Enough has been written on what a historic day today is and I won’t add any further to that topic. Instead I would ask that at some point today as you read about or watch the inauguration that you take a silent moment and pray for hope. Whether it be for your own life or for the lives of others.

Today is a day where hope takes flight and change is possible.

Amen.

photo credit: jan_et_

Christmas is upon us and with it comes all those family meals that we love so much. With that of course comes the danger of over eating, though perhaps you just wear your comfy pants or undo your pant button.

The Christmas season is the one time of year when I’m very aware of all the extra goodies that I’m eating. However, it’s also the time of year that I worry about it the least. The last thing I want to be doing is counting calories during a turkey dinner!

What about you? Is Christmas a time when you knowingly over indulge or do you keep your portions modest?
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Week 1 of Movember has come to an end. Donations haven’t gone up any, at least not directly. However, my branch has casual days on Friday. We normally donate to a cause for this. So, approximately 12 people at $2 per week is $24 a week, times 4 weeks is $96 extra dollars that will be coming in.

Feel free to comment on the Mo. It’s going to take some getting used to.

a person who flees for refuge or safety, esp. to a foreign country, as in time of political upheaval, war, etc.

I am fortunate to live in a country where I don’t live under the imminent threat of war, political turmoil, or displacement due to a disaster. However, I believe this privilege comes with a price.

What is that price you might ask? Simple as individuals who live in first world developed countries (as I imagine many of my reader’s do) we have an obligation to do something. We have the profound privilege to live lives without want. Now, don’t get me wrong I’m not saying that we don’t have our own problems. However, the focus today is on refugee’s.

We are fortunate to live in a society that provides for us in abundance. We can walk down the street without fear of attack or persecution, our governments allow us great freedoms. Fear does not rule our daily existence. For the most part we are our own worst enemy, not a warlord, a drug cartel, or an aggressive enemy.

So you wonder, what can I do to help?

There are a multitude of things that can be done to assist in the plight of refugee’s around the world. Below are listed but a few.

1. Educate yourself. There is plenty of information available regarding the plight of refugee’s. Here are a few places where you can start:Wike: Refugees, Presbyterian Church in Canada.
2. Write to you government leaders. Explain to them why it is important to protect the rights of those in other countries and find out what they are willing to do to easy the plight of refugee’s.
3. Donate some money. There are plenty of agency’s or Church’s that work with refugee’s. Find one that is aligned with your goals and value’s and donate some hard cash towards this important work.
4. Get your hands dirty. Whether it’s sponsoring a refugee or going over sees for mission work at a refugee camp. For those that are motivated to do so there are opportunities. Do your homework first though, volunteering for this type of work isn’t a picnic and shouldn’t be taken lightly. Remember that refugee’s are fleeing some form of political or religious persecution. Going overseas for this type of work could put you in danger.

Most importantly remember that we have plenty. We have the opportunity to pursue our dreams. Many refugee’s dream of simply living in a country that provides basic freedoms. That’s something we take for granted.

The next time there is a news report on that status of refugee’s or an infomercial comes on regarding the plight of others in a foreign country don’t change the channel. At the least tune in and educate yourself.

If you ever find yourself in a position to directly or indirectly assist someone who is a refugee, do the right thing.

“I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these, you did for me” – Matthew 25:40

Right now I am leaning towards a Foo Man Cho, perhaps with some chops. My wife has been very supportive of my decision to participate in the Movember movement. I know she is not excited about the idea of me having a moustache, but she hasn’t made any comments one way or the other about what I’m going to grow.

Fighting Cancer

Of course the important issue is raising money for Prostrate Cancer. One of the aspects I enjoy about the Movember movement is that it’s creative. It’s not a walk or a run. It’s not just raising funds. Growing the Mo is a tribute to the generation of our fathers. All those crazy Mo’s they had back in the day.

Another great aspect of Movember is that it lasts for a month. So as the Mo grows more people will ask questions, which is a great opportunity to share the story of fighting Prostrate Cancer.

So far donations are going well. I’ve reached $250 in donations to date. When I started out with my decision to participate in Movember I didn’t set a fundraising goal. As the campaign has now begun in earnest  I would like to double my current donations and attempt to reach a target of $500. I feel this is a reasonable and realistic goal.

If you would like to support my efforts to raise money for Protstrate Cancer you can visit The Movember Web Site. Please reference my registration number 1383686.

My thanks in advance to everyone who donates.

photo credit: aloshbennett

Dictionary.com defines Success as:

“the favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors”

At Be 4 Success we don’t view success as the termination of a path. Rather we look at success under the lense of the following foundations: Financial, Personal, Physical, and Spiritual. In life there is only one destination, and the goal is to live a life worth living, to be happy, prosperous, and balanced. To accomplish this we aim for many smaller successes to aid us on our life path.

Financial Success

At Be 4 Success we don’t equate financial success with becoming rich. There isn’t anything wrong with that as a goal and it may well be your goal. However, we’re concerning ourselves with the journey here, not the destination. Therefore, we look at the elements that make up financial success, the disciplines that are required to reach Financial Success. These include debt management, budgetting, saving, and investing. Taking ownership of these disciplines will allow you to launch your Financial Success, laying one of the four foundations to overall Success!

Personal Success

Are you afraid of public speaking? Do you find yourself being rulled by stress? At Be 4 Success we look at small items and tools that can be used to overcome these obstacles, allowing us to grow as individuals. If we take ownership of our lives then we will learn to be successful!

Physical Success

Out of shape, tired all the time? Our bodies and our health are the one thing we have from birth until death. We owe it to ourselves to maintain healthy lifestyles. This doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy good food and good times. However, we need to ensure we are jeapordizing our future health. At Be 4 Success we look at simple ways we can increase our exercise and also how we can maintian a healthy balanced diet.

Spiritual Growth

We all have questions about our purpose in life. Why we were placed here. In fact the question why, might be the most often asked by humanity. At Be 4 Success we look at spiritual growth from a Christian perspective. In fact this perspective governs everything about what is said here. Without this central, grounding principle the rest is meaningless.

The Total Package

By combing these four foundations we work towards a greater success. The goal is live healthier, happier complete lives. Small steps taken in each of these four disciplines guides us towards that success in our lives.