Your Gifts will Carve out a Place for You

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A word of encouragement today. My thoughts today are propelled by a verse from Proverbs 18:

16 A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.

Sometimes, friends we need to trust the process....know that the good things we do naturally because they are gifts given to us by God, will prepare a place for us in this world.

Yes, I am talking about this world,  and not some ethereal mystical place.

This is another reason why I like the book of Proverbs, because it is really grounded and practical. It is fabulously encouraging to sense this truth spiritually that verse 16 talks about.

Let´s say for example, you love to sing and sing whenever you get the chance. When you sing it´s like Heaven opens and the atmosphere in the room becomes electric. That is a sign that you are practicing one of your personal spiritual gifts. God gave you that gift and the gift itself will propel you forward. You can trust the process and keep singing regularly and know that God will open doors for you in this area of life.

May God bless you and the exercising of the gifts He has personally given to you. May it be easy to recognize your gifts. May you see the signs of His prospering what you have put your hands or voice to do.

Peace,

Carla

Come Walk This Way

Did you ever have an experience like little Bobby?

¨Bobby said they don´t like him on that sports field, where he just waddled up to join a team on a whim. Why do you think they don´t like you Bobby? Because they told me to get lost....Bobby stuttered as a tear trickled down his little cheek.....¨

Anyone who has gone through any kind of rejection, whether they were young or over 50, it can carry a sting unlike any other. It feels like a slap in the face, an utterance that stuns and shocks the beauty and joy out of a day....a crushing blow especially to the young who seem to be born naturally optimistic.

The thought I wanted to talk about today is that one of the most beautiful attributes that I have learned and experienced of Ǵod is that HE absolutely does not play favourites. He doesn´t pick and choose which humans to love.  

God does not carry a grudge against certain people. God does not carry a spirit of rejection towards any human being. Rejection is not a part of God´s character. God is the Healer. He heals people physically and He also heals their hearts. Emotional and social wounds from years ago can be healed by God´s Spirit, if we give Him the chance. He, the Spirit of God, is truly patient and kind.

Sometimes, we may not even remember an experience of rejection that we may have suffered from many years ago. But God´s love is thorough and patient. His love penetrates the crevices of our hearts, where no one may go. His Spirit has such a delicate love that wipes away fear and trauma. He allows juicy golden tears to wash away the sorrows we have kept locked down for too long.

God loves us all, every single one of us. No matter where you were born, and who your parents were or are, and what your appearance is or isn´t......God´s love is stable. His love is supreme.

Yes, there is hatred in the world, but we can choose not to walk in it. We can face hateful situations without becoming hateful ourselves. It is something we all will face at some point in life. But we must come know that God is Love. He is love personified.

Come walk this way.....walk with the carpenter that taught us all the value of sacrificial love.

Peace,

Carla

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Celebrities and their Low Net Worths....Huh?

I don´t know if this is just me....but I always assumed as soon as someone achieved a certain celebrity status on t.v., that their net worth would increase accordingly and promptly.

But the more I read about the net worth of several reality tv show stars, I see that that is often NOT the case. Many many reality stars who have spent years churning out popular episodes are reported as having net worths of less than one million dollars.

Now, let´s just put net worth into the perspective of a  ¨Toronto¨ homeowner. The average house as per Zolo ( as of Dec 1, 2023)  in Toronto is worth $1,077,531. in canadian funds. That means if you own an average home in Toronto and have  no mortgage on it....you are technically a millionaire. You have a net worth of at least 1 million dollars.

But if we look at, let´s say just for an example, ¨Sue Aiken¨ from the popular northern survival show 

¨Life Below Zero¨ reality series,....Sue is reported by (https://briefly.co.za/97983-sue-aikens-net-worth-salary-husband-divorce-children-career.html) as having a net worth of only $500,000. Now, that is probably in US dollars, so that would be higher if translated into Canadian funds. But still, it would still put her net worth under a million dollars.

But if you look at how many views her episodes have garnered over the years and how recognizeable Sue Aikens is.....you  begin to see a disconnect. The shocking truth is that celebrity and fame does not equal instant wealth. You can be popular and well known and still have a  net worth of less than a million dollars.

Now, you may be correct by saying, that websites that pretend to estimate a celebrity´s net worth are just guessing....and have little factual support. Yes, you may be correct.

But try a little exercise today....what is your favourite reality series? Is it  ¨Selling Sunset¨? Is it 

¨Life Below Zero¨ or ¨Extreme Cheapskates¨? Try typing your favourite actor on one of these shows into your favourite search engine and add the words ¨Net worth¨ and you will be sure to be surprised. Some of the most glamourous tv personalities with very fancy tv wardrobes may have a lower net worth than you do!

So, my blab fest is done. My point is made. TV fame does not equal wealth. Perhaps the net works do not offer good compensation to many celebrities for their participation. Or is it perhaps that many actors or actresses do not know how to negotiate better deals for themselves when it comes to reality tv episodes?

Good business people learn how to leverage their celebrity into several income streams, with licensing deals and merch. They develop the ability to monetize their images into cash machines.

It does bear repeating that fame does not necessarily guarantee a good sense for business. 

So, in summary, if you have had the good fortune of garnering some fame, take the time to learn how to monetize that stardom. Write a book..... produce a line of goods that takes advantage of your perceived area of expertise. Go on podcasts and promote your merch. Become a promoter of a brand you can partner with. Be sure to get good agents and lawyers who will help you maximize the earning power of your fame and help you negotiate the best dollar deals for your next TV appearance. Be a good brand ambassador!

The networks make billions of dollars from the backs of eager reality tv stars. Think they all have the right to prosper? Sure they do.

Peace out,

Carla.

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