FamilyEbiz

Have you read Rich Dad, Poor Dad? While he does not write from a Christian perspective, Kiyosaki has some great ideas about passive income and the advantages of entrepreneurship over self-employment. Even though he is not the best writer in the world (he even makes fun of himself in the book!), he is an effective communicator. He drives home the fact that in making money, knowing business principles will trump technical expertise every time! For more information about the book, click on the link below:

http://www.familyebiz.com/richdad.htm

Biblia

The Value of Practical Skills - Part 2

Last time we said that Paul was a mental giant of his time and yet, chose to work with his hands to be an example to his flock. But Paul was not immune from being mocked for working with his hands. The Corinthians took a dim view of those who stooped to manual labor, especially their teachers. They mocked Paul and similar to today, found an odd satisfaction in being lorded over by their religious teachers who not would lift a finger if it meant getting their hands dirty. Paul attacks this attitude with biting satire and proudly claims that he indeed works with his own hands and counts it an honor to be mocked by the world!

1 Corinthians 4:8-13
8 You are already full! You are already rich! You have reigned as kings without us -- and indeed I could wish you did reign, that we also might reign with you! 9 For I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men condemned to death; for we have been made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. 10 We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored! 11 To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless. 12 And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; 13 being defamed, we entreat. We have been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now.

The Corinthians not only had an inaccurate view of practical skills, they did not have a clear understanding of greatness in the kingdom of God. Paul was willing to do anything to further the kingdom of God. If that meant swinging a hammer for a time, so be it. If he had to clean houses for a season, let’s do it! What I am trying to say is that Paul did not do a particular job or pursue a career for his own glory, he was willing to lay down his pride for the glory of God. Now, I am not saying that you have to punch a time-clock or have blisters on your hands to be a truly spiritual man. And I am not saying that we all have to move to the country and require our sons to only work with their hands. I am saying that, whether your son chooses work with his hands for a living or not, practical life skills are essential for a well-balanced Christian life. Next time, I will give you two reasons why. I gave a talk at the Austin Homeschool Convention entitled, The Value of Practical Skills. If you would like to find out more about this CD, click here: http://www.curriculumconnection.net/valuepracticalskills.htm

Practica Interviewing for Fun and Profit – Part 2Last time we talked about the reasons why interviewing others can be a great way to create your first product. Now, we will tell you about the technical side of recording interviews.I do not have any recording equipment. Actually, most computers come with built-in recording equipment. The one obstacle I have found is that plugging a microphone into a laptop will not always give you the quality you are looking for. But there are a couple of ways around this.1. Purchase a personal digital recorder.I have tried lots of them and the one I have had best success with is a DM-10 by Olympus. It has great sound quality, is very portable (it will fit in the palm if your hand) and it downloads an hour-long talk to your computer in about 3 minutes. The DM-20 has more capacity (8 hours) and comes with a microphone, but I prefer the $30 mono, uni-directional microphone that I purchased at Radio Shack.2. Use your computer Remember, I said that just plugging a microphone into the microphone jack of your computer may not always work? Well, you can boost the sound between the microphone and computer by purchasing a booster such as a blah blah blah. I have not gone this route because I speak at a lot of venues and I wanted the portability. Also, this means you either have to have a laptop to take to your interviewee or have them come to your desktop.3. Record a telephone callThere are various companies that will record a conversation over the phone for you and this is a great way to go if your interviewee is in another part of the country.Next time we will talk about editing the talk, adding music and burning it to a CD.Warmly in Christ,

Stephen Beck http://www.curriculumconnection.net http://www.familyebiz.com info@familyebiz.com
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