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Mercy Ministries Interviews the UK’s Charlotte Gambill

June 11, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Mercy Ministries

Mercy Ministries

Mercy Ministries:
Hey everyone, it’s Eve again—the resident Mercy Ministries roaming reporter here on the scene with a really special guest. Charlotte Gambill, we’re just so honored to have you. Charlotte came all the way from across the pond. You and your husband help pastor at Abundant Life Church in Radford, England. Charlotte and her entire family were instrumental in starting our Mercy Ministries home in the UK.

Charlotte Gambill:
Yeah. We love Mercy Ministries. We have a great home in the UK. It’s based about a half hour from where our church is. Amazing girls. They are in our services every weekend. Extension programs just being completed, so it’s exciting.

Mercy Ministries:
It’s so amazing. The Mercy Ministries girls are so happy that you are investing in them. You are also investing in your staff. You talked earlier, Charlotte, about how Mercy Ministries to these girls is like an open door—that it is like a new beginning. Tell me a little bit about that.

Charlotte Gambill:
Well, it says in Corinthians that there is a wide, open, spacious life that God longs for us to live in. I know that many of the girls that come first through the doors of Mercy Ministries have not experienced a wide, open, spacious life. They have experienced a controlling life, a small life, a prison-type life from abuses and issues. I want to the girls to know that the door entrance place to Mercy Ministries was literally like them stepping into a new place that was wide and that was open and that was expansive—so they could dream all over again.

Mercy Ministries:
I love that, Charlotte. I also love how you were really specific, just looking the Mercy Ministries girls in their eyes to say that they have a seed of influence. I really think they were able to resonate in that.

Charlotte Gambill:
Well you know, for me ministry is all about people. It’s not about preaching a message or speaking at a conference. It’s about the connection with the people. God loves them so much. He wants them to know that your life is planned and that there is an amazing gift that you have to give inside of you. I think the Mercy Ministries girls don’t even believe that about themselves. So it’s important to eyeball some of them and say, “I mean you,” because that’s what God does. He gets right in your face and He says, “No, it’s not for someone else; it’s for you.” In this room is huge potential. Who knows what will happen with these Mercy Ministries girls when they graduate and leave the Mercy Ministries program? I am thrilled that I get to add a small bit in speaking to them today.

Mercy Ministries:
You know firsthand that these Mercy Ministries girls all over the country, all over the world, in the UK, here in the US, are dealing with a lot of pain, a lot of hurt—that vicious cycle you talk about. You really hit home that a grudge, holding that grudge is not something that we need to do regardless of the hurt in the past—that that is just too heavy and that we need to let it go even though it doesn’t say that the hurt was okay. But yet we have to look to the future and let go of that grudge. That’s hard for all of us.

Charlotte Gambill:
I was teaching the Mercy Ministries girls about living with an offense and living with something that the Enemy would love for you to raise—almost like a child—but you feed it and you nurture this offense, this hurt. It becomes a huge, living thing in your life. The more you feed it the bigger it grows and the more that becomes a part of who you are. I want the girls to know that you have to starve that; you have to stop feeding that. You can’t feed both.

You can’t keep feeding a dream and a future and at the same time have a conversation, as it were, with your grudge, your offense, your hurt. So it’s not saying you weren’t hurt. It’s not denying things haven’t happened. But we can’t live in that moment. We’ve got to get the Mercy Ministries girls to stop feeding it, stop making it come alive. I was saying to them, “Don’t go to counseling and in that moment of counseling try and say oh yeah, I won’t do it anymore but then go back to your room and feed the grudge again. You have to realize that, no, you have to be thorough. So I just want the Mercy Ministries girls to know that you have an opportunity to hold and to carry either your dream or your offense: which one do you want to carry?

Mercy Ministries:
I love it. Thanks for that great word. Charlotte, you have blessed me personally. And you can tell it’s quite evident that you have blessed everyone in this room. You are so anointed and you are such a special friend to Nancy and Mercy Ministries.

Charlotte Gambill:
I love Nancy. She is my friend and Jude is kind of my friend. (That’s her dog.) We have a kind of a love/hate deal going with the dog. My dog is way more spiritually gifted than hers. But that’s okay. I love Nancy. She is awesome.

Mercy Ministries:
I’m not even going to go down that whole dog road because I love Jude very, very, very much. Thanks for such a blessing to Mercy Ministries. Thanks for investing time. We are going to send you across the pond with a big hug. Thank you so much. I hope that you were as well blessed by her word today. Thanks for joining us. See you later.

For more information about Mercy Ministries, visit them online at www.mercyministries.com

Filed Under: Professionals, Public Speaking Tagged With: , , , , ,

Steven Delarge: Tips for a Great Job Interview

May 15, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Steven Delarge

Steven Delarge

Steven Delarge has years of experience, both as a CEO and CFO. Most recently, he served as president of Silicones & Quartz for Momentive Performance Materials. One of the most important duties of an executive is interviewing potential job candidates. Steven Delarge gives job interview tips to job seekers to help land that dream job.

  • Do your research. Steven Delarge was surprised at how rarely a candidate looked into a company before the interview. Today’s interviewee can find a fair amount of information on any company with just a basic web search. Because of this, Steven Delarge recommends a job candidate set him or herself apart from the crowd by going beyond the basic web search. Ask around and visit the library or local chamber of commerce to get as much information as possible about a company before you show up for the interview, according to Steven Delarge.
  • Cite specific examples. Many of today’s successful interview questions pose questions such as, “Describe a time when you took a difficult situation and turned it around.” Steven Delarge explains the reasoning behind that. Quite a bit can be learned by hearing real-life experiences from a candidate. Answer even basic questions with examples from your past work experience.

  • Be direct. Answer each question with a straightforward, honest response, Steven Delarge advises. An interviewer knows when an interviewee is being evasive. Steven Delarge finds it far more impressive when an interviewee simply looks him in the eye and states, “I don’t have any experience in that.” Sometimes an interviewee who shows ambition and a strong work ethic will be hired even though he or she doesn’t have the desired experience.
  • Dress appropriately. This seems like it should be a given, but Steven Delarge has found today’s job candidates don’t always follow the tried and true. No matter what the job, Steven Delarge advises playing it safe by dressing conservatively from head to toe. This includes toned-down nail polish and covered-up tattoos. Any odd body piercings should be removed as well. A suit is always a safe bet, but be sure your suit doesn’t look dated. Too many candidates save the same suit for decades, pulling it out only when it’s time to look for a job. A good, modern suit will be an investment that pays back when you land that great-paying job, Steven Delarge adds.

These tough economic times have made the job market more competitive than ever, but by following the basic rules of professionalism, Steven Delarge believes anyone can find the perfect job.

Filed Under: Business, Public Speaking, Self Improvement Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Dr. Pierre Bennett Stresses Following God’s Word

April 3, 2012 By 10 Comments
Dr. Pierre Bennett

Dr. Pierre Bennett

Interviewing Experts recently spoke with Dr. Pierre Bennett about how he feels that the world, as a whole, can learn to work together to fulfill God’s plan for us all.

Interviewing Experts: Good morning, Dr. Pierre Bennett. We thank you for taking this time out of your busy schedule to be with us today.

Dr. Pierre Bennett: I appreciate you asking me. God does have a way of opening up opportunities to spread His word doesn’t He?

Interviewing Experts: Yes, indeed. Can you tell us exactly what you think people can do to live more harmoniously?

Dr. Pierre Bennett: I always refer back to Joshua. You see, God told Joshua he could take the city of Jericho if he followed a specific set of instructions. Joshua, without question, did as God told him.

Interviewing Experts: And the city’s wall fell, yes?

Dr. Pierre Bennett: That’s right. Because Joshua had the courage to be obedient and follow God’s word without question, he was able to achieve his goal. I think that if we all followed this example  we could all achieve our goals individually and learn to live together peacefully.

Interviewing Experts: For our readers’ benefit can you please explain a bit more about the story of Joshua?

Dr. Pierre Bennett: Well, God told Joshua to take the city of Jericho. Jericho was a virtually impenetrable fortress and Joshua only had a few men. Then God directed Joshua and his men basically into an army formation  with the Ark of the Covenant in the center In carrying the Ark the priests carried around the physical symbol of  the essence,  power, and Spirit of God.

Interviewing Experts: For somebody actually there it must have looked like a great marching band.

Dr. Pierre Bennett: That’s right, with the Spirit of God right smack in the middle.

Interviewing Experts: And God had specific instructions too…

Dr. Pierre Bennett: He had a specific instruction for them to march around Jericho seven times. A lot of times we get lax in following instructions. We don’t pay attention to the details. But when God is giving you something very specific it is because He wants you to follow it to the letter.

Interviewing Experts: We wonder how many people in the natural would have said, “I’m not marching around that place seven times. That’s crazy.”

Dr. Pierre Bennett: Amen. Many people would’ve gone around one or two times but then would’ve found a bush to duck behind. They would’ve said something about their feet hurt or they had a tummy ache. They might say they overslept and were too tired to keep on.

Interviewing Experts: Many people would’ve gotten stuck at the Jordan…

Dr. Pierre Bennett: They were in the specific formation that God had said. He also instructed the people to stay completely silent while the priests blew the horns. In other words, don’t shout until the seventh time. How many people would’ve followed that one?

Interviewing Experts: Very few… Seven times. That is very specific instruction.

Dr. Pierre Bennett: God knows what he’s doing. Think about it. In order for you to get to this interview this morning you had to get in your car and drive. You had to follow a specific set of instructions. This place is a little tricky to find. Without the instructions, the directions, you might not have made it.

Interviewing Experts: So what you are saying is that if you don’t pay attention to the specific instructions you can miss the mark for the destination you’re supposed to arrive at, right?

Dr. Pierre Bennett: That is exactly what I’m saying. But my main point is that if everybody in the world would just listen to God, we could each win our own individual battles and conquer our individual fears. And when people no longer have to live with fear, there can be peace.

Interviewing Experts: That makes perfect sense.

Dr. Pierre Bennett: You have to go just on faith. You follow me?

Interviewing Experts: Yes, sir! Well, Dr. Bennett we’re afraid that we’re out of time for the day but we really appreciate you taking this opportunity with us.

Dr. Pierre Bennett: Thank you for having me.

Dr. Pierre Bennett is the Pastor of God’s Luv International Ministries Church.  Meetings are held at the Reston Community Center Lake Anne, 1609-A Washington Plaza, Reston, VA 20191.

Filed Under: Education, Professionals, Public Speaking, Religion, Self Improvement Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Pastor Pierre Bennett: Learning to Practice the Fruits of the Spirit

March 26, 2012 By 10 Comments
Pastor Pierre Bennett

Pastor Pierre Bennett

Pastor Pierre Bennett is the founder of LifeSource Foundation, an organization that helps families in need. The organization, which fosters Pastor Pierre Bennett’s mission to create a worldwide ministry of care, that is committed to academic enrichment, prevention  and intervention programs that reverse the impact of unhealthy lifestyles to those in need.

Pastor Pierre Bennett urges his congregation at God’s Luv International Ministries Church to be good, faithful and gentle, and to practice self-control, even when they don’t feel like it. This, Pastor Pierre Bennett insists, will help them walk in the true power of God’s love.

Goodness, Pastor Pierre Bennett says, means doing the right thing all the time. If you are good, you are promoting love, Pastor Pierre Bennett believes.

By faithfulness, Pastor Pierre Bennett means you must remain faithful to people even when they aren’t returning that same faithfulness. By being faithful in love to those whose paths you cross, you are acting as an angel of God, Dr. Bennett tells his congregation. While people may not return that faithfulness right away, in time it will click for them if they are meant to follow a path that leads to God.

In being gentle, Pastor Pierre Bennett means you should reply with   kindness, even when someone is shouting and cursing in your presence. It also means practicing self-control. According to Pastor Pierre Bennett, when you hold back those feelings of anger–even when someone is trying to start a fight, you are serving as a good representative of Jesus Christ.

Walking in the power of God’s love has many benefits. Everything you have that is not in God’s likeness is removed from you when you begin following His example, Pastor Pierre Bennett tells members of God’s Luv International Ministries. Even things you don’t like about yourself will be removed from you—things you don’t even realize you don’t like, until you’re free of them.

Additionally, those things you do like about yourself will be multiplied when you follow God’s Word, Pastor Pierre Bennett explains. The gifts and talents that make you special are multiplied until you are almost superhuman, according to Pastor Pierre Bennett.

Pastor Pierre Bennett quotes from John 3:16: “For God so loved the world.” God loved the world and God loves you. Pastor Pierre Bennett suggests telling people you love them–even strangers–if only for the freeing feeling it gives you. That warm feeling of love can be with you all the time once you choose to follow God, Pastor Pierre Bennett says. By loving others, you’ll have an abundance of blessings and that is exactly what He wants for you.

Filed Under: Children, Education, Natural Remedies, Professionals, Public Speaking, Self Improvement Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Cordia Harrington | Improving Your Communication Style – Cordia Harrington

January 4, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Today’s Guest Contributor is Cordia Harrington, CEO of The Bun Company, a conglomerate supplying buns and English muffins globally to McDonald’s and other national food distributors. In corporate circles Cordia Harrington is affectionately known as The Bun Lady. She is a featured motivational speaker with the nationally recognized Premier Speakers Bureau.

In the following article, Cordia Harrington shares some tips for improving your communication style.

Cordia Harrington’s Tip #1: Awareness of Self
The first step in improving communication skills is awareness. Take a few minutes to assess the particular dynamics of your personal communication style. All individuals have a unique way of communicating. Listen to your own speech. What sorts of words do you use? Which kind of body language and what tone of voice do you most commonly use? It may be very helpful to record ten minutes of conversation between you and a friend, and then listen for the nuances in your voice.

You may have a friend or acquaintance that, in your opinion, is an excellent communicator. How does your style of speaking compare to theirs? Do you see similarities? Be honest with yourself and don’t be afraid to write down several areas in which you can improve.

Cordia Harrington’s Tip #2: Pay Attention to Others
Once you are tuned into your own style of speaking, Cordia Harrington suggests that it’s time to pay more attention to the styles of those around you. Look at your immediate circle of acquaintances. What stands out in your mind as you listen to their conversations? How do they say things? Be on the lookout for specific approaches that you want to emulate, and begin making them your own.

Cordia Harrington’s Tip #3: Flexibility
Work on being more flexible as a communicator. It’s never too late to change your way of communicating. Learn to adjust to different styles of communication. The saying “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks” is not always true. You had to learn to speak when you were a young child, and while those habits have been ingrained for many years, it is still possible to unlearn certain behaviors.

It’s possible to get stuck in a communication rut without realizing it, as in the story about a father who was having a difficult time communicating with his 15-year-old daughter. He watched her growing up and pulling away from him. One day, they were in a heated discussion about why she had stopped telling him about what was going on in her life. The father demanded to know why she hadn’t told him that she was struggling in school.

The girl replied that she had, but he was too busy giving her a lecture to hear her heart. Fortunately, that was a wakeup call for the father, and he soon learned that adapting his communication style to his daughter would involve listening first instead of trying to “fix” the problem.

Cordia Harrington’s Tip #4: Build Rapport
Cordia Harrington believes that a key component of great communication is building rapport with the other person. As you engage them in conversation, pay attention to their movements, posture and verbal style. Don’t copy everything they do, but work on mirroring one or two important things. For example, if the person tends to give short answers to questions, then you do likewise.

Perhaps you are in a conversation with an individual who speaks at a slower pace than you usually do. Make a conscious effort to slow your speaking speed to match theirs. This may seem overly simplistic, but it is a very potent way to move the other person to a place where they feel relaxed and comfortable in your presence.

Cordia Harrington’s Tip #5: Appropriate Transparency
Be open to changing your style of communication to complement a different setting. The way you communicate at home will likely be different than a conversation during a business meeting. Being transparent with a best friend is appropriate; the same level of disclosure with an acquaintance is not. Be cautious about how much information you share in a group setting. Many of us have been in a situation where “too much information” makes for an awkward moment.

Cordia Harrington’s Tip #6: Accept Different Styles
Finally Cordia Harrington encourages you to refrain from being critical of other individuals when they practice communication styles that are different from what you may be accustomed to hearing. Everyone is unique in size, shape and speaking style. If we all communicated in the same way, the world would become a boring place!

We would like to thank Cordia Harrington for her contribution to this blog.

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