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By ellis j. still
People sometimes say that dogs and their owners start to look alike over time. While I certainly hope that isn’t the case, I can say that we adopt mannerisms from each other. Here are five things that I learned from our family dog, Peanut:
- Bacon makes everything taste better. Everything.
- Life is fun. Live is a vibrant canvas from which to play around with. Sure, one does face life’s challenges, but only for a short time. Joy comes with the morning.
- Unconditional love is beneficial. Love is patient, love is kind, love is not jealous, it does not boast, it does not become conceited, it does not behave dishonorably, it is not selfish, it does not become angry, it does not keep a record of wrongs, it does not rejoice at unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
- It is important to take time to refresh and explore the great outdoors. Go camping. Visit the local park. Enjoy quiet time with nature, and with God. Revive yourself.
- Get some rest. Exercise. Take care of your body. If you don’t take care of you, then who will?
Bonus: It’s ok to hit the reset button. He can be mad at us for leaving the house (even if it’s just to take out the trash) but as soon as we come back in he’s already forgiven us and ready to play.
Question: Are you a dog owner? What have you learned from your pet?
© 2014, Ellis J. Still. All rights reserved
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I may have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255
__________________________________________
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like what you read and you are not yet a Subscriber to my blog, why not subscribe now? All posts are original, there is no fixed schedule, so you would not have to check my blog regularly, and you will be receiving an authentic review of books, organizations and life experiences as a husband and entrepreneur. If you change your mind, it is easy to unsubscribe. Once you sign up, visit your email inbox to verify your email address. Check your spam folder if you don’t receive any verification
The King’s Men Tour: Gospel Music Concert Review
by: ellis j. still
The King’s Men Tour has got to be the best concert that I have attended in my entire life.
Ellis & Tina Still, with The King’s Men
(l-r) Donnie McClurkin, Kirk Franklin, Marvin Sapp & Israel Houghton
(click on photo to enlarge)
On Saturday, October 6th, 2012, my wife Tina and I ventured from New Jersey to Washington DC for a round of golf (me), a tour of The White House, and a concert, The King’s Men Tour. If you have not heard of the tour, it features gospel music heavyweights Israel Houghton, Donnie McClurkin, Marvin Sapp, and Kirk Franklin, spur of the moment add-ons Tye Tribbett and Byron Cage and amazing background vocalist including recording artist Isaac Caree and Sunday Best season 4 winner Amber Bullock.
I have had the opportunity to see all of the above minister at my church home with the exception of Kirk Franklin & Byron Cage, so I knew to expect a great show.
Not only was it a great show, but The King’s Men completely exceeded my expectations. Usually music artists require that they use their own personnel (musicians, background vocals, ect.) for their performance. It is rare, if ever, that they make the extra effort to create the logistics to work together with other artists.
However, for The King’s Men Tour, all of the artists used the same band and personnel, which made the entire evening seamless. There were no intermissions needed between artists’ performances, which tend to make concerts that feature multiple artists really long. The King’s Men artists and their music were interwoven in a way that seemed natural, and the band was on point when artists broke out in a spontaneous song.
The King’s Men (click on photo to enlarge)
Who says Christians are dry and do not know how to have fun. It was an enjoyable evening filled with impressive music, flawless vocals, lots of laughter, and deep seeded worship. All of the artists demonstrated all of these components, but in their own way. It is impossible to describe things in great detail, so here are a few snippets:
Byron Cage, a last minute addition, opened the evening with a men’s choir from the Washington DC area, who brought the house down with a creative mixture of new school worship, and old school gospel.
Israel Houghton (click photo to enlarge)
Israel Houghton is my all time favorite artist. In fact, when we were back stage to visit with the artists, Tina jokingly but seriously told on me by telling Israel that I listen to his Christmas CD all year round.
On stage, Israel told his personal life story, which I had never heard before. Israel is known for his worship, playing the guitar, and for his special affinity towards live bands. What I did not know is that Israel’s talent goes way beyond the guitar (you’ll have to go to the concert to know what I’m talking about), which was a pleasant surprise to all of the thousands of people present.
Marvin Sapp (click on photo to enlarge)
Marvin Sapp really surprised me by his vocal range. Yes – Marvin is anointed with exceptional vocals on any day, but on this evening, something got hold of him. He could barely contain himself, and the entire place was in tears.
Donnie McClurkin brought us to our knees with spontaneous worship that touched the core of our very being. Donnie, like all of the other King’s Men, in their own way, took us to church, and reminded us that we are the church every day – not just on Sunday.
Donnie McClurkin (click on photo to enlarge)
Tye Tribbett, like Kirk Franklin, is a ball of energy. Even though he was a last minute addition, he and his music fit in nicely.
Kirk Franklin was, well, Kirk Franklin. Kirk is Tina’s all time favorite gospel artist to see live in concert. She had been pleading with me over the years that in order to fully understand why, I had to go to a Kirk Franklin concert myself. Now, I totally understand.
The most important highlight if the night was the open and clear recognition of Jesus Christ. For this evening, the Verizon Center was no longer the Verizon Center. The Verizon Center was Church. Kirk said it best – saying that you believe in God is not enough. ‘God’ can mean anything. Jesus is our everything. Our Ruler. Our Redeemer. Our Provider. Our Shelter. Our Healer. Our Deliverer. Our Father. Our Protector. Our Savior. This is how Kirk Franklin, Tye Tribbett, and the rest of The King’s Men honored our Lord and Savior through song.
Kirk Franklin (click on photo to enlarge)
In conclusion, there are no words to express how this concert has touched my life, and the lives of the other thousands of people at the Verizon Center. Some people think that being a Christian is dry and no fun, and instead turn to things/people that provide temporary hope. If this is you, I encourage you to get tickets to the concert (tix are cheap for the most part). Tour cities and dates are listed on Kirk Franklin’s website.
In order to live, first you have to die.
To view more pictures via Facebook, Click here.
Question: Have you given your heart to Jesus? If not, email me at estill@tinellis.com, and I will show you how.
© 2012, Ellis J. Still. All rights reserved
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the event brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I do, however, have a marketing connection to the musical artists’ brand, topic or product herein. Through the use of links contained herein, my bookstore may provides access to items created by the attached artists for purchase. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255
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Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like what you read and you are not yet a Subscriber to my blog, why not subscribe now? All posts are original, there is no fixed schedule, so you would not have to check my blog regularly, and you will be receiving an authentic review of books, organizations and life experiences as a husband and entrepreneur. If you change your mind, it is easy to unsubscribe. Once you sign up, visit your email inbox to verify your email address. Check your spam folder if you don’t receive any verification
Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference: We are all family here!!!
by: ellis j. still
As I sit in my Chicago Hilton Hotel room, a new awakening is upon me. A new desire. A new drive to succeed. Not that these things ever went away, but more so a refreshing of hope.
Black Enterprise Magazine is not just a business magazine… a semblance of graphics, articles, and advertising as a way to make money.
Black Enterprise Magazine is an institution, from which businesses that happen to be owned by African Americans can grow, support, inspire, and be inspired in business, in life, and in Spirit.
The Black Enterprise Entrepreneur Conference (BEEC) is a reflection of the magazine… a vehicle from which to leverage and to celebrate business success.
It’s about wildly successful people showing love & support to others as they would to themselves. It’s about creating genuine relationships. It’s about positioning success within arm’s reach on new entrepreneurs.
It is important to differentiate between “Black Owned” businesses, which have connotations of being and doing sub-par business, from businesses that happen to be owned by African Americans that secure a footprint in the marketplace, rivaling their non-minority counterparts.
The conference was filled with many growth opportunities, featuring a wide variety of speakers that covered an even wider variety of topics. There were many moments from which to take advantage of creating relationships with peers, mentors, and those who can catapult your business. I, myself, cannot name names, but have had extremely meaningful conversations with several people that I look forward to continuing to strengthen our relationship with.
Yet also, it was refreshing to hear successful and creative CEO level executives talk at length about their business success as it relates to their personal relationship in Christ, which, I believe, is taboo in most business settings.
The highlight of the conference was not a dynamic speaker, nor a media superstar. The highlight of the conference was a moment of despair… where one would gladly jump off the nearest cliff of if he could.
In a room filled with 1,500 people and an undetermined number of people watching via streaming online, finalists were pitching their business as part of a larger national competition to vie for a prize of $10,000. A young man approached the microphone, and began to talk about his business.
He started strong, but began to stumble over his words. He started over at the beginning and again, he was unable to find his words. Visibly shaken, he slowed down his speech, seemingly to try to get his mind to sync with his mouth.
It was kind of like running hurdles in Track & Field, where if you hit a hurdle, you don’t hit just one. It throws you off for the rest of the entire race, and you hit every hurdle afterwards, falling to the ground before reaching the finish line.
This is essentially what happened to this young man. He eventually stopped trying, held his head down, separated himself from the microphone, and walked off the stage dejected.
This is when the cool part happens. This is where you see the true culture and character of Black Enterprise unfold. You see, they did not let him end on that note. They bought him back out on the stage.
Kim Coles who was a judge for the competition, defined that moment in her always loving, smiling, and in this case deliberate yet stern voice, when she said to the young man…
”WE ARE ALL FAMILY IN THIS ROOM”
She went on to say to the young man that one day his business will be wildly successful, and he will look back on that moment and ponder & smile at how far he had come… and laugh.
The entire room of 1,500 people promptly stood up, and graced him with thunderous applause.
This is what Black Enterprise is all about. Kindness. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others. It is not self-seeking; it keeps no record of wrongs. It rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Black enterprise is an institution that demonstrates a love for others through business.
In the coming days, I will post some of my notes from the conference. I cannot go into too much detail, and I did not attend every session, as several sessions met at the same time. I would encourage you to get the latest copy of Black Enterprise: Special 40th Anniversary Edition, which features BE’s Top 100 Businesses, as well as many of the speakers from the conference.
This was my first time attending a Black Enterprise signature event. Having attended, I have a new-found reverence for what Black Enterprise is and its desire to support African American business owners. While social media keeps you informed, in order to truly get results, the cost of attending in person definitely matches the value of what you get in return.
Question: How bad do you want to succeed? Meet us at the Black Enterprise Golf & Tennis Challenge in Florida on Labor Day Weekend and open yourself up to partnering with friendly faces who want to see you succeed.
For pictures, see our Facebook Page
You can also enroll in Black Enterprise’s (free) 2012 Small Business University Hosted by Dell
© 2012, Ellis J. Still. All rights reserved
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255
__________________________________________
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like what you read and you are not yet a Subscriber to my blog, why not subscribe now? All posts are original, there is no fixed schedule, so you would not have to check my blog regularly, and you will be receiving an authentic review of books, organizations and life experiences as a husband and entrepreneur. If you change your mind, it is easy to unsubscribe. Once you sign up, visit your email inbox to verify your email address. Check your spam folder if you don’t receive any verification
Live your life like a Heart In A Box!!!
by: ellis j. still
We are born to dream. As children, we use our imaginations to explore the visions of our mind by acting out what our future could be like. I played with fire trucks and those yellow Tonka construction trucks that were made out of metal, with the assurances that I would be a fireman or construction worker when I grew up.
My next phase was wanting to be an explorer in outer space that would one day save planet Earth. This came from repeatedly watching entire seasons of Star Blazers, Star Trek, and Battlestar Galactica with the one-eyed Cylons. Later came Star Wars, of which I have all six episodes even today.
From there it went to realistically figuring out what I wanted to do with my life. I had great passion for drawing. I also started working in retail at age 16, so maybe I would own my own business one day. However, as I got older, and the world became more real, the creative imagination seemed to disappear and I sought practical venues for planning out my life.
You are taught to do what is proven… what everybody else is doing. To follow the status quo. Very seldom are you taught to be imaginative… to think outside the box – or in this case, inside the box.
Tina and I are avid watchers of the TV show Grey’s Anatomy. While we don’t always agree with the content, it is a well written show, whose characters we often we have dialog about in our home as if they were real people.
There was an episode where one of the main characters was tasked with watching an actual beating heart that’s been placed in a box until it can be transported to its new recipient. The Heart In The box becomes the inspiration to no longer be average, but go on and do great things… that the same imagination that created the Heart In A Box is the same imagination that dreams are made of… that spawns great movements.
Anything that you do in 2012 should be more interesting
than a Heart In A Box.
Anything that you do in life should have meaning, both to yourself, and to others. Anything that you do should be exceptional, and inspire others to greatness.
Dreams are created by a combination of what we see, our imagination, and how we envision it happening… our special personal brand, based on our life experiences.
Are you stuck in a job or situation, but you have a great idea for a business inside of you? Are you doing what you need to do just to get by & merely existing, or are you following the passion that is within you? Are you listening to the voices inside your mind that gives you excuses why you can’t make things happen, or do you listen to God’s word which says that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13).
Heart in a box is all about not living mundane, but doing extraordinary things in an extraordinary way. It is about being inspired to do something outside of the status quo. It requires creativity and courage. It’s about not just knowing and reciting the words “faith without works is dead” (James 2:14-17), but owning it… knowing without a doubt in your inner core that God will do what he promised… that “every place where you set your foot will be yours” (Deut. 11:24). You have to have Faith that as you act on your dreams, God will make up the difference.
Heart In A Box is special because normally when you do a heart transplant, you take the heart out, put it in a cooler, and then you rush to put it into a warm body, and pray that it beats. But with Heart In A Box, it never stopped beating. It never knew that it was not supposed to be beating. The heart did not know that it was doing what it was not supposed to be doing. It just did it.
Question: What are you planning to do in 2012 that the world has told you that you cannot do? What are you planning to do in 2012 that is more awesome than a Heart In A Box?
© 2012, Ellis J. Still. All rights reserved
Heart In A Box image courtesy of http://greysanatomyfans.wordpress.com
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255
__________________________________________
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like what you read and you are not yet a Subscriber to my blog, why not subscribe now? All posts are original, there is no fixed schedule, so you would not have to check my blog regularly, and you will be receiving an authentic review of books, organizations and life experiences as a husband and entrepreneur. If you change your mind, it is easy to unsubscribe. Once you sign up, visit your email inbox to verify your email address. Check your spam folder if you don’t receive any verification
Men On Fire VII: The Perfect Man!!!
by: ellis j. still
“You, therefore, must be perfect (growing into complete maturity of godliness in mind and character, having reached the proper height of virtue and integrity), as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Matthew 5:48 (Amp.)
i.e. – get your swagger back!!!
This is perhaps one of the largest and most significant conferences that is geared towards encouraging, strengthening and building up men in the country, outside of T. D. Jakes.
Every year men travel from across the country to gather on Wednesday evening at Agape Family Worship Center in Rahway, NJ and on Thursday evening at Abundant Life Family Worship Church (ALFWC) in New Brunswick, NJ, with Friday and Saturday sessions held all day at an offsite hotel (this year at the Somerset Doubletree Hotel).
This conference is unique in that it appeals to the issues and challenges that men face, with strategic takeaways that can be applied to everyday life. In addition to building up the spiritual man, Men On Fire also features sessions on entrepreneurship, leadership, finances, and provides many opportunities for fellowship and networking… building up the perfect man, and, building up the entire man.
There is also the awesome praise & worship, and ridiculous band :- )
This year’s installment of Men on Fire will include Bishop George C. Searight, Pastor Lawrence Powell, Bishop Dale Bronner, Bishop Donald Hillard, Bishop Courtney McBath, Dr. Ron Elmore, and Dr. Buster Soaries.
Question: Many great visions, leaders, entrepreneurs, and dreams fulfilled have been birthed out of Men On Fire. Why not take a few days to get away from home, get some great impartation the will benefit you, your family, and everyone around you and get your swagger back?
For more information, see links below:
Men on Fire Facebook Event Page
Abundant Life Family Worship Church (ALFWC) website
Agape Family Worship Center website
Twitter Hash-Tag: #MenOnFireVII
© 2011, Ellis J. Still. All rights reserved
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255
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ellis j. still 