Focus Plan on Obtaining a Job.

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This Tuesday, Mr. Mike DeSimone spoke to the Living Education students about three major points on how to get a job—the three absolute keys to getting the job. Mr. DeSimone said many of these keys he has seen work but are laid out in the book, “48 Days to the Work You Love,” by Dan Miller.

The first key was titled “How to Get the Interview”

 Start by identifying thirty to forty companies within the industry where you want to work. There’s no need to worry if you get a job and find out it’s not the industry or job for you. That is okay – you can always move to another. You are the driver of the sector in which you want to work. The key to this point is to be proactive. Do not wait for an ad for a job to show itself – most of the time, it is already too late once the ad is out. Plus, about eighty percent of jobs do not advertise that they are hiring. Once you have thirty to forty companies listed, start sending out letters of introduction by groupings of fifteen. This will help build recognition and get your name out there. You want three points of connection with your name. The second step is to start sending out your cover letters and resumes one week after the letter of introduction. The cover letter and resume should be addressed to someone specific, and hard copies, something you know, will be in a particular person’s hand. The third step is to follow up with a call. Many people miss this step, and only approximately one or two job hunters will follow this through. Calling the person you sent your resume can put you at the top of the list as their attention is now on you as you have contacted them. 

The second key is Mastering the Interview. Do not just wing the interview; this is a sure way to fail the interview. Mr. DeSimone listed some fatal flaws in an interview. The first fatal flaw was the lack of enthusiasm. Do not come in looking like you are dragging or lacking energy. Confidence and boldness are the keys to looking enthusiastic about being at the company. The second fatal flaw is going in with the attitude of “what’s in it for me.” The third fatal flaw was having unclear job goals. That is where you can apply Godly principles by having a serving attitude. Be clear with the company on what you are looking for and how you can help them. The fourth fatal flaw is having a poor personal appearance. Do not come in with a baseball cap. Companies are looking to hire a person, not credentials. Plan to dress one level up from your desired position. The last fatal flaw mentioned was not selling yourself. After an interview, immediately follow up with a thank you note; this shows your character and what you can present to the company. Wait three to four days before making a follow-up call. Don’t be afraid to touch bases.

The third key is Negotiating Compensation. Regarding this part of the hiring process, the company does not need to know the pay of your last job, nor do you need to talk about pay until the right time. The right time to talk about compensation is when you know what the job requires, they have decided they want you, and you have decided you want them. Do not bring up the topic; if you feel the company is bringing up the topic of compensation early, redirect the conversation. Ask to discuss the job itself further. Before the negotiations, make sure you have researched the positions and the position’s pay range. Let the company make the first offer; this is to your advantage. 

The Living Education students took away three keys to obtaining a job and having a plan for getting one. The first key is how to get the interview, get things moving in their favor, and get their name out into the workforce. The second key is mastering the interview, specifically what not to do. The third key is negotiating your compensation and when to bring up compensation.

BMW Tour

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The Act of Taking a Risk

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Mr. Tyler Wayne is a serial entrepreneur who has had successes and failures. This past Thursday, he shared with us how being an entrepreneur has taught him to take risks and how we can apply these principles to ourselves.

Mr. Wayne has started four companies and has run his family’s demolition business for years. He began by explaining three common entrepreneurial risks.

  1. Operating Errors
  • Equipment malfunctions 
  • Accidents and Mistakes 
  1. Incorrect Bids
  • Estimating = Gambling. It is a risk
  • Missed Project Scope
  • Under or Over 
  1. Customer Satisfaction 
  • Withholding Payment 
  • Missed Expectations 

He said to handle risk, we need to assess and mitigate it. To reduce the risk of anything, but especially in being an entrepreneur, we need to:

  • Research

We must go out and gain insight into what we plan to do, whether by reading, studying, or talking to experts.

  • Plan

We need to create contingencies and locate points of failure. 

  • Start Small

When we start small, the risk results are also smaller.

  • Learn to Deal With Setbacks 

Even through failure and setbacks, we can learn. We can learn what went well and what didn’t to better prepare for the next thing. Mr. Wayne did not want to scare us but shared what he called the 99% rule. It is the belief that if we had a 99% chance of success, 1 time out of 100, we would fail. He said these were excellent odds, and we must take them. Even if we fail, THAT IS OKAY!

How do we get started? Mr. Wayne clarified that it’s wise to stay small. This way, we can get our feet wet and not drown in the ocean. He also recommended work in an area that interests us. Too many people study something in college that is of no interest to them just because they like the hypothetical paycheck. While it is wise to go into something profitable, our work needs to satisfy us even if we lose money. He also said we need to be getting contacts. Having people in our field whom we can turn to will significantly assist us. The final step is to jump in and practice simply.

Mr. Wayne shared how he enjoys mountaineering. However, he went out and gained some practice before ever trying anything extreme. He started hiking in the Smoky Mountains before moving to the Rockies in Colorado. Because of the practice, jumping in, and doing it, he could eventually enjoy an extreme winter hike in Argentina.

In closing, Mr. Wayne reminded us that everything we do or don’t do has a cost. We always take risks, whether we like it or not. Since everything is a risk, Mr. Wayne told us, “GET OUT AND DO SOMETHING!”

Mr. Wayne’s forum gave us insight into how taking risks in life is an occupational hazard that, if managed well, can lead to a rewarding life. We should not allow risks to stop us from chasing opportunities and trying new things. While we may face failure, and life is full of ups and downs, we should grow close to God so He can advocate for us. 

Did Jesus Rise?

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On Thursday, Mr. Wallace Smith followed up on his previous forum on establishing pillars. He explained that after that forum, he received questions concerning why he placed Jesus Christ as the Son of God as his second pillar and the Bible as His Word as his third. 

Mr. Smith first clarified that he believes the Bible is the word of God. That is an unshakeable pillar he has established. Yet for him, personally, the fact that Jesus Christ is the Son of God is His second pillar, second to his first, which is that God exists. He guided us to 1 Corinthians 15, which states, “If Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty, and your faith is also empty.” This is a simple statement that tells us that if Christ was not raised from the dead, then He is not the Son of God, and everything He taught is futile. 

How can we know Christ rose from the dead in addition to simply trusting the Bible? Mr. Smith felt it necessary to teach us to defend this question. He said that even if we treat the Bible as if it weren’t the word of God, as just a historical book, we can still come to the same conclusion. 

Mr. Smith read a quote that the New Testament qualifies as one of the finest historical documents ever written. He brought out aspects from the Bible that make this statement accurate:

  • It’s not one book but many little accounts from several authors
  • Many of the events were written extremely close to those described 
  • Small, unimportant details corroborated by multiple sources inside and outside the collection
  • It contains embarrassing elements 
  • Passes even statistical tests that ancient writers could not have anticipated 

Mr. Smith said these points were not to prove that the Bible is the word of God but a reliable historical text. He explained that there are facts even many professional Bible skeptics do not deny. He dove into three significant facts that these skeptics are willing to admit, which prove Jesus rose from the dead.

  1. His tomb was found empty. 

Testimony from the first-century Jewish leaders, enemies of Christ’s church, support this. If this claim were false, Jewish leaders would have produced the body.

  1. His disciples believed He appeared to them alive after His death. 

In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul states that over 500 people saw Christ. Even skeptics do not deny that he wrote this approximately 20 years after the event. Paul says that most of the 500 were still alive to his day. He says, “Don’t believe me; ask the multitude of eyewitnesses who saw Christ.” Historian Josephus wrote in 66 A.D. that the disciples believed Christ was alive again after His crucifixion. 

  1. The disciples went out proclaiming His resurrection even in the face of martyrdom.

No serious person denies the fact that the disciples faced extreme persecution for their preaching because of the amount of evidence and writings backing this claim.

What is the reason that these men would be willing to face this type of suffering? Mr. Smith shared with us three of the more popular false explanations that try to explain… without admitting that Christ is the Son of God and was raised from the dead. 

  1. He faked His death.

Aside from how crazy the statement is, using the above facts, it is easily disproven. The disciples believed He was there with them alive after His death; if He never really died, then His disciples wouldn’t believe he rose from the dead. Beyond that, if they understood that He didn’t rise from the dead versus a battered and bleeding individual who had simply barely escaped death, then they would not be convicted to stand in the face of martyrdom for holding onto that belief.

  1. The disciples stole the body.

Again, if the disciples had known they had the body somewhere, they would not have honestly believed He had risen. They also would have eventually broken under the persecution they faced.

  1. The disciples hallucinated that they saw Him.

If they hallucinated the entire thing, there would have been a body in the tomb that the Jewish leaders could have shown to disprove them.

Mr. Smith demonstrated to the LE students that even if you view the Bible as a historical text, there is ample evidence that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He rose from the dead, and everything Christ spoke and taught is valid.

We are grateful for the knowledge that can assist us in being better apologetics to our faith!

What Color is Your Parachute?

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Mr. Jonathan McNair spoke to the Living Education students this Tuesday. He explained why the students are here—to build a foundation with God. He elaborated that as the students progress and develop their foundation, they should assess where to focus their attention. 

“Where should your attention be focused?”

Mr. McNair answered this question by telling us to focus on skills we can enjoy and grow. He instructed us to start by “applying [ing] yourself to be productive in your roles and skills.” 

Mr. McNair then introduced a book called “What Color is Your Parachute?” by Richard Bolles. The book laid out principles and a way for someone to focus their skills for work. These principles are important because everyone needs to work regardless of their role. People need to know how to apply their skills to make their work more productive—to have their skills work for them. The forum then continued with a video from Google Talk from Richard Bolles.

Points throughout the “Google Talk” video:

Jobs should be something about which a person is passionate. The person should evaluate where they will be in five years. They should be able to answer the question: What am I working towards? They need to gather anything that may be required for the next five years for any situation that may come up. They should list their skills and then their favorite skills to work with. They should research how those skills can be applied. People should know themselves on an atomic level to be flexible.

Mr. Richard Bolles goes into detail on three approaches in life. The first approach is to ignore or depend on luck. People with this approach to life need more intersections for a better chance of “luck.” Connections are key to this type of attitude toward life, so a person needs more connections, more friends, and more meetings. The second approach is “I’ll know it when I see it.” This approach heavily depends on how alert a person is to their surrounding and relies heavily on intuition. This approach depends on what someone notices and observes around them. The third approach to life is planning/forethought. It is better called design, as the thought process is different. You cannot plan but design the next five years. This is where you would answer: What will I run into on the way? What kind of materials would I need for these situations?

Final take away

The LE students get the point of looking forward, which means focusing on what skills they can continue to use and expand upon now and into future endeavors. They need to know their passions and what they are enthusiastic about. They should know themselves on an atomic level to be as flexible as possible. They need self-evaluation to understand themselves because without understanding themselves, how can they know what skills they like to use most or what skills would aid them better in their future path and role?  

Grow Something

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Mr. Rod McNair started his forum this past Tuesday by asking, “Isn’t it sad that as mankind, we either make anything we touch worse or destroy it?” As Christians, it is essential not to lose touch with nature. From the dust, mankind came, and to it, we will return, as seen in Genesis 3:19. From this, it is clear that God intended man to tend and keep the land. “So what about you?” 

As Living Education students learn how to build a spiritual foundation, Mr. McNair recommended always incorporating growing plants into their lives. Try to grow something, no matter where you are, heading, or where you live.

Mr. McNair posed the question, “What can you grow?”  He gave two recommendations. One option was flowers, which add color and scent to the environment. He told the young men, “Hint: girls like flowers, and growing them can be a gift to one in your life.” We were also encouraged to “Grow something to eat.” Growing your food is a healthy and cost-efficient option in the long term.

Why grow something? Small growing projects can have positive benefits, such as connecting to the reality of God and improving one’s health. Studies have shown that growing plants goes beyond bending and walking; they also reduce stress and anxiety, assist with attention deficit recovery, decrease depression, enhance memory retention, help improve happiness and life satisfaction, and increase self-esteem. These benefits do not just apply to outside plants. Indoor house plants work just as well by boosting moods, productivity, and concentration. They also give some privacy and reduce noise levels in offices or homes. 

Mr. McNair explained that many popular and top games involve farming and gardening. He also showed that everything that someone gains from online gardening is limited, while gardening in real life has physical benefits.

 He listed these steps to grow something: be practical, grow what you like, do it quickly, and take advantage of where you live. Then, he challenged the Living Education students to grow something for themselves then and there. He gave each student a small plastic cup with some “dirt” and let them choose a couple of seeds to put in the dirt. 

He encouraged us all to grow something and reminded us how easy it is to start somewhere small. “Moreover, the profit of the land is for all; even the king is served from the field.”

International Travel

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On Tuesday, Mr. Dexter Wakefield was excited to share his personal experiences of traveling internationally. He hoped to convey the beauty and art of traveling around God’s creation. 

Mr. Wakefield has had only two Feast of Tabernacles in the United States for twenty-five years. These adventures started when he was asked, “What Feast site would you like to serve at?” He answered, “Anywhere they need a minister, as long as I can afford it.” Mr. Wakefield encouraged everyone to take the chance to travel internationally and gave us a few tips for our trips. 

His first tip was that you will have a lot of free time, so you should look for things to do around the area to which you travel. On a trip to Belgium, Mr. Wakefield mentioned there were Chocolatiers in every third shop, so of course, he and his wife stopped at a few of them. Going on with his list, Mr. Wakefield advised researching the history of the place one is heading for and the nitty gritty. Such as driving, traffic laws, and regulations on international flights in smaller countries

Mr. Wakefield states that whatever one expects, they should expect the unexpected. You are in a foreign country and never know until you experience it yourself. He also said that no matter where he and his wife traveled for the Feast of Tabernacles, once they were with the congregation, it didn’t feel like a foreign country but felt like they were among family, being warmly welcomed by the local brethren. He informed the student of a couple of Feast sites he and his wife have been to in recent years: Kimberly, BC; Bruges, Belgium; Living Stone, Zambia; Bela Bela, SA; Bingsburgh, SA, Kendu Bay, Kenya, and Tororo, Uganda. 

Mr. Wakefield’s list continued:

  • Prepare for Jet Lag
  • Study the land’s history
  • Understand your insurance
  • Photocopy of personal information: credit cards, passport, license
  • Flashlight
  • Places of things to do around where you are staying,
  • Traffic laws and signs
  • Have local currency 
  • Stay on the main roads
  • Prepare for anything to happen

With Mr. Wakefield’s information, the LE students can better understand what to expect when traveling internationally. They left with a greater appreciation for international travel and are excited for future opportunities to apply these lessons.

You Will be Tested

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Today, Mr. Mario Hernández gave us a timely and much-needed forum covering lessons we need to glean from Daniel chapter three. 

Mr. Hernández started his forum by reading the courageous story of Daniel and his three friends. He emphasized the relevance of this account today because very similar things will happen again. We will be tested and persecuted like never before. We are in the end days! 

The conviction of these young men is admirable, and we should strive daily to mimic the example they left for us. Mr. Hernandez reminded us there would be a time of persecution before the elect go to the place of safety. As Proverbs 17 says, all will be tested and refined by God. Mr. Hernández explained that God will not allow anyone to enter eternal life without being tested. Satan, the devil, was given everything without first being tried, and we can see the result of that today. God has a great reward for us, but we will first experience trials and soon-coming persecution. 

The time is rapidly approaching when Satan will attempt to save himself. Mr. Hernández compared Satan’s desperate attempt to that of a king fearing his death who wipes out all of his competition, whether that be young men or little infants. Satan is, and is going to, do his very best to steal each of our crowns! Mr. Hernández said it is easy to see Satan’s hand directly guiding specific individuals throughout history. He explained that the Nazis used to use black magic till Satan had entered Hitler. Satan spoke through Hitler in one of his speeches and said: “I have fallen from heaven.”  Revelation 12 shows that Satan was cast out of heaven with his demons. We should not be foolish and believe that Satan will not enter men in our future to cause further strife and persecution.

We can falsely believe that those who are counted worthy of being in the place of safety will simply receive divine intervention and be miraculously taken under God’s protection; however, Mr. Hernández explained that when Exodus 19 speaks of Israel being taken out of Egypt under the eagle’s wings, they physically walked to the promised land. The Israelites did not just fly there; and they did experience hard times on their journey. So in Revelation 12, when it says we will be given two great wings like an eagle, we may be like ancient Israel leaving Egypt. 

Once he had made us aware of the coming difficulties, Mr. Hernández urged us to practice the principles from Daniel 3 daily! We must pray daily that we are counted worthy and remain diligent, not even flirting with the idea of sin. We have a tremendous future, but we must first accept the tests we will go through. The time is coming, and we will be there if we diligently follow His commandments. We will be there to hear the blowing of the 7th trumpet and rise to meet Christ in the sky! We were very appreciative of this heartfelt reminder and are joyfully taking the principles from Daniel and striving to put them into practice! 

Who was Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong?

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For this week’s forum, Mr. Gerald Weston showed the students a video summary of Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong, showing how God used him to lead the church for many years. Mr. Weston introduced the video to the students and explained the importance of understanding church history, especially as none were alive when Mr. Armstrong led the Worldwide Church of God. 

Brief Timeline of Involvement with the Church and Work

1892 – Mr. Armstrong was born in Des Moines, Iowa

1928 – HWA gives his first sermon.

1931- HWA is ordained a minister.

1933 – He presented his first 15-minute on-air radio program in Oregon. The radio station needed a time slot filled with a religious program on Sundays and allowed Mr. Armstrong to do so free of charge. This was the beginning of the Radio Church of God.

1934- The Plain Truth magazine begins.

1937- The Radio Church audience grew; nearly 100,000 listeners reached the 1,000-watt station KRSC.

1944 – The radio program broadcast throughout all of English-speaking North America.

1946- The radio broadcast starts 6 nights a week

1953 – Mr. Armstrong joined Radio Luxembourg and began broadcasting The World Tomorrow to Europe

1955 – 1st Tomorrow’s World TV program broadcasted.

1970 – King Leopold III of Belgium gave Mr. Armstrong one of four watches made for those who contribute to world peace.

1979 – August 16: Mr. Armstrong was an unofficial Ambassador for World Peace.

1985- The book “Mystery of the Ages” was given to members at FOT.

1986 – Mr. Armstrong died.

The Work

Mr. Armstrong lived a long life and realized that while technology such as radio and television were changing the world; the world’s evil ways of thought were not. Led by the inspired word of God, he saw it as the commission of the Church to preach the gospel to the whole world. This commission follows such scriptures as Mark 16:15 and Matthew 24:3. Matthew 24:14 states, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” As Mr. Armstrong met world leaders, he shared the same message with them without trying to convert them to his religion. He explained the reasons for the state of the world, why we don’t have world peace, and how world peace can one day be achieved. Mr. Armstrong did not speak to world leaders to save or convert but to use that good relationship with them to preach the gospel message. Finally, he acknowledged that one of the biggest misconceptions is that everyone needs to be saved now or be eternally punished. God is not calling everyone now but will give them a chance to know the truth in the Millennium and experience true peace.

Final Thoughts

God used Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong to help preach the Gospel message to the world. Mr. Armstrong took this commission seriously, as is shown by his life. Mr. Weston concluded the forum by challenging the students (and the younger generation) to remember this and have the same dedication in this Laodicean era. Through this presentation, the students gained a new appreciation for Church history and how God built up his church. For this week’s forum, Mr. Gerald Weston showed the students a video summary of Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong, showing how God used him to lead the church for many years. Mr. Weston introduced the video to the students and explained the importance of understanding church history, especially as none were alive when Mr. Armstrong led the Worldwide Church of God. 

“How Are You?”

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 Mr. Paul Kearns, an area pastor for over a decade in New Zealand, presented the forum this past Thursday.

Mr. Kearns began by asking us, “How are you?” He clarified that this is often a polite greeting, where the person posing the question does not expect or even want a heartfelt reply. The point of the forum was to encourage us to be more aware of how those around us are doing and to take the time to care for our fellow man. 

Mr. Kearns expressed that human nature is carnally self-centered, yet we can use God’s Holy Spirit to help us care for others. We find in Second Timothy that men will be lovers of themselves during the end times. Self-love and a focus on the self are rising, which is why we, as Ambassadors for Christ, need to put off the carnal spirit of man and grow in the Holy Spirit. 

With the rise of various technologies such as Facebook and Instagram, people can converse in a shallower way today. We are losing our connection with people and focusing more on ourselves as a society. Since we are inherently carnal creatures, it comes as a surprise that the decreased connection with others has resulted in astronomically higher levels of depression. As a societal whole, we crave the likes and approval from others through the screen and are caught up in receiving it. A simple solution to this is to follow in Christ’s shoes, honestly care for the other person, and put the mind off of oneself. When we feed our carnal desire to dwell on ourselves, we are hindering ourselves and others. We need to put the focus off the self and more on our brothers and sisters. 

Mr. Kearns guided us to 3 John, which shows that letters were a nice tool at the time, but there is still a time when face-to-face communication is necessary. This can be compared today to a quick text. Texting does have a purpose, yet Mr. Kearns pointed out how much more intimate a phone call is. He took it another step further and said that if at all possible, we should be going out and visiting local brethren and others in person.

As he closed, Mr. Kearns left us with three keys to grow in caring:

  • Know others by name
  • Talk less and listen more
  • We show we care through action 

“Asking how people are is not the end goal, but the starting point.”

We left the forum excited and eager to show our care for others. Before going to lunch, we all asked each other, “How are you?”