SOFEI Insights™

According to CIO.com there are thirteen IT certifications that have emerged that can help you get a leg up on your career. Whether you're a seasoned IT professional, recent college graduate, or an individual transitioning to an IT career, an IT certification can help you stand out from the crowd and show hiring managers you have the credentials to meet their IT business needs. We've highlighted our IT certification courses that made the list to help you emerge in your business and/or career. Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) The Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) is a certification program developed by ISACA to develop an individual's career as a a security manager. Once certified, the CISM qualifies students to design, manage, asses and oversee an enterprise's information security infrastructure. IT Security without question is one of the hottest and most lucrative areas of Information Technology and the CISM is one of the most valu...

And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:32 If the truth makes us free, why are so many of us bound? Are we bound because we haven't defined our truth? Bound because we live through the lens of people (i.e., their opinion) and not our values and beliefs? Bound because we govern our lives according to what we're told, which is contrary to who we are, or who we're striving to become. No one knows us better than the One who created us. We were fearfully and wonderfully created in His image to glorify and honor Him in everything we say and do. If we're not living our lives to please God, are we neglecting His divine plan for our lives? And, if we're choosing to live according to the opinions, beliefs, and values of others, we're not living authentically. We're forfeiting our true divine freedom.

Why are women called a B**** when they exude confidence? Confidence has nothing to do with lewdness, selfishness, or being a female dog. It has everything to do with relying on an inner power and strength to achieve and succeed in life. Once a woman reaches a level of self-confidence, she doesn’t need to be torn down. No one knows her journey to reach her height and our level of confidence will never increase when we tear women down. We've launched a tee-shirt campaign to end negative languages and images associated with confident women and women in general. And you can show your support here.

Having access to statistics about the status of women (especially minority) is great. However, it would be even better if women of color would use data to collaborate and harness their power to change the trajectory of the economic conditions that lingers among women of color. Over the next few months, The SOFEI Group will host community forums addressing the question, How We Get Here? to discover the underlying causes that negatively impact the lives of women throughout the Washington region. We will seek and encourage input from the community-at-large, social change agents, politicians, spiritual leaders, and subject matter experts. Following are topics we will discuss during the forums: How We Get Here? – Why black women and their issues are ignored in politics? - Source: Status of Black Women in Politics How We Get Here? – Black women 16 years and over has experienced the highest unemployment rate among all other ethnic groups since 2007. - Source: The African American Labo...

Women of color spend a great deal of time tending to the needs of immediate and extended family members to prevent them from dealing with the consequences of their choices. Women will: Mortgage their homes to prevent a loved one from going to jail. Expend their retirement to prevent foreclosure or pay for college. Become a custodian to their abandoned or neglected grandchildren. Decrease their savings to pay their children’s expenses to keep their lives afloat. Stepping in to tend to the needs of family members every time they experience a set-back, doesn’t help them become accountable or responsible for their choices. It teaches them to stay on the path of self-destruction because they know they have access to a reliable source that will catch them before they fall. Every one can’t be saved from the consequences of their choices. Part of the growth and healing process is to learn from the error of our ways. So if they’re old enough to get into a ‘pickle’ let them grow up to get...

Is your current stance in life stagnant? Do you know how you arrived here? You may have landed here because of the power you gave to someone or something that depleted your true being. This can cause you to feel stuck, out-of-balance, or out-of-touch. If you’re not satisfied with your life right now, you have the power to change it. No one is stopping you from creating the life you want and deserve, but you! All it takes is a vision, a transformed mind, faith, and the gift(s) within that needs to be ignited.

Many people struggle with indecision (the inability to make a decision) and double-mindedness (constantly changing their minds) because of fear or a lack of confidence. However, you can make a decision and stick with it because you have discipline and a calm, well-balanced mind. You can easily feel overwhelmed by all the decisions you need to make daily unless you have confidence in your ability to make right ones. Don’t ever say again, “I have a hard time making decisions,” because when you think and speak like that you are setting yourself up for confusion. Instead, you can believe the next time you need to make a decision that you will hear from God, be led by the Holy Spirit, and know what to do. Even if you have had difficulty doing so in the past, this is a new day for you, and you are in charge of your thinking—it is no longer in charge of you! Power Thought: My mind is calm, and I’m in control of my thinking. From the book Power Thoughts Devotional by Joyce Meyer. Copyri...

In 2 Corinthians 3:17, The Apostle Paul wrote, “Now the Lord is that spirit: and where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty!” When a person is saved by God, he or she receives and experiences God in Spirit. When we trust and allow God to be Lord (ruler) over our lives, we will realize: How much God loves and cares for us. (John 3:16-18) God will accept us no matter what we have done in the past. (Isaiah 1:18) God has the power to forgive us all of unrighteouness, if we ask Him. (Isaiah 43:25; Ephesians 1:7; I John 1:9) When we are saved, God’s Spirit abides within us. ( Romans 8:9; I John 3:24, 4:13) Is the Spirit of the Lord abiding within you today? If He is, you are living in the abundance of joy and freedom. If not, you are living in bondage. What has you bound? Is it a past relationship that went sour, or a marriage that ended in divorce? Maybe it’s alcohol, drugs, or sex. Whatever has you bound, you can be made free. As Jesus Christ stated in John 8:32, “And ye ...

Based on the violence that has spurred in America, one could conclude, America is heading towards a downward spiral. What's the underlying cause? Is race the culprit? Who or what has given life to an issue that was assumed dead? The underlying force contributing to the demise of America isn't physical, but spiritual. And if we're going to make America great, we have to learn how to fight in a realm that's spiritual. (Ephesians 6:10-13) According to John 10:10, the enemy comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. What was stolen, killed, and destroyed during the recent weeks of violence and who's to blame? Believe it or not, it's the enemy and his mission is gaining footage. Luke 6:27-28 states, "But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. Remember the motto, "United We Stand, divided we fall." The power to make America great is within all of u...

Be responsible for your actions. No one can make you behave the way you do. Be responsible for your thoughts. No one can make you think the way you think. Take ownership of your feelings. No one can make you feel good or bad. Be responsible for your life. No one can make you have a fulfilled or dreadful life. Be responsible for how you are treated. You are treated the way you allow yourself to be treated. Be responsible for how you treat others. No one can make you respect or disrespect him or her. Be responsible for your relationship with God and others. God and no one can make you love them. The choice is ultimately yours.