I had the pleasure and privilege this past week of attending EntreLeadership, which is a leadership conference put on by Dave Ramsey's organization. Aside from a mind-bending 3 days of intense learning and communing, a very large takeaway came from Dave himself. He shared some of his story with us, and his biggest point was - Don't Give Up. No matter what, don't give up. Sometimes we have to learn the hard way, and sometimes that is the best teacher, but God is totally interested in loving and supporting His people. He wants us to succeed. God doesn't define success the same way we do. But He wants us to use the talents, skills and gifts that He gave us, to glorify Him, and to serve others. He honors our obedience and faith with blessings only He can give. One of Dave's principles is to have the heart of a teacher. I had to prove to him that I have that to be selected as one of his insurance ELP's. Being a teacher means that you let go of your own interests, and pour what you have into someone else. I have found that the more I teach, the more I learn. I am not a professional teacher. Not comparing myself to those heroic souls who take on the world everyday working with our future leaders. But I know that the more I seek to serve Him and other people, the better I feel, the more connected I feel to God, and frankly, the more blessings I get. Not just money. Not really even talking about that. Blessings come in many flavors. Dave said don't quit. Don't give up. Don't stop listening to Him. If you are a believer, He WILL speak to you. You just need to be quiet enough to hear Him. If you are not a believer, He still has a Word for you. It's the Bible, and He speaks directly to non-believers in it. It's a battle out there, no question. Maybe more so than ever in history. Don't stop believing. Don't quit spiritually, civicly, your career, your marriage, your kids, your relationships, your country, your faith, your God, your peace and joy. Someone else may be depending on you. We were not put here on earth to be a hermit. Or a loner. No matter what personality type you are, you have what you need to make a difference. Don't pass it up. Make a difference. Look around. Listen around. Go find somewhere to serve.