Affinity4 Community Blog

Historically, Lent is a 40-day Catholic season where people observe a special time of prayer, sacrifice, and good works. Lent commemorates the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness, fasting and being tempted by Satan, and has long been considered a time of penance and discipline. It begins on Ash Wednesday, a special day for Catholics to focus on Christ’s suffering and death. It concludes after Holy Week on Easter Sunday, the day to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Present day, people of all ages and walk of life have begun to celebrate Lent as a time to abstain from personal vices, and spend more time focusing on their faith. In a very small way, we use Lent to model the rejection of illusions about what we need, who we are, and who God is. This year, some people at Affinity4 have decided to go to confession, attend church more regularly, and even give up watching TV in an effort to spend more time reading the word of God. I’ve decided to bring my focus back to God by going to church and paying my tithes every Sunday.

Jesus Christ suffered so that we may live. So this season of Lent, no matter of how you choose to express your faith and sacrifice, make sure to appreciate this special time to focus on things bigger than yourself.

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2009 was an exciting year for me, personally. As I was passing my first anniversary with Affinity4, my husband and I received some exciting news: we were going to be expanding our own family! We anticipated our little boy arriving shortly before Christmas, but he had a mind of his own. Early October, a severe case of heartburn concerned me enough to make a trip to the hospital. The next day, our son was born! The next several weeks were an emotional roller coaster, as he spent weeks stabilizing in the NICU. Every challenge was met with fierce resilience and each obstacle overcome with determination. He has such a personality, and is a giant flirt. Several of his nurses had become quite attached to him, and his homecoming was very emotional for all of us. We keep in touch with pictures and updates.

My friends at Affinity4 have been an incredible. They’ve been wonderful to my family during this time. The flexibility I’ve had to keep active in my role with the company while being able to be home with my son during these crucial months has made me so very grateful for all that I have. I’m now back to work, and my son has a very special nanny during my working hours. It’s bittersweet; I’m glad to be back with my friends and my Team, but it was very hard to transition to being a working mom. I learned from my mom, who was an executive at a bank, that having a fulfilling career AND being an amazing mom is possible. I relish being home with my family, and look forward to continuing to contribute to Affinity4 in the future.

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Initially, when I switched from my old service provider to Affinity4’s Digital Phone @ Home, it was so that I could give part of my proceeds to my favorite charities and ministries. Knowing that I was helping my local church with every phone call made me feel great! Little did I know how much I would enjoy every other aspect of Affinity4’s service. My bill, which used to be sky rocket high dropped dramatically. What was even more exciting was that even with my new, lower bill, I automatically received amazing features that I would otherwise have to pay for with other providers. My plan includes everything from Caller ID and Call Forwarding to new features like Call Reminder and Find Me Follow Me. I was not only able to keep my old number, but am also able to take Affinity4’s one of a kind service with me whenever I move. I would definitely recommend this service that anyone who is looking for a reliable, low-cost, high quality service.

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Bishop T.D. Jakes newest book, Wisdom from T.D. Jakes is definitely a must read. In this interactive devotional journal, Bishop T.D. Jakes shares 40 wise and personal insights to refresh and empower you to tackle life’s challenges. Not only does he provide every day examples on how to better yourself, but he ties in biblical scripture and evidence to reinforce his teachings.

As someone who has been following Bishop T.D. Jakes ministry though his preaching, rousing DVD’s, and best-selling books, I can say that his latest book is one of the best to date. It has been instrumental in encouraging me with my spiritual growth in the Body of Christ. This book is the completion of T.D. Jakes best work, with words on wisdom with inspirational inserts including ‘Points to Ponder’ and empty pages for the reader to write their ‘My Wisdom Keys’. It has been a wonderful source of information in my life, helping keep me on the right path towards God, continually helping me become a better educated and patient Christian. I love this book and refer to it throughout my daily life, and would recommend this book to anyone who was interested in spiritual and personal growth.

Don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy an amazing book, filled with moving stories, insightful thoughts, and advice that you can apply to improve the quality your life. Once you pick up Wisdom from T.D. Jakes you won’t want to put it down. Make sure and order it today!

Order it today for only $20.99! http://www.affinity4.com/book_club/book_page.html

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In early 2006 I began toying with the idea of becoming a mentor when I was presented with the opportunity to join Big Brothers & Big Sisters of South Hampton Roads. Immediately, I knew that I wanted to be a part of the program which had already changed so many children’s lives and that had become such a staple in the community.

Initially, when I joined BBBS of South Hampton Roads, I decided that my primary purpose would be to help a child in need, as well as make a difference in my community. I began doing such when I started mentoring a little girl who was the 6th of 10 children in a large family. With four of them living with the same foster mother who adopted them a year ago, I knew this little girl was in need of special attention. Unfortunately, in 2008 Big Brothers and Big Sisters of South Hampton Roads closed down due to lack of funding. We were transitioned to the TeamUp mentoring program, which allowed me to continue my mentorship of her, and become a stable role model in her life. In doing so, I have begun a relationship filled with one-on-one support, encouragement, quality time, and a lot of fun.

In the time that I have spent with her, I have grown to deeply enjoy helping her to experience new and exciting things, improve her grades, and become an overall better person. In a few weeks, she will be 11 years old and I can truly see a change in her self confidence which has grown by leaps and bounds within the almost 4 years that we’ve been together. She has become a part of my family and she will be for the rest of our lives. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

For more information on how to join TeamUp, visit their website at www.theupcenter.org/

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I am certain there are few Christians in this nation and around the world who are not familiar with Dr. James Dobson and his ministry. Through Focus on the Family, the organization he founded more than 30 years ago, he has had an insurmountable impact on marriages and key family relationships. For years, parents have relied on his book, The Strong-Willed Child, among others for practical biblical parenting advice. Dr. Dobson is perhaps best known for his flagship daily radio show, Focus on the Family which is heard on over 2,000 radio outlets. Both Dobson and his program have received many NRB awards through the years.

Almost ten years ago I had the pleasure of attending a week long conference at Focus on the Family. It was such a blessing to be able to attend several sessions with Dr. Dobson present and speaking to our group. He is a humble man who lights up the room with his wit, passion and motivation to move people toward the heart of God! Before that conference and through the years I have personally listened to Dobson’s radio shows and read many of his books always finding them to be an encouragement and help for my walk as a wife, mother, Christian and ministry leader.

At the end of last year an announcement was released stating that in February, Dr. Dobson will step down and relinquish his role as the primary voice on the Focus on the Family radio program. While I know that like myself many are saddened by this decision I am also certain that his decision and timing are that of the Lord and a true testament to Dobson’s character. We will all miss Dr. Dobson’s familiar voice in our cars, offices, and homes each day. But we can say thank you to him for his 30 years of faithful service for the cause of Christ. His efforts have touched lives and strengthened families around the world! Thank You Dr. Dobson, and may God richly bless you today and always!

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In 1983, President Reagan honored a request by pro-life groups and issued a proclamation establishing a National Sanctity of Human Life Sunday (SOHLS). Since 1983, the SOHLS proclamation has also been issued by Presidents George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush. This proclamation created a special day to focus on the intrinsic value of human life and the fundamental right to life as recognized by our nations’ Founding Fathers.

Each year Sanctity of Human Life Sunday is held on the Sunday in January that falls closest to the anniversary date of the Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton decisions which were handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court on January 22, 1973. These decisions prompted the legalization of abortion in this country and have over the passed 37 years resulted in the death of over 50 million unborn babies.

January is an important month for pro-life groups across this country. SOHL provides them with an excellent opportunity to share their ministry efforts to assist women facing crisis pregnancy situations who are contemplating abortion or dealing with the devastation of a past abortion. During the week of January 17th through 24th they will be participating in candlelight vigils, prayer meetings, and Sunday services that will be focused on not only the children but the women and families who have been victimized by abortion for the past 37 years.

We all know that Sanctity of Human Life decisions are made on a daily basis. This creates constant opportunities to share truth in love, to provide education, support and services, to offer hope and help, like Jesus would…leading our neighbors, friends, and family onto the path of life. To find out how you can get involved and truly make a difference, protecting and saving lives in your community find a pregnancy center in your area today by visiting www.pregnancycenters.org

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Affinity4 and our employees participate in a volunteering activity every quarter. It just so happens that while we were in the midst of brainstorming for our 1st Quarter activity of 2010 the devastating earthquake hit the country of Haiti. We immediately directed our focus to what we could do to help, and came up with our campaign Helping Haiti Heal! Starting Monday we will be raising money to support the relief efforts in Haiti and contribute these funds to Operation Blessing International, a local international nonprofit who specializes in disaster relief.

Wanting to make the biggest impact possible, we are going to involve our entire office building, consisting of more than 1200 people. We will be looking for the support of everyone to help us reach our goal of $2,500 for the people of Haiti. If you want to help, simply send us a check made out to Operation Blessing or visit our website to donate online! Now let’s HELP HAITI HEAL!!

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According to reports, at approximately 5pm on January 12th, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake devastated the Haitian region, the strongest in over two centuries. Truthfully, when I heard the news I didn’t think much about it- that’s until I turned on the television. As I sat down and flipped through news channels, all I saw left was a country in ruins. Once erect buildings reduced to rubble, men and women weeping over the loss of their loved ones, homes lost in a sea of smoke that hung over the entire country.

The earthquake has destroyed the new with the old, the rich and the poor. Hospitals, churches, even the prison are all in shambles, as priests and prison escapees alike are nowhere to be found. Survivors walk through the streets uncovering blankets with piles of bodies underneath in attempts to find their families. With so many emotions going through my head all I could do was cry. How could a country already overwhelmed by violence and hunger fall victim to such a horrendous disaster?

As I try to get over the feeling of helplessness, all I can do is turn to God and pray for those affected by this tragedy. Only through him have I found comfort in this time of great suffering and will continue to look to him for guidance on how to best do my part and help.

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Joel Osteen’s new book, It’s Your Time was definitely worth the wait. As someone who has been reading Osteen’s life changing books such as, Become a Better You and Your Best Life Now, I had high standards for this one- he didn’t disappoint. His effective incorporation of personal stories and advice throughout the passages made me feel as though he was speaking to me directly and understood what I was going through.

It’s Your Time message is all about being positive, thinking big, and raising your expectations. Separated into 5 different sections, Osteen shows you how to keep your heart pure, how to gain strength through adversity, how to trust in tough times, forgiveness over renewal, and how to trust again. Throughout those sections, Osteen repeatedly reminds us that no matter how hard we think things are, the best days are always ahead of us. It’s up to us to give power over to God, declare our everlasting faith, and allow him to take control of our lives so that we can find fulfillment. Osteen’s message of faith, hope, and courage not only touched my heart, but helped bring me closer to God.

This book is has been a true blessing to my life, and is a great gift idea for a friend or family for any occasion – read it today!

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