Laurie Beth Jones Blog

SWISS ARMY KNIFE
By Laurie Beth Jones

The Swiss have long been known for their economy and efficiency. The famous Swiss Army Knife, shown here, establishes that experts decided these few items are what a mountain climber really needs: a knife, a can opener, a bottle opener, tiny scissors, and a corkscrew. This leads me to believe that Swiss mountain climbers plan on having a good time.
As a leader, you will need to boil down your core values to a very few. You will use these over and over again in many situations. Do you know what they are?
Mine are freedom, joy, beauty, expression, and divine connection.

What are your core values? What are you willing to die for? What makes your heart sing?

Laurie Beth
One Mission at a Time

I believe one of the most amazing things about our work with people all over the world is the friendships we make along the path. Just had a few days in Dallas, TX with ProvenWay Ministries, their leaders and the founder Terri Burnett. The weekend leaders retreat focused on inspiring, encouraging and equipping women in leadership. Terri invited me to share as keynote speaker and I was so blessed by this conference that I am currently contemplating how we might collaborate in a deeper way in our ministry purpose. What a delight she is as she steps forward to focus on women leaders. God is using her in a very unique way to support and equip women leaders.

I also had the opportunity to meet with Lisa Rose, Founder of First Friday who is a dear friend and leader. She is doing some remarkable work as First Friday Women continues to be a marketplace ministry that focuses on personal and spiritual growth as well as outreach to local agencies in South Lake, TX.

Another joy I find in my travels is meeting with members of our Path Community. Men and women of this community amaze and encourage me on a daily basis. Each licensed member, national trainer and leaders of our support teams are meeting with others literally around the world on a daily basis. Their strength and focus to take the Path, the Four Elements and Path Coaching to individuals and teams in their sphere of influence is amazing to watch. We are all vital to the bigger picture of what it means to live our best and highest good in the world using the gifts God has given to us.

There are six newly licensed members that were trained in Dallas last week. You will be meeting them here shortly and learn how they see God leading them as part of this community. Some of the photos in this blog post represent a few of the members of the Path Community from the Dallas trip. I am truly excited about the impact that each of these newest Path Leaders will have in their communities and organizations.

The Path experience is a self discovery process for exploring, rethinking, and embracing personal mission, vision and calling. More and more I hear people asking me how to understand life, live simply knowing they have accomplished ‘their reason for being.” I believe the Path is one of the clearest and easiest ways to find and live your mission. I offer a FREE mission download from my website because I believe so passionately in this process that I want every person to have a mission.

In a few days members of my team and the AGroup web team will launch a new website that will represent our mission to ‘Change the World One Mission at a Time.’ I am anticipating several ways for how others will be able to Find and Live their mission. We have Path Members across the US and International countries that have been making the Path a clear and significant journey for many. It is my prayer and desire that we will continue to impact the seven pillars of society while living full out our personal mission.

How has your personal mission made a difference in your life, work and relationships? Do you have a mission? Have you considered what it might mean for your children to have a personal mission?

Changing the World One Mission at a Time,
Laurie Beth

LEAD A HORSE TO WATER
By Laurie Beth Jones

Leaders know the truth in the saying “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.”
I learned from conversation, that this man is part of a trail riding group that likes to expose their horses to new experiences. This horse is pawing the water in the bay, trying to decide whether to drink it, walk into it, or exit.
Another one of the horses there became an eager and avid swimmer, launching out on her own into deeper water, leaving the rider laughing and clinging to the reins for dear life.
You never know which people on your team may thrive in new situations. That is why Jesus was always testing his team on the road. “How shall we feed these people, Philip?”
Leaders don’t just stick with what they, and their team members, already know how to do.
(Perhaps God is even right now, testing you.) How? What are you learning about leadership? How are you sharing what you have learned?

One Mission at a Time,
Laurie Beth

The Leader and Teams

Barnabas “The Encourager” Tour

Last week I had the distinct privilege of being the keynote speaker at the San Diego, Orange County, and Los Angeles chapters of the Barnabas Group. (www.barnabasgroup.org)

This is a group of marketplace leaders who meet quarterly to encourage, evaluate, and then fund ministries around the world and in their local area. If any skeptic wanted to see “do-ers of the Word” all they would need to do is attend one of these meetings. We heard from a young man whose passion is providing wheelchairs for those who cannot afford them, a couple who took a dance van into the streets of LA and started a school, missionaries who are smuggling Bibles into the Hamas, adoption agencies and a ministry to adoptive families, a young couple who filmed orphans in Haiti and had their footage carried by CNN, global outreach which gives real time measurements of inquiries about Christ around the world. I was so inspired and humbled I could barely speak when my turn came. Of course, being a Wind/Fire I did rise to the podium and deliver a heart felt message about all that we are doing, and how. I included our vision for the Seven Pillars of Society, and of the work we are doing with Path For Teens in places like Cambodia. Shannell McMillan and Debbie Rose joined us in Orange County, two of our Path4Teens trainers. I spoke especially about Jesus, Career Counselor, and how finding and keeping your perfect work is a responsibility that every person has… Interestingly enough, David Kinnaman, President of the Barna Group, presented research showing that helping young people find their vocation is one of the top three trends in the next decade for Christian churches. So, with Jesus Career Counselor, we are right on target.

I invite you to check out some of the ministries that were presented in the links below:

www.Globalmediaoutreach.com www.opendoorsusa.org www.streetschoolnetwork.org
www.Birthchoiceoc.org www.finallyhomefoundation.net www.oassisofhollywood.org,

Find and Live Your Mission!

Laurie Beth

We are so excited about how the Path4Teens is making advancements to the Nations. Pioneer Circuits CEO, Mr Jim Lee, has developed a team that has been using the Path4Teens Program in the Santa Ana and Long Beach, California schools. In 2009 he and his team also extended this program with one of their contacts in Cambodia. The acceptance was overwhelmingly positive. He and his team began working closely with our organization to translate the teen workbook in the primary language and incorporated pictures from the students that experienced the program. Their recent return trip in March was even more impacting. They will now return this month to meet with government officials and ministers of education in order to determine how to move this life changing program for all their schools. Mr Lee shares in the video below. We are encouraged and highly support his efforts and vision with Path4Teens.
Blessings as you lead and serve’
Laurie Beth