His Word over our lives.

Heavenly Father, I love You and thank you for reminding me of Your Sovereign hand over my life and that You are with me in everything that I am going through.  Thank You that I can cling to You, knowing that You are in control and that You are with me every step of the way in my circumstances.  I cling to Your promises and open my heart to fully trusting in You as I continue to feed on your faithfulness.  Amen.

Questions: How do you handle the stresses in your life? How can one start to take one’s eyes off their difficult circumstances and turn them to the Lord? What are some steps that you need to take to start to trust God fully for your circumstances?

About the Author Brigitte Straub

Daily audio podcast: A second daily devotional, How to Get the Most from your Mentors, today on the Men’s Devotional Blog

Most people apply for jobs not really knowing how much the position will pay.

If you are transferring within your department or are making a career change you don’t want to sell yourself short and accept less money than what the company is willing to pay to fill the position.

Other than breaking into the H.R. department and combing through their files how else is an applicant going to figure out how much the position will pay?

The wrong way:  If you are applying for a position internally do not ask the person that is already performing the job you want to have how much they are being paid.  Somehow word gets around when people begin discussing their salaries and the end result is never pretty.

The right way: Do your own research and do not divulge the information to your co-workers.  You will want to research whether the role you are going after offers a bonus or commission.  Most positions are paid on either a salaried (exempt level) or hourly (non-exempt level) basis.

Great web sites to check out that will reveal what salary range should be offered for your role are: www.salary.com, www.payscale.com, and www.salaryexpert.com.

Look at the job description sometimes it will tell you what the pay range is.  Also, sometimes the pay-grade will be listed on the job description.

If you are an internal candidate then you can gauge the salary range via the pay-grade.  If the pay-grade is listed at a 14 and your current pay-grade is 13, then you will know that the position will pay more than your current role.

If you receive a phone interview or introductory call from a recruiter or hiring manager it is appropriate to ask what is the pay being offered for the role; be sure to save this question for the end of the conversation.

Even if you learn that the pay is less than what you are currently earning you may want to consider other factors before you decide whether or not to move forward with the role.

Factors to consider along with the salary:

Management – Will you like your new management team?

Co-Workers – Will you like your new co-workers?  Will you fit in with the group?

Training/Education – Will training or educational courses be offered for your department?

New Challenges – Will you be learning anything new at your new job?

Career Growth – Will there be room for you to move upwards within your new department/company?

Benefits – Will your new company offer a good benefit package?

Hours – Will your new job require you to work more than 50 hours a week?

Your work-life balance is sure to suffer if you are consistently working up to/or over 50 hours a week.

Shift – Will you be working the shift that will suite your lifestyle?

Reputation – Does your new company have a good reputation?  Working for a prestigious or reputable company will enhance the way recruiters and hiring managers view your resume.

Exempt Level Status – Many people have difficulty going from non-exempt (hourly paid where you are eligible to receive overtime pay) to exempt (salaried paid position that does not offer overtime pay) status.  When employees have come to rely on their overtime pay they think that they will actually take a pay-cut if they accept a salaried position.  Initially you might receive less pay but in the long run it will be a much wiser move.

Overtime hours are not a guarantee.  When preparing your offer, the decision makers will more than likely factor in your overtime pay (this is true primarily for internal candidates).  The move from non-exempt to exempt is necessary in order to move up within your career.  If you want to move upwards you will have to make this move sometime, you might as well do it when the opportunity is presented to you.

When to walk away: If you learn that the salary is considerably lower than what you are earning and there will not be much room for advancement, or there will not be any new challenges to learn something new, then you may want to remove yourself from consideration.  If your work-life balance will be severely impacted for the negative you should reconsider the job opportunity.

So the next time you’re offered a job with a salary that reflects your skills and what the market is paying for that role you can confidently say, “I’ll take it!”

Four Recruiter Secrets

1. Although rare, a company will extend offers outside of the salary guidelines.  This is rare because the approval process can be very tedious and a potential career risk for the recruiter who must approach superiors to request the increase for the desired candidate

2. The average yearly cost to provide health care benefits to an employee is $9,312.

3. If you are faced with having to take a pay-cut in order to accept an offer with a more prestigious company you would be wise to accept the offer.

In the long run having worked for the prestigious, highly-reputable company will enhance your career.  Your background will appear more desirable to recruiters and hiring managers.  You will undoubtedly learn skills and processes that will strengthen your ability to perform in the workplace.

4. Corporations highly value the over-forty employee as they bring maturity, solid communication skills, a strong work ethic and a varied skills set.

The seasoned professional that brings the right skills to the table should have no problem obtaining the salary their skill-set demands.

Dealing with stress from job interviews, workplace politics, or a hectic home life? Try our online interactive life lesson, “Beating Stress“.

• Investigate how other companies are faring in your industry. Are there lay-offs at similar companies?
• Look for warning signs like not being invited to meetings that your peers are, not getting copied on e-mails, or getting passed up for good assignments.
• Pay special attention to the relationship you have with your boss; if they don’t like you, your job may be in trouble.

They also give some advice for keeping your job safe. With the recent economic downturn, how do you feel about the security of your job? Or if you’re not currently employed, how do you feel about your chances of finding a new, fulfilling job in the future? Talk back in the comments.

If you are feeling depressed about your job (or lack of a job) feel free to contact us. Our volunteers are always ready to listen with a kind ear!