Have a purposeful new year

As you take stock of last year and face the new year, what do you hope to accomplish? And how do you plan to get there? Because we all need a plan.

If you missed the On-Purpose Leadership Experience last fall, please take the opportunity to join Kevin McCarthy for a free webcast preview of the January edition. This program is sponsored by our chamber.

I attended last fall, and it was a real eye-opener. Kevin's On-Purpose method helped me build a framework to figure out what to do -- and what to stop doing. Articulating my purpose helped me see what parts of my life fit and which don't. it helped me focus on which goals are really important, and which ones I can set aside for awhile.

No matter how good or how challenging your life has been lately, don't go another year without really knowing who you are, who you can become, and how to get there.

Register online for the preview, and prepare to enter the new year with purpose.

Mark & Brodie's Christmas Message

To reach younger consumers, think globally

I had to go to Germany to get the right watchband. What strikes me as odd is not that I paid twenty euros for a watchband, but that I could only find one store that had the size, color, and material I wanted. That the store was in Germany was almost -- but not entirely -- irrelevant. There was the price of shipping and the exchange rate to think about.

Other than that, once I found a website with a product that met my admittedly picky specifications, I placed my order, logged into PayPal, and sent my funds off to Uhrenbandversand in Oranienburg. In a little over a week, I received my package by luftpost.

Pollster John Zogby places me and my contemporaries in an age cohort he calls “Nikes,” because our motto, he says, is “just do it.” This is the group also known as “Generation X,” that hard-to-pin-down bunch that followed the baby boomers. After us comes what Zogby calls the “First Globals,” those born 1979–90. Even more than I, with my euro-spending ways, First Globals see a world without borders.

Understanding First Globals is necessary for marketing to them, and in his book The Way We’ll Be, Zogby details their worldview. Regarding the Kyoto accords, the International Criminal Court and the role of the United Nations, he says, their position is “sharply at odds with the generations just ahead of them.”

To get them to listen to whatever you’re selling, you have to get down to where they are. You have to make yourself equally a citizen of planet Earth, and you need to recognize that, for them, embracing diversity isn’t a matter of political correctness but a habit of mind.

The Way We’ll Be is packed with demographic information not only about different generations but about different mindsets. Zogby describes the major movements in our culture: living with limits, embracing diversity, looking inward, and demanding authenticity. This book is an excellent resource for understanding these movements, which will be key to reaching whatever demographic is your target market.

To reach First Globals, Zogby says you must stretch your borders. Though their worldview may differ from yours, you can successfully reach them by “opening doors, not closing them.”

If you stretch the borders of your business far enough, you might even make customers of First Globals in Germany.

And a little child shall lead the gadget design market

One of my favorite verses is Proverbs 21:5--“The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.” It’s a reminder that accomplishing business goals takes time, planning, and hard work.

Photo of dzdock One by dzlabs

This ingenious gadget, designed by an 11-year-old, is evidence of what such diligence can lead to. Dino Zaharakis noticed that many iPad and iPhone holders don’t accommodate devices in a case or with the cord attached. He also noticed that although many products are designed in the USA, few are made here.

Instead of just bemoaning the trade deficit, Zaharakis applied himself to designing a "one for all” gadget stand. His design is a wonder of simplicity. Then his dad helped bring this idea into reality.

The Zaharakis family lives the not-so-fondly named “rust belt.” They chose local companies to manufacture the final product. As the dzdock website says, “American-made. American-designed. Yes, we can still do it!”

In applying diligence to bring his concept to fruition, Dino Zaharakis reminds me of another great verse: 1 Timothy 4:12--“Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example…”

Do you have a product manufactured locally? Tell us your story.

Discerning God's will — the executive summary

We often struggle with decisions, wondering whether what we are preparing to do is God’s will or our own. Making Godly Decisions by Os Hillman is the most concise teaching I have found on the subject.

Hillman’s advice is focused on four main areas:

• Hearing the voice of God
• Decision-making methods
• Confirmation processes
• Timing for implementation

This book is scripturally based and includes real-life anecdotes to illustrate the principles given. Each chapter includes questions for reflection, journaling, or group discussion. It is available as a paperback or as an e-book.

Making Godly Decisions is full of common sense, but also full of Biblical sense, which is sometimes uncommon. For example, Hillman says “the final determining factor on whether we should do something is whether God has directed us to do it, not whether it makes sense.”

I appreciate the conciseness of this book. I have heard of publishers that will not accept very brief books. Presumably they are not worth the effort to print. Nonsense. In just 80 pages, Hillman sums up the subject very well, leaving me feeling, for the first time in -- well, ever -- that I get it. Any more would have been fluff. Don’t we already have too much fluff to deal with?

In reading this book, the most important lesson you learn may be, as was the case for me, that you already know more about godly decision-making that you realize.

Christian HELP assists the unemployed, hurting, and hungry. In its 18 years, it has produced astounding results for job seekers, with over 71,000 people connected with jobs. The need is still great, with unemployment in Florida at 11.9 percent and poverty rising.

Christian HELP has also distributed 6.8 million pounds of food. The center's 2,000-square-foot food pantry prevents people from choosing between paying their bills and feeding their families.

Christian HELP is a safe place for all job seekers regardless of faith. Its volunteers give Bibles to any job seeker who wants one.

Recognized as a model faith-based organization by the White House in 2003, Christian HELP and its Central Florida Employment Council Division help people get jobs in the following ways:

One on one employment counseling
Job skills classes
An online job board
Six major job fairs
Employment seminars

Consider supporting this ministry by volunteering, by donating to its food pantry, or by donating to the Bible fund.

To learn more, contact chamber member Sandi Vidal (407) 497-3329. She can also provide you with a DVD of this video:

Every manager should read this book

How Full is Your Bucket? by Tom Rath and Donald O. Clifton, is based on the simple metaphor of a bucket and a dipper. Each of us has a bucket that is continually filled or drained by our interactions with other people. Positive encounters fill us up, and negative encounters drain us.

Among the authors' key points:

• The Number One reason people leave their jobs is they don't feel appreciated.
• Praise must be meaningful and specific.
• Recognition is most appreciated and effective when it is individualized, specific, and deserved.
• We are at our best when our buckets are full, and at our worst when they are empty.
• Every interaction is an opportunity to fill someone's bucket — or drain it.
• When we fill other people's buckets, we simultaneously fill our own.

Like parents who focus on the F's on a report card rather than the A's, many managers focus on critiquing weaknesses rather than developing strengths.

Mind you, it's not possible to simply offer groundless praise. As the authors note, "positivity must be grounded in reality." They cite the pointlessness of "Employee of the Month" programs, because inevitably — in the interests of "fairness" — every employee gets one. I've also seen workplaces where the award just moves about between a select few high performers, which may be more honest but doesn't do anything to lift up the mid-level performers.

Every worker has room for improvement. But consider a method used by many writers' groups, including the one I belong to. It's called the "sandwich method," though being a bookish person, I prefer to think of it as bookends.

Start with a genuine compliment, then give constructive feedback on what needs fixing, then end with more praise for strong points. Employees, like students, and writers, need to build on their strengths in addition to improving their weaknesses.

Individualization is important, because while one worker may appreciate a plaque to hang on the wall, another might prefer some extra time off to spend with family. To aid in this, the book includes a "Bucket Filling Interview," which can help managers learn about what really motivates each employee.

How Full is Your Bucket? will not only help managers encourage employees, it will help anyone see where they've been missing opportunities to fill other people's buckets.

Called to restore a historic Jamaican church

By Jim Whitten

On the north coast of Jamaica, cruise lines are building a mammoth new terminal at Falmouth Harbor, just 20 miles from the tourist haven of Montego Bay. When the terminal is completed, probably by November, cruise ships will unload passengers by the thousands. Time had passed by Falmouth, despite its deep-water harbor on the Atlantic Ocean. Now it will be a tourist destination.

Falmouth was founded in 1790, but the Anglican Church designated a site for a sanctuary as early as 1771. Some tombstones in the site's graveyard predate even that.

Trelawny Parish Church of St. Peter the Apostle, with its classic Georgian architecture, was completed in 1796. The bell tower, containing three carillon bells, stands 60 feet tall - still the tallest structure in Falmouth.

If this church looks familiar, it may be because it was seen in the 1973 movie "Papillion."

The church's three-foot-thick walls are made of local limestone. The floors, altar, pews and decorative interior woodwork are native mahogany. Intricate stained-glass windows were dedicated at various times to adorn the church.

But many locals have moved away, to jobs in Montego Bay or elsewhere, and now this 214-year-old church is vacant and in disrepair. The altar area cannot be used because of wood rot. Stucco is falling off the walls. The grounds are overgrown with weeds, and the graveyard is turning into a briar patch.

But there is always hope. Joyce Ledbetter worked for the cruise lines in Jamaica for several years before retiring to Orlando. She was asked to return to Jamaica to help complete the Falmouth cruise terminal. When she discovered Trelawny Parish Church, she felt called to help restore it. "I knew this was a holy place," she said, "and I could feel the prayers of the faithful that had permeated the church. I have stopped at that old church so many times and prayed there. It has a comfortable feeling."

Joyce learned that the Bishop of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, the Rt. Rev. Alfred C. Reid, sent a yearly stipend for maintenance, but it was very small and did not go far.

When those boatloads of cruise passengers disembark at Falmouth, the main road will take them right past the church. Joyce has a vision to restore that historic holy place, giving it new life and giving future generations new hope. We should not forget the past for the sake of the future. We must treasure our religious heritage and preserve landmarks that honor religious freedom and our Christian way of life.

Joyce contacted chamber member Jim Whitten to bring the plight of Trelawny Parish Church to the attention of her friends in Central Florida. With the help from Steadman White and Joseph Nunes, a "Save The Church" committee was formed. Nunes contacted the bishop, who approved sprucing up the church grounds and painting the interior. The Episcopal Jamaican community is supporting Ledbetter's dream with bake sales and fundraisers.

Donations in support of this effort may be made to Joyce Ledbetter, for the Trelawny Parish Church of Falmouth, Jamaica. Send your donations to the attention of Jim Whitten, St. Mary of the Angels Episcopal Church, 6316 Matchett Road, Orlando FL 42809.

For additional information, contact Jim Whitten  

A longer version of this article appeared in the July 2010 issue of Episcopalian Central Florida.

In the dark

About a dozen of us had the opportunity to visit the staff of Lighthouse Central Florida the other day for their "Blink of an Eye" session.

Lighthouse is a nonprofit that serves people with severe or total vision loss, providing life skills training for adults and children, along with instruction for parents of children who have vision loss.

Lighthouse serves 1,000 people a year, a number restricted only by available resources. The need for Lighthouse's services is growing, because of Florida's large population of elder citizens. The math is staggering. Half of people over the age of 65 are at risk for one of the three most common causes of vision loss: diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, and glaucoma. A study by myregion.org projects that by 2030 Central Florida will have 3 million citizens over age 65, giving Lighthouse potentially 1.5 million people needing services.

As part of the session we went, as they say, "under blindfold," to learn what it's like to attend Lighthouse training. It was unnerving, going instantly from a bright conference room to utter darkness. I bumped into the doorjamb.

We were led, each with a hand on the shoulder of the person in front of us, down the hall and around a corner and into another room. Someone took my arm and guided me to a chair. The compulsion to lift the blindfold, just long enough to orient myself, was fierce. I resisted.

I put out my hand, discerned the upholstered front of the chair from the metal back, felt around for the seat. I lowered myself cautiously, and probably even more awkwardly than usual, into the chair.

An instructor told someone near me to write a check. "Make it out to Lighthouse..." There was laughter, then an explanation. The checkbook, my unseen fellow traveler was told, was on the table.

There was a table? I put out my hand. Yep. Table.

My task was to write a shopping list. Uh-oh. My notoriously bad handwriting was about to get a workout. The instructor explained that the paper was in a folder with windows cut out. All I had to do was feel for the windows and write inside them. This I could do only by keeping my left fingers right up against the tip of the pen. I think I misspelled "Mojo Criollo," but then, I often do.

Once we had finished our varied tasks, we were allowed to come out from under the blindfolds. My grocery list was only slightly more illegible than usual. The checkbook got passed around. It was oversize, printed in a heavy ink that gives high contrast, for those with low vision. The printing is also raised, so a person with no vision can feel the lines.

Lighthouse has many needs, including volunteers, new chairs for its boardroom, flash drives, laptop computers, and gardening supplies for classes. They are also looking for grounds maintenance, pressure washing, and carpet cleaning services, and a marketing agency to help spread their message. For a complete list, visit the Lighthouse Central Florida website.

There's a great deal more to see at Lighthouse, including computers equipped with screen readers. I urge you to visit sometime. "Blink of an Eye" tours are held on the third Wednesday of each month at 7:30 a.m., with bagels and lots of coffee. The decaf is in the pot with a patch of Velcro on top.

Pulling through

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke added his voice to those who say we are not facing a “double-dip” recession. Gross Domestic Product is increasing, albeit slowly. Bernanke said, though, that the recovery “won't feel terrific."

Among those in agreement is investment advisor Barry Ritzholz, who said on his blog Monday wrote, “Following the initial surge in data off of the lows, we have entered a slowing phase of the recovery.”

Ritzholz discredits those who forecast a “double-dip” recession by pointing out that although some economic indicators are slowing, “none of it is consistent with past double dip recessions.”

But we are in, as he puts it, “a soft patch.” And Bernanke warns us that the recovery is not “going to be fast enough to put back eight million people who lost their jobs within a few years.”

Of course, we know that small business is a great driver of employment. According to the Small Business Administration, businesses with fewer than 500 employees account for more than half of American workers. Also, “While small firms create a majority of the net new jobs, their share of employment remains steady since some firms grow into large firms as they create new jobs.”

Your chamber is here to help you through this soft patch. Through the events and courses we offer, our goal is to help you build the relationships you need to succeed. That’s why Monica Wofford will be talking to us Thursday about leadership. That’s why we’ve lined up teachers to help you build your business and claim your place in the Seven Mountains of Culture. And that’s why, on any given Friday, you can meet with your peers to brainstorm answers to the challenges you face in your business.

As Christian businesspeople, we don’t face these tough times alone. We are part of a family of faith that serves a mighty God. So when the stock market wavers and nonfarm payrolls are down and the European debt situation starts looking pretty bleak, take heart. He has overcome the world.

Business-Building Summer Seminar Series

Join us for four seminars designed to help your bottom line. Each seminar will be held twice — in the morning in East Orlando on a different day at midday in the Millenia Mall area. The total price for the entire series is only $25 for chamber members and $45 for nonmembers.

Classroom sizes are limited, so make your reservations now. Here’s the schedule:

Effectively Starting Your Business (Building Businesses That Last)

June 17, 7:30 AM, Asbury University, Ron Wilkinson
July 15, 11:30 AM, Belhaven University, Ron Wilkinson

With companies downsizing, the best way to secure your future may be to start and build your own business. This seminar will give you the basics for a solid business structure and will help you get started on a firm foundation. You will learn:

• Writing and monitoring a business plan
• Determining proper business structure (Sole Proprietorship, LLC, C-Corp, S-Corp)
• Securing Funding
• Identifying HR needs

Effectively Branding Your Business (Building a Brand That Lasts)

June 17, 11:30 AM, Belhaven University, Bill Webster
July 15, 7:30 AM, Asbury University, Bill Webster

Many products and services can be rapidly identified just by their logo. Getting potential customers or clients to easily and effectively know your brand builds loyalty and increases your bottom line. In this seminar you will learn:

• How to develop your brand for traditional and online marketing
• How to communicate your brand traditionally and online
• How to extend your brand through Social Media

Effectively Social-Marketing Your Business (Building Marketing That Lasts)

July 29, 11:30 AM, Belhaven University, Bill Webster
August 19, 7:30 AM, Asbury University, Bill Webster

We have become a global cyber-community. People increasingly communicate via the Internet. While there is much clutter in many of these social media channels, the potential to develop and implement effective marketing strategies is huge. In this seminar you will learn:

• How to develop, maintain and protect your online message
• How to build and leverage social capital to take action
• The Social Media "must use" tools

Effectively Developing Relationships in Your Business (Building Relationships That Last)

July 29, 7:30 AM, Asbury University, Judy Boyce
August 19, 11:30 AM, Belhaven University, Judy Boyce

Relationships are at the core of every business -- with employees, clients, vendors, and yourself. Knowing people’s preferences and methods of learning increases your understanding of how best to relate to those around you. In this seminar you will learn how to:

• Hire the right people
• Manage correctly
• Serve your clients effectively

Note that all morning classes are at Asbury University and all midday classes are at Belhaven University.

Click here to purchase online or call the chamber office at (407) 814-1124.

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Reminder: the deadline to register for the June 10 Business-Building Lunch with Monica Wofford of Contagious Companies is noon on Tuesday, June 8.

Last week we wrapped up the first round of the Seven Mountains Mandate with an awesome, spirit-filled time of fellowship and prayer. Seven Mountains 2.0 will begin in the middle of next, with kickoff currently planned for June 14.

The Seven Mountains of Cultural Influence are

• Arts & Entertainment
• Business
• Education
• Family
• Government
• Media
• Religion

All chamber members are operating in the Business mountain, and we are all probably in the Family and Religion mountains also. Through our connections, each of us has the potential to indirectly touch every mountain at one time or another. But each of us is called to one primary mountain focus.

The goal of Seven Mountains training is to help you identify which of these is your mountain and to equip you to stake God's claim on it. We hope you'll plan on joining us in this kingdom-building work.

This video explains more about the Seven Mountains Mandate.



Please keep our program leaders, Julie and Dennis Matula, in your prayers as they foster this growing program. Also, be in prayer about the role God has for you in the Seven Mountains Mandate and how He might use you to make a difference in your community and culture.

A good contagion

Our next Business-Building Lunch will be Thursday, June 10, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., in Faith Hall at First Baptist Orlando.

Our featured speaker will be Monica Wofford of Contagious Companies.

Cost: $25 for chamber members and $35 for nonmembers
Table sponsorships, which include seating for 8 people, are $200 and are available to members only. Call the office to set up your sponsorship.

Register by noon on Tuesday, June 8.

Order your tickets online using our secure service, or call the office at 407-814-1124.

Diversification is the key to preserving state’s place in space

By Kristen Stieffel

Although the Space Coast was prepared for the end of the shuttle program, the sudden cancellation of its replacement, the Constellation program, left us scrambling for direction. What next?

Maintaining — or increasing — Florida’s role in space exploration and keeping our space workers from looking elsewhere for jobs will require government, academia and business working together to diversify Florida’s role.

Economic development leaders, brought together by the UCF Metropolitan Center for Regional Studies in an April 16 public forum, agree that Florida’s present focus on launch operations will not suffice as more of the space program is transferred to private industry.

Lynda Weatherman, president and CEO of the Economic Development Commission of Florida's Space Coast, said business has always had a large part in the space program. Her organization has been working with “the usual suspects” for many years, including Orbital Science, Lockheed Martin and United Launch Alliance. She said growth in the industry will be bolstered by asking such companies “what is it that you need that this state can deliver in the next two years?” Some of those needs will be filled by companies already in the market.

Brevard Workforce is recruiting businesses to help place shuttle workers in new positions. Among the workers that will be seeking new positions are data management specialists, machine operators, project managers, electrical engineers, and quality control managers. To see whether your company can benefit from the organization’s efforts, visit the Aerospace Workforce Transition Program website.

In addition to three areas in which Florida already has expertise — launch operations, payload processing and ground support — Space Florida identified seven market sectors in which Florida’s space industry has room for expansion:

• Environmental monitoring, which includes applications for weather observation and agriculture
• Emergency management
• Life sciences
• Communications and robotics, which is a large part of defense as well as spaceflight
• Adventure tourism
• Clean energy, including photovoltaics and alternative fuels
• Development of new materials

With the International Space Station nearing completion, it will be available to universities and companies for microgravity experiments. Such work will need to be coordinated Earthside, and Frank DiBello, president of Space Florida, believes Central Florida is the perfect place for that.

He said Lake Nona’s Medical City is an ideal site for the ISS ground node. Space Florida is reaching out to pharmaceutical companies around the world to educate them about the possibilities in this area.

M.J. Soileau, vice president for research & commercialization at the University of Central Florida, attended NASA’s Conference on the American Space Program for the 21st Century, held at Kennedy Space Center April 15. There, he learned that reaching Mars will be impractical, if not impossible, with current materials. The mass of such a ship would be ten times that of the ISS, as it would need to carry, said Soileau, “A year and a half of life support.”

He said entities in the Florida High Tech Corridor, which includes UCF, University of Florida and University of South Florida, are “working technologies that will be critical to the next phase of our space program.” Those technologies include not only structures but new materials: Lighter-weight materials and more efficient fuels will be needed to reach Mars.

Soileau said it’s likely that companies that will dominate in the development of these new resources “don’t exist yet,” but UCF’s Business Incubation Program can help entrepreneurs with new ideas be successful.

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy set a goal of “helping make the I-4 corridor the Silicon Valley of space.” Soileau said this goal is achievable, given the “intellectual infrastructure” of the High Tech Corridor.

For companies and entrepreneurs looking to break into the space business, Soileau said UCF is prepared to help with research and development. “Give us a call,” he said. “We’re ready to play.”

The Buck stops here

Buck Jacobs, founder of C12 Group, will be the featured speaker at our next Business-Building Lunch May 4, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., in Faith Hall at First Baptist Orlando. Cost: $20 for chamber members and $30 for nonmembers.

Buck will talk about successful organizational development based on principles from scripture.

Order online or call our office at (407) 814-1124 to pay by phone. Table sponsorships, which include seating for eight people, are $200 and are available to members only. These may not be purchased online; call the office to order.

For more information on Buck Jacobs and C12 Group, visit the chamber website.

Fellowship Friday

Tomorrow we will meet at the Panera Bread at The Mall of Millenia, 4200 Conroy Road in Orlando. This is not a typical "networking" meeting. We develop and nurture relationships, share ideas, and help each other with challenges. Our motto is "Bring your challenges - not your leads."

Tomorrow, we'll talk about how to make a facilitated introduction.

We meet from 7:30 a.m. until the last person leaves. If you have any questions, call Mark at (407) 484-3899

One week left to have lunch with John Ashcroft

The deadline to register for the April 6 Business-Building Lunch with former US Attorney General John Ashcroft is April 1. Only 70 seats remain, and none will be sold at the door. So if you want to attend, you need to order now before those last seats are taken. You know what to do.

We hope to see you there!

Worth waking early for

I'm not a morning person, but I cranked the alarm clock back half an hour to get to Fellowship Friday today. I'm glad I did.

President Mark Goldstein developed this weekly meeting format so he could spend more quality time with chamber members. Every Friday Mark shows up at a designated Panera location, where he will help us help each other effectively grow our businesses.

This is not a mingling scenario where you wander about for a while, making small talk with as many people as possible. This is a small group scenario where we share our strengths and challenges and talk about how God is moving in our lives.

This is an ideal format for introverts because it is structured and small. It's ideal for anyone who likes to bounce ideas off others and get good advice from people who care.

Mark will be riding the circuit, as it were, stopping at a Panera near you. Stop in once in a while and get to know some of your fellow members on a deeper level. Pray, brainstorm, encourage and be encouraged.

And if it's a bit early for you … well, you can always grab a good cup of coffee.

Upcoming meetings:

March 26: 1210 S. International Pkwy. (at Lake Mary Blvd.)
April 2: 3131 Daniels Rd. (Winter Garden Village at Fowlers Grove)

All meetings begin at 7:30 a.m. and end when the last person leaves.

If you have any questions or want to recommend a location, call Mark at (407) 484-3899.

Lunch with John Ashcroft

John Ashcroft will be the featured speaker at the chamber's April 6 luncheon. Ashcroft is currently a professor of law and government at Regent University, which made his appearance possible. You might remember him from some of his earlier roles: governor of Missouri, senator, and U.S. attorney general.
Ashcroft led the U.S. law enforcement community following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. His tenure was highlighted by forceful public advocacy of a strong anti-terrorism strategy.

All seats must be paid for in advance. We will not be selling tickets at the door for this event.

When: Tuesday, April 6, 11:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Doors will open at 10:45 a.m.
Where: Faith Hall, First Baptist Orlando
Cost: $20 for chamber members and $30 for nonmembers.

Order online or (407) 814-1124.
Thank You To Our March Lunch Sponsor Regent University.

Seeking people to meet needs

SunriseArc in Leesburg needs a donated projector for PowerPoint presentations. This nonprofit organization serves adults with disabilities.

Development Assistant Kathryn Parrish says the group makes many presentations to state government entities, local civic organizations, and churches. The projector would also be used in training sessions for staff who provide direct care to clients.

If you or your company can meet his need, please contact Parrish at (352) 787-3079, Ext. 12.

SunriseArc’s programs help people with disabilities achieve independence and participate in their communities. SunriseArc’s Web site is here.

Meanwhile, over at the Mustard Seed, they are in need of beds. The group serves about 100 families a month. Many of these people are sleeping on the floor. The Mustard Seed provides household furnishings and other basics to people struggling to reestablish a home after suffering a disaster or a personal tragedy and to others in need. Learn more, see The Mustard Seed Web site.

Facing 2010 with confidence

Ann Sonntag, an award-winning journalist, is publisher of Orlando Business Journal. She has been named one of Orlando's Most Powerful People in 2005, 2006 and 2007, by Orlando Magazine.
 
Ann will be our featured speaker at the February Business-Building Lunch Feb. 2 with a talk titled "Economic Realities In 2010." Some indicators show we may be pulling out of the trough, but the road to recovery is likely to be long. Ann shared some of her thoughts with Randye McLemore in this interview:



Join us at First Baptist Orlando's Faith Hall Conference Center Feb. 2, 11:00 a.m.-1 p.m. The member price is $20, and the non-member price is $30. Pay online at our Web site, or call our office at 407-814-1124. You may also mail a check to: CF Christian Chamber, 1631 Rock Springs Rd. Ste. 239, Apopka FL 32712. Please include name and business for each person attending.

Thank you to our February lunch sponsor, Lykes Insurance.

Help Chamber Members Help Haitians

Chamber members are coming to the aid of Haitians who have been devastated by the recent earthquakes. Prayerfully consider helping these members help our Haitian brothers and sisters:

Harvest-Time International provides relief to disaster, hunger and refugee victims worldwide. They distribute food, clothing, household goods, hygiene products, medicine, blankets and whatever else is requested to meet the needs in these regions. Contact: Andre Smolinsky, 407-474-3905.

Cornerstone Christian University in Orlando operates a school for children in Haiti. The school provides children with a Christian education at no cost, as well as meeting many of the children's essential needs. According to founder Dr. Ted Ridore, the school was completely destroyed. Visit the Web site to provide funds to rebuild this school and to learn about future missionary opportunities. Contact: Dr. Ridore, 407-879-1597.

Frank Mannina, owner of FM Printing, is organizing volunteers to come to Northland Church to make 100,000 meals for Haitian children. 200 volunteers are needed on January 30 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. to assemble the meals. Contact: Frank Mannina, 407-496-2646.

You can do without this "special" delivery

This just landed in my inbox:

The courier company was not able to deliver your parcel by your address.

Cause: Error in shipping address.
You may pickup the parcel at our post office personaly!
...The shipping label is attached to this e-mail.
Please print this label to get this package at our post office....

The message purports to be from DHL and sports a convincingly spoofed "dhl.com" e-mail address.

The attachment is called "DHL_Label_NR34791.zip," and that's the real tip-off.

Well, that and the fact that I'm not expecting anything to be delivered by anyone.

Even if I were, why would a simple shipping label be in a zip file?

It wouldn't. It would be a pdf, surely. Or I'd be instructed to log into dhl.com with my tracking number.

This attachment and others like it -- the numbers appear to be randomly generated (yes, I got 2 of them with different numbers) -- contains a trojan that will install malware on your Windows computer. But even if you have a Mac, you should not open unexpected attachments from unverifiable sources.

For more on Bredolab, see Hoax-Slayer and Symantec.

Are you booked?

The SHINE seminar series begins Jan. 14. Please arrive promptly at 7:15am as the seminar will begin at 7:30 and will end at 8:30. Since there is no charge for the seminar other than the cost of the book and workbook, no food or beverages will be provided--but please feel free to bring your own.

If you don't have the book or workbook already, they will be available at the seminar at a cost of $10 each. You can pay using credit card at the Belhaven location only. Those attending at Palm Beach Atlantic must pay with cash or check. If you are attending at PBA and would like to pay using a credit card, just contact our office at (407) 814-1124 and pre-pay.

If you haven't yet decided which location you want to attend, please do so as soon as possible. At present, there are more seats available at PBA. The course will continue weekly for 12 weeks.

We look forward to seeing you next week as we learn how to effectively Serve others, Honor God, Improve continually, Navigate with values, and Excel in relationships.

Shine on

Kris den Besten, author of SHINE, asked us at the November luncheon whether, when people watch us, they see a worker, or an instrument created by God to bring him glory. He also introduced us to the acronym SHINE:

S	Serve others
H	Honor God
I	Improve continually
N	Navigate by values
E	Earn Recommendations

Seminars based on den Besten's book SHINE will be held at Belhaven College in Maitland and Palm Beach Atlantic University in Orlando beginning Jan. 14. Facilitators will be Eddy Moratin of Lifework Leadership and Mark Goldstein, president of the Christian Chamber.

Both seminars will be held from 7:15-8:30 a.m. The seminars are free. Both the book and workbook will be available at the seminar.

To register and choose a location to attend, e-mail us or call Mark at (407) 484-3899.

For many of us, the workplace may be our primary mission field. SHINE shows how to move from making a living to making a difference.

You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
--Matt. 5:14-16 (NRSV)