Take a Flying Leap . . . of Faith!

By Bob Cox

When Alex and Janina presented their advertising idea to their most trusted confidants, they were met with something Janina refers to as spiritual resistance. After a lengthy discussion about their current financial situation, their consultants recommended that they put some money in the bank in lieu of going deeper in debt with a risky endeavor that offered no guarantees. The advice they received was not what they wanted to hear; it was practical, logical, safe and thoroughly uninspiring.

Alex and Janina both have a strong spiritual faith, which was now being put to the test. Why? Because in their gut, they both strongly believed that advertising in the small local magazine was a key component to their future success. They reasoned that it wouldn't matter how great their business model was, because if the people who needed their service didn't know they existed, then they would never be able to get their new company off the ground.

When they woke the next morning, they did what many do when confronted with a difficult decision. They prayed on it, each in their own unique and refreshing way. Janina was downstairs, where she has two bibles. She opened a random page in her big bible and read from a passage that said just do it. And do it a second time. And do it a third time. She interpreted that message as a sign confirming her feelings to go for the advertising proposal, but she really wanted an additional affirmation. So, she consulted her smaller bible, where she found two hidden treasures, the first being a passage that she had written years earlier that again confirmed her now swelling feelings to go for it. The content of that message urged her to go for her dreams.

In the meantime, Alex was upstairs, where he rents a space for himself and his daughter from his good friend Janina. He too was immersed in his own unique and very personal method of prayer. Raised in the gang ridden streets of a tougher than nails neighborhood in Southern California, Alex’s communication style with God was more like a conversation with a homeboy. He said “God, man I really could use a sign right now. I’m feeling really conflicted and I’m not sure what I should do. I need you to come through for me.” Seconds later, he heard the shrieking voice of Janina from below and raced downstairs to find out what all the commotion was about.

When he found her, his growing curiosity matched Janina's wild excitement as he blurted out, "Janina, what’s going on? Are you okay?" Janina face could not contain her unbridled joy as she handed him the bible she was reading and asked Alex to open it. Alex read the handwritten note that Janina had written as a teenager, which confirmed their desire to advertise. Next to the note was an inconspicuous envelope, which Janina urged Alex to inspect. When he did, he found 4 pristine $100 bills tucked inside the Golden 1 Credit Union Envelope! In a state of shock and disbelief, he asked Janina where the money came from. Janina shrugged her shoulders and replied, “I have no idea, but I think you just got your sign!”

When I met with Alex and Janina the next morning to follow up with my proposal to advertise in Go For It Magazine, the magazine that encourages people to reach for the stars and live their dreams, my wife Diana and I had already decided to take our own flying leap of faith by doing something we normally don’t do. Diana takes care of all the bills and she does an amazing job keeping track of every detail. Generally, she will encourage me to go out there and collect up front, (this sounds much nicer than nags), especially on new accounts, so that we can meet our financial obligations in a timely manner.

This time; however, something was very different as I shared my passion for wanting to help this particular business get started. It took very little convincing to persuade Diana to bend on our usual terms and extend a line of credit to Alex and Janina's worthwhile enterprise. By now, we both felt compelled by forces beyond our own limited financial means to help these two amazing and inspiring individuals. We did this because we believe that this new business in Rancho Cordova called Better Decisions Counseling Services has the potential to transform the lives of thousands of people in our community who suffer from negative addictions and we’re excited to be a part of that empowering and positive transformation.

If you or someone you know suffers from any negative and debilitating addiction, you owe it to yourself and the people you love to take a flying leap . . . of faith! Contact Alex and Janina of Better Decisions today. They have been through what you are going through and they are committed to making a positive difference by helping as many people as they can to conquer their addictions. Be sure to read their unique and inspiring story on page 8 in this magazine.