It’s Time To Live In The Blessing

 

 It’s Time To Live in the Blessing

by Olga Hermans


My pastor is preaching about the blessing; he is teaching us how we can live in the blessing every day of the year. It is very interesting and it moves me to do something with that knowledge. I have heard more preachers preach this message; have you? It is an awesome inspiring and important truth. We live and move in the blessing because Jesus is the blessing; He is our jubilee! If you are born again, He lives on the inside of you.

If you are not growing, if you feel unfulfilled, unsettled, and out of place, it could be that you are ready for a change. There is a place God has designed where opportunities find you, a place where His blessings overtake you. People are hungry for goodness. They are hungry for joy. Everybody is ready for something to happen in their life, are you?

I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out–plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. Jer 29:11 Msg.

God has a good place and a good plan for you! God has a particular place for each one of us, a place where each of us will find our highest purpose, where we will thrive and reflect God’s greatness. God will bless you when you are where you’re supposed to be physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. I encourage you to find that place.

Don’t settle for anything less than the best God has for you! You can tell your place of blessing by how it feels to you: this is where I am supposed to be. Just lately I joined Toastmasters. My friend Pat Cruickshank introduced me to this group. The first evening that I visited I knew that I knew I had to join and I did. I did my first speech already and it went very, very well. But there was a knowing on the inside of me that I had to do this and that is the reason why I joined; no other reason!

When we were young we played a game with our children at our home. We would hide a toy or a candy around the house and ask Josephine and David (our children) to find them. When they came close to the “hidden treasure” we would tell them they were getting warmer and warmer until they’d be right there, when we would say or yell “You are red hot!” If they would go in the wrong direction, away from the hidden goodies, we would say, “You’re getting colder. Now you’re getting freezing cold!”

I would like to encourage you to always move toward places that warm you up that way, and move away from those that leave you cold. Move to the place that feels right to you, and wait for the blessing of the Lord right there.

As you obey God and follow His plan for your life, “The lord shall increase you more and more” Psalm 115:14. Just keep walking in the ways of the Lord, trusting His goodness, and He will lead you into a land of milk and honey. He will provide you a place where you can enjoy days of heaven on earth. Deut.11:21

I said, keep walking with the Lord and He will lead you. How will He lead you? He will lead you by His Holy Spirit, according to the plan He has laid out for your individual life. You know, God did not wake up one day when you were about twenty years old and say, “I guess I need to figure out something for this person to do now.” He didn’t just leave you on your own to come up with something to do with your life.

No, God knew you before the foundation of the world. Before you were ever born. He had a plan for you; a great, victorious, wonderful, abundantly prosperous plan. He has a calling and a purpose for every one of His children to fulfill. He has a plan, a place, and a responsibility for each one of us to do.

He has created us in such a way that when we find and begin to do those things we’re created for, we will be happy and our lives will be very, very good.

For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live]. Ephesians 2:10 Ampl.

Think about it. Living the good life! I can handle that. You are God’s own handiwork. You are divinely designed to fulfill the good destiny God has planned for you. When you were born, God placed certain abilities, dreams, and desires within you that would help equip you for what He wanted you to do. Even before you gave your life to Him, while you were still a sinner, they were there.

You have to believe God has a plan for you or you will never be able to walk in it. You will constantly be worrying and wavering. Right now you might be thinking, It’s too late now. I haven’t been listening to God and obeying Him. I have been doing my own thing for years and my life is totally messed up. I don’t think even God can fix it. I think I missed my chance to walk out His plan.

No, you haven’t missed your chance. All you have to do is make a turn. Instead of running away from Him, run to Him like you would run to someone you really love and trust. Start going after Him with all your heart. God can take any life and any situation and turn it around. He loves to do that and He is good at it! I know from experience. He is just waiting for you to give Him the opportunity.

With God we always have a good future ahead of us. It may take some time for God to lead you completely out of the trouble you are in, and you will have to receive wisdom from Him to do it. You can ask for wisdom, He will give it to you liberally. Plus I am here to help you as well. If you don’t know my eBook and Action Guide yet, you definitely have to check them out by clicking here.

 

 

Powerful Secrets To Discovering The Life You Were Born To Live

 

Powerful Secrets To Discovering
The Life You Were Born To Live

by Olga Hermans

 
 

Have you ever thought about the fact that there is no other person in the whole world that can fulfill what you are meant to do? There are two directions you can take. One is to press on with God. The second is to run back to something that you know is secure. But you will never be what God wants you to be if you turn and run.

Only if you choose the plan God has for you will you be able to fulfill your divine destiny.

Did you know that God created you to solve a problem? Why did you buy a car? Because it solved a transportation problem. Why do you watch the news? It solves an information problem. Why did God create you? To solve a human problem. You were created for a specific and very special purpose and to solve a specific problem on earth.

Are you ready to discover it?

So, you are not here by accident. God has qualified you to be the perfect solution to someone; He planned you, and nobody else can be like you.

Nobody else can do what you do. You are unlike anyone else on earth. God is not a duplicator. He is a Creator.

You alone are absolutely perfect and genetically accurate for solving a specific problem for somebody on earth today.

To discover the life you were born to live requires your total focus. Somebody said once that the only reason men fail is because their focus is broken.

How important is your focus? Jesus encouraged His disciples to keep their focus on the Kingdom of God. He assured them that their financial provisions and everything they needed would be produced through absolute focus upon Him.

Your focus is very important, because a broken focus will destroy your dreams. The moment you are distracted from what you are created to do, it will create a lot of tragedies and disasters in your life. I am telling you this because I have experienced this personally in my own life. I made some good choices in my life and some bad choices. But, you know what? It doesn’t matter. God loves to restore our lives.

He is about to do that and if you want Him to do that for you; He will!

Discovering the life you were born to live requires time, more than you realize. It requires preparation time. God gave you time and you might have exchanged your time for things that don’t matter to your life. You need to eliminate the things that God did not specifically tell you to do.

Your life requires your participation. Nobody else can complete it for you and nobody else can pursue it for you. It makes me sad when I listen to people who blame their circumstances on others. Husbands complain about their wives and women complain about their husbands.  We should never complain about things that we tolerate and permit in our lives. So stop blaming others for your personal decisions.

Never forget that your present circumstances in your life are there because you permitted them. And because you tolerate them; you breathe life and longevity into them. People sabotage themselves by doing things contrary to what they believe and contrary to what they desire to achieve.

You see, the moment you don’t tolerate your present situation anymore; you start creating a different future. Nothing will really change in your life until you cannot tolerate it any longer. You see, God never intended for you to depend on everyone else to step up to the plate and make a homerun.

Certainly, hindrances occur. It is common that relationships can slow us down, demotivate and discourage us. Everybody has experienced a connection with someone who at first seemed to be a blessing but then turned out to be a burden. But you have chosen your friendships! And the quality of your relationships that you have chosen reflects and reveals what you respect the most in life.

I have read some biographies of great men and women of God. One thing that always stood out to me was that they took personal responsibility for their own actions, decisions, and the tasks necessary to reach their goals and dreams.

Again, never forget that it is you who has chosen the present. And it is you who can keep it or change it. You may complain, whine, and gripe for the rest of your life. But you have chosen the environment surrounding you. You have accepted it. You have embraced it. You have refused to walk away from it. So stop finding fault with it.

You must grasp this.

You must decide the conclusion of your life that you desire. You must decide to run your own race. You must grow the kind of harvest you desire. This is why complaining must stop. You are responsible for your situations.

Are you deeply disturbed and uncomfortable with your life right now?

If you are; here are four questions to ask yourself that can move to a place where you are in charge of the life you were born to live.

1. What one decision would you make if you knew you couldn’t fail?
2. What one thing should you eliminate from your life because it holds you back from reaching your full potential?
3. Are you on the path of something absolutely marvellous, or something absolutely mediocre?
4. Are you running from something, or to something?

Your destiny requires your own personal choices and appropriate actions.

Will you do it? I would love to help you with my eBook plus action guide that I have written especially for you.
check it out here.

Consider 15 Ways Of The Ant

Consider 15 Ways Of the Ant

by Olga Hermans

Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise; Which having no chief, overseer, or ruler, Provides her food in the summer, and gathers her supplies in the harvest. How long will you sleep, 0 sluggard? When will you arise out of your sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to lie down and sleep; So will your poverty come like a robber or one who travels [with slow but surely approaching steps] and your want like an armed man [making you helpless]. (Prov. 6:6-11) Ampl.

 

There are 15 ways of the ant for us to consider:

1.  The ant is one of the most laborious insects that exists, which means that the ant is a hard working little animal. It gives more effort than any other animal or insect in existence.

Success never happens by accident. No, it happens because a person has made a choice to do what it takes to succeed. What is true in the natural is also true in the world of the spirit. Do you know a hard working person? My coach Sandi Krakowski is such a person; she trains every day, lifting weights and all that good stuff.

This also works in the world of the spirit; you reap what you sow. If you spend time with God, you gain more wisdom and understanding of things. Ants are successful because they are diligent in all they do.

2.  Ants are the most developed of all of the insects. They work very well in teams; they do not go off on their own. They always work together; you could say they are company-oriented. They go and search for food, so that everybody will benefit from their hard work.

3.  Ants gather food at the right time in the right season. When it is time to take care of business, you will see the ant do just that. They are like farmers, they harvest their hay in summer to have enough until the next summer. Ants have a commitment, they just love hard work.

You know, most people love to live in their own comfort zone. When you want to discover the life you were born to live, you have to get up and do something. Not waiting until a crisis arises and then get up and do something. Not only work when the heat is on. They pray when tests and trials come their way. They exercise when the doctor tells them to or else they might have a heart attack.

4.  Ants love their own young; they always protect them. They are very fond of them. If there is a younger ant, the older ant is going to look out for him. The young are important.

5.  Ants are caretakers so to speak; they look ahead, they have keen foresight for others. They are always taking care of others in the community and looking to see if there is another ant that might need help.

6.  Ants do not need to have all the attention; they work quietly without show. They do not need the  encouragement of others; they just work. They don’t depend a pat on the shoulder and tell them they did a good job. They are able to motivate themselves.

7.  Ants don’t give up before the job is done; they don’t get tired, they just keep going.

The time to believe for your healing and your finances is while everything is going good. The time to walk in love is when everything is ok, so that you have all the reserve you need when you need it.

8. Ants are organized; they work for the good of all. They have these astonishing systems of organization.

God is very organized. If He wasn’t; everything would be lopsided isn’t it? The sun and the moon are in the proper place, if the sun would get to close we all would burn, if it would get too far away, this planet would be too cold for anything to live on it.

9.  Ants are ingenious carpenters and masons, building their own systems of homes and underground tunnels. They wouldn’t wait for a welfare check from the government, no way. If they need something done, they do it themselves.

10.  Ants keep their homes meticulously clean. Being clean in your own home is more important than you think. How can you be given more responsibility for something if you cannot take responsibility of your own home or your own car for that matter.

11.  Every ant has a definite job and an assignment. They don’t sit around watching others do the work. If you don’t have a job that’s one thing. But if you aren’t looking for a job, that’s another thing. No ant is sitting down just watching other folks work. The other ants kill an ant that watches others work, because it is a burden to the community. There is destiny waiting for you!

12. Ants are very protective; they fight to the death to protect their homes and young from enemies. You need to protect your own home and not be tearing down your own household. They are your loved one; talk good things about them or don’t say anything at all!

13.  The ant is a very social being; they do things like we humans do them. They will be with all the other ants and do all the other things. If you don’t want to do that; they kick you out.

14.  Ants always want to learn; they are intelligent and wise. They are eager to find out how things work; they learned their lessons. If they face a problem, they want to make sure it will not happen again. Some people fall into the same sin over and over again, because they don’t consider their ways.

15.  Ants know how to motivate themselves; they don’t need somebody else. They don’t need a boss or the pastor looking over their shoulder, or anybody else. Ants know what is required of them and they do just that. They have drive.

That’s why there are millions of ants. You can rub out an anthill, come back tomorrow and they will be right back. That hill will be going right back up. They are going to do just what they need to do to win because they have self-motivation. They don’t need a queen ant. They don’t need anybody else. On their own, they have drive.

People don’t do things because they don’t realize the value of it. If you would be like the ant, you would win. Consider her ways! They are intelligent, the Bible says. And if you do it, do it God’s way, and you are going to get results.

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The Responsibilities of Responsible People

The Responsibilities of Responsible People

by Olga Hermans 

 

 

Do you like gong to the movies? Just a week ago my husband and I went to see the movie “Courageous”. We were very, very impressed. This movie is advertised as a powerful motion picture about police officer dads who struggle with their roles as fathers.

The men in the movie have to face their biggest challenge, which is fatherhood. Being a “good enough” father doesn’t cut it when tragedy strikes and the faith of these four men is tested. When secrets are revealed and life becomes unbareable, they must draw closer to God and their families to survive.

Have you ever been in a place like that? I sure have and at the moment it wasn’t fun, but after some time when I was able to look back I could see my inner growth and how I made progress in many areas of my life. You know, you only can make progress when you take responsibility in your own life. You will be able to manage others when you are able to manage yourself first.

That is where responsibility comes in. Adam Mitchell, the main character in the movie first had to take responsibility for his own life before he was able to reach out to others.

Being responsible is something a lot of people don’t know much about. A faithful person is a responsible person. To be responsible is to give account or to be dependable.

Reliable friends who do what they say are
like cool drinks in sweltering heat–refreshing! Pro 25:13

NO wonder Solomon said this person is “as refreshing as a cool drink in sweltering heat” A responsible person is one who can be trusted. These kinds of people are hard to find, but when we find them we will notice that they are different than the average person; their motives are totally different.

 

Here are 2 of the elements RESPONSIBLE  people have:

1. They are motivated because they feel responsible; because they want to be trusted, they are willing to prove themselves. These people are driven by certain ethics and principles that they will fight for.

For example, abortion is an issue that may not affect us or our family, but we may fight against it and be willing to risk our friendships or reputation without any personal benefits.

These people are fixed; they have a firm foundation that they live by. They are people of value. They take pride in being strong and they don’t care if they are different.

2. They are motivated because they feel responsible to keep going.

For example, someone who is a millionaire several times over and has all he will ever need to go fishing or traveling for the rest of his life, but instead, he or she keeps on working every day and may even undertake something totally new and keep on going.

Some people may see that as greedy, but this person simply enjoys being responsible and likes to be an achiever. These people may do what others say can’t be done, simply for the sake of accomplishment.

Being responsible is more than making a commitment. It is a desire or an inner force that holds them accountable to themselves. They do things for the sake of getting them done or for the enjoyment of seeing them done.

Being responsible just for the sake of being responsible will make you a great servant. Jesus was a true servant. He had nothing to gain for himself. He gave up His reputation to build His name. He was humiliated and rejected to gain our trust. He was truly and purely motivated from within.

He saw what we were, and took the responsibility of making sure we got the opportunity of being what we could be. It cost Him something, but He now has earned the greatest name ever in history of mankind, and also in the world to come.

The Father sent Him on a mission because He knew that He was responsible and could be trusted. He was and still is as refreshing as cool drinks in the sweltering heat of a hot summer.

We too, have to make a choice to be willing to be responsible to achieve our dreams and our destiny. We have to set a good example. It is so very important because people believe a lot more of what they see you do than what they hear you say. So, take the responsibility to set a good example.

Living responsibly in our society is a big job. I think we should watch ourselves a little more and not be a hypocrite. Author and speaker John Maxwell says everything rises and falls on leadership. I believe that. What about you?

My Question to you is: Do you consider yourself a responsible person? How well are you currently applying this principle in your life?

 

How to Prevent Stress -12 Ways to Prevent it Before it Takes Control

 

Prevent Stress – 12 Ways to Prevent it Before it Takes Control

by Olga Hermans

Stress is one of the greatest enemies we face in life. A National Health Interview Survey tells us that 75% of the general population experiences at least “some stress” every two weeks. Stress also contributes to the development of alcoholism, obesity, suicide, drug addiction, cigarette addiction, and other harmful behaviors.

Unhealthy stress has reached epidemic proportions today. Its effects are felt in every segment of our society. The truth is, God didn’t design you to live under stress. He created you for a place of pleasure and good things. He intended for your lives to be in harmony with Him, with each other and with nature.

Yes, things happen in our everyday lives that produce stress. Things happen that are beyond our control. What is in our control, however, is how we confront and deal with those situations.

You can take this simple stress test at home on your own. Take the word “stress” and make something out of every letter of that word. Do it in the negative, and then do it in the positive. Here’s what I came up with:

Stretched to the limits. Everybody knows how it feels when we are stretched to the limits. When we take a rubber band and stretch it until it doesn’t go any further, it snaps. We can stretch ourselves to the point that we can’t do any more and we feel like we are at our breaking point.

Time thief. A survey done in the 1970’s asked, “What is your biggest need?” The answer was “Money.” A survey repeated in the 2000 revealed that the biggest need was “Time.” People everywhere are saying there’s not enough time in day to get your work done. You know how an hourglass works isn’t it?

It is shaped like a funnel, and then it opens into a larger container. When you get to the last few thousands of particles of sand in that hourglass, it speeds up. Well, we’re closing out this age of time and so as we’re narrowing down, time is speeding up and it’s getting faster and faster, and that’s why you don’t have enough time in the day. That causes stress.

Responsibilities. Some people just do too much; they have to many things on their plate. So maybe you have to manage your responsibilities that you have taken on. The things that you’re doing don’t have to be necessarily bad things; just might have taken on too many projects.

Emotions. Your soul is made up of your mind, your will, your thinking faculties, and your emotions. Emotions can give the greatest feelings of pleasure one could imagine; they can also poison our lives and be a source of torment. Emotions are fickle! We can go to bed feeling one way and wake up feeling entirely different.

When you’re stressed out,” it can cause your emotions to lose control. The smallest challenge can bring you to tears. God has a great plan for your life and it is one that includes emotional stability and peace of mind.

Speaking doubt and unbelief. When we are under stress, we have a tendency to speak things that are contrary to God’s Word. We have to control the words of our mouth and the thoughts that are in us. Just because you’re under stress doesn’t mean you throw everything you learned out the window!

Satan. You can just make two lists on paper. Draw a line right down the middle, and anything bad happening to you comes from Satan, and anything good happening to you comes from the Lord. John 10:10  One of the great, big, gigantic snares Satan tries to put in our path is offenses and unforgiveness, getting upset, having hurt feelings, and always going around upset with somebody over something. That causes stress.

Now, we will look at the positive things of the word S-T-R-E-S-S

Secret Place. Psalm 27:5 says, “For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; and he shall set me up upon a rock.” This psalm has been one of my most favourite ones for a long time now.

When you are in trouble, there is always that place (under the shadow of His wings) that you can run to. If you don’t have the money to pay your bills on time, then you get yourself behind those closed doors in your prayer closet, and you allow the anointing of God to begin to multiply in your life. God will begin to give you sources and extra income and job increases in your life to cause you to be able to come out on top. Go to the secret place and get away with God.

Thoughts. We’re to bring every thought that doesn’t line up with God’s Word into captivity. 2 Cor. 10:4 You have to capture those thoughts. You have to harness them. I’m telling you, God will work in your behalf.
You have to be able to push away negative thoughts. God’s Word is positive and uplifting; we need to come to that place where we honor God with our thoughts, as well with our actions and our deeds.

Resist the Devil. James 4:7 says: “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
Resist means to withstand, to oppose, to strive against, set against. And how do you resist the devil? With the written Word of God. You resist the devil with “It is written.” He is a spirit, and you fight him with spiritual weapons. Quote the Word of God to him.

Expose the devil. Do you know Proverbs 6:30? This is a great promise!
Satan is a thief. He will try to steal everything from you. If you let him, he will rob every area of your life. He will try to steal your work, your family, your relationships, your health, your finances, your time and your peace. When things have been stolen from you, make sure that you get it back in Jesus’ name.

Smile Everyone knows how to smile. It’s one of the greatest gifts God has given us. A smile makes people feel good, and people look beautiful when they smile. Living your life with the “joy of the Lord” will chase off negative and stressful circumstances.

Shake it off and step up! We all have times when we seem to be bombarded with bad situations, but there is a right and wrong way to handle these times of distress. Do you know the story of the little donkey?

One day a farmer’s donkey fell into a well. The animal cried pitifully for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do about it. Finally the farmer decided that the animal was too old to justify the efforts it would take to get him out of the well. So he asked his neighbours to help him shovel dirt into the well and end the donkey’s life.

As the dirt began falling on the donkey’s back, he realized what was happening and cried horribly. (Do you know the feeling? “I just feel like everything is caving in on top of me”?) And then, to everyone’s amazement, the donkey quieted down. After shovelling in a little more dirt, the farmer looked down into the well and was astonished at what he saw.

With every shovelful of dirt that hit the donkey’s back, the donkey was doing something amazing; he was shaking it off and then stepping on top of it. As the farmer and his neighbours continued to shovel dirt into the well, the donkey just kept shaking it off and stepping up!

This is a beautiful analogy to shake off the stress that is falling upon us; shake it off and use the situation to get to a higher level in your life!

You don’t have to be stressed out or stretched to the limit. You have a secret place of the Most High God that you can run to, and He will cause you to overcome this stress, this overwhelming time in your life. Not only that, you can go through this challenge with a smile on your face, your head held high and joy in your heart. God is on your side.

 

What Does It Mean To Set Your Face Like Flint

What Does It Mean To Set Your Face Like Flint

by Olga Hermans

… I set my face like flint, confident that I’ll never regret this. Isaiah 50:7
or I know that I will not be put to shame.

 

 

Have you ever heard that sentence? I heard it a couple of times this last weekend through people and then my pastor mentioned this very sentence on Sunday morning again. It was one of those sentences that stays longer with you than normal. I thought I’d dig in, do some research and write about it.

Setting your face like flint means determination. Do you know that you only can be as passionate as you are determined? When you are determined, you refuse to give up; you set your face like flint. People who have dreams overcome obstacles, because they want to see their dreams fulfilled. They did what they needed to do in order to enjoy what they like to enjoy.

God gave us the fruit of self-control and a free will, but we have to make a choice to use it. The less people use their will to make decisions they know they are right, the weaker they become. Setting your face like a flint and being determined is the decision to do whatever you need to do in order to have what you say you want to have.

We need to be diligent. Doing what is right one or two times or even a few times won’t always bring victory. Being diligent on a consistent basis and doing what you know you need to do over and over for a longer time, is the key.

You need a determined attitude, engage your will and be willing to do that particular thing forever if that is what you need to do. You won’t quit, you won’t stop, you set your face like flint and you are determined.

Real winners don’t put time limits on their commitments. They are committed with no conditions, and when they begin, they have made up their minds to finish.

The Bible says the diligent man will rule and he will be rich. Prov.10:4 and Prov.12:24

You cannot be diligent without being determined, just like you cannot be determined without being passionate. Determination is a mind-set and diligence is the effort that goes with it. You and I know people who decide to do something, but their decision is not a quality decision. They may pick up on something and do it for a little while, but when the first trouble appears, they’re gone and fall off to the wayside.

It is so easy for us to think we will do right than it is actually to do it. The doing makes the difference and it requires the diligence. The last part of our verse today says that God will never fail us if we do our part. God tells us what to do in order to have a good life and He gives us the grace to do it. However, we have to make the decision and realize that nobody can make it for us.

We all have to be willing to grow up spiritually, but we should also be determined not to give up during the maturing process. God tells us in Hebr.12 that when we are taught and corrected by God we should keep a good attitude and not give up. God has a plan for you, but He also must prepare you for the plan, and He will lead you as long as you keep your eyes on Him.

Most of us are determined until something happens that shatters our dream. What we do and how we respond to a crisis in life will make all the difference. Some people party and drink, or take drugs. In my FREE report I talk about the story of Joseph who had a dream of which he thought was shattered, but then he discovered that the very circumstances he thought were stealing his dream were leading him to it.

It is very important to remain positive and not start counteracting with lack of restraint. Some people eat excessively, others spend excessively, and others stop taking care of themselves and their household. A lifestyle of doing whatever you want to do is not going to eliminate your pain. The only thing that will eliminate it is setting your face like flint and being determined to have God’s will in your life and nothing else.

Remember to do all He has called you to do, not what He has called someone else to do. If you do what you are meant to do, you will be doing something that you enjoy and that really fits you.

Martin Luther King, Jr. said it this way: “if a man is called to be a streetsweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michael Angelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the host of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great streetsweeper who did his job well.”

Every success requires that you know that God is always on your side. You will be confident that you’ll never regret it and know that you will not be put to shame. Isaiah 50:7

Paul said that he was determined to know God. Phil.3:10 Don’t ever be satisfied to know about God, but get to know Him. Develop a deep, intimate relationship with Him for yourself and not through someone else. My background is the Catholic church where I only knew God through the priest. I wrote a book on prayer; check it out. You will learn keys and principles how to relate to God and hear His voice and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in your time of prayer.

Many of you just need a good dose of determination, a spark of passion that will ignite a steady stream of hope, enthusiasm, and commitment to keep going. That is the only thing standing between you and real victory. Make up your mind regarding what you believe, have God’s word to back it up, and don’t ever back down. Say daily, “I am determined to be all God wants me to be, do all He wants me to do, and have all He wants me to have.”

Will you set your face like flint from now on for the rest of your life, and never live one more day without determination and passion? Will you determine to be all you can be, and the best you can be? You have what it takes. You can do whatever you need to do though Christ, Who gives you strength.

Let us know what you are going after or what is that one thing that you think stands between you and your Destiny. Will you? It probably will help a lot of readers; thank you!!

You can subscribe to The Daily Choice which brings an encouraging message 5 days a week to your inbox by clicking here

 

The moral and ethical side of wanting to make a lot of money in business

 

You Are in For A Treat!!

 

Today I am honored to bring a post by my coach Sandi Krakowski to the table. She has boosted my life and my business in many ways beyond what I could have ever imagined. She is a no-nonsense teacher and knows how to keep you on track. Meeting her and hooking up with her has been one of the best choices in my life. There is always a challenge when you read one of her posts or attend one of her business calls. So today I want to bring that blessing right here on The Choice Driven Life. Let us know how much you enjoyed today’s post!

This article was first published in A Real Change. To receive your own FREE “Make More Money With Your Blog” training, go to ARealChange.com and claim your free coaching class NOW!

The moral and ethical side of wanting
to make a lot of money in business

By:  Sandi Krakowski

In today’s economy, many people are looking for a small business as a way to supplement or replace a lost income. Some even desire to replace a current working income because they are not enjoying the current condition of Corporate America. Having your own business that operates virtually online has become the path to ‘dreams come true’ for people who would have never thought of doing so in the past.

As we’ve had the opportunity to coach many new and aspiring business owners one of the first things I ask of my clients is WHY are they wanting to work online and run their own business. Unanimously, the common answer I always hear is a desire to make more money.

When someone wants to make more money there are a host of challenges that arise that many new business owners are not prepared for. Something I’d like to shed some light on is the fact that desiring to make a lot of money in business is not only a great moral desire but also a very ethical desire.  One of the reasons creating a lot of money in business is both ethical and moral is that in order to succeed in business you must work on more than just learning new marketable skills.

The CEO must work on becoming a better person who can run, manage and create a large business. As a matter of fact this is one of the biggest things that a business owner must do to be successful and it is the place where success separates from mediocre. In other words, many aspire to succeed; few will walk the road it takes to get to where they’re dreaming of being.

One very prevalent thing new business owners are facing as they seek to build a company is that most people believe that building a big business is inherently bad. Many think they have not been influenced by the things that are directed towards the attack of wealth and business but the reality is there is a long term ripple effect that has been building up for years that makes it a big challenge to move forward in prosperity as a business owner.

Rabbi Daniel Lapin shares in his book, “Thou Shall Prosper”

“Understand that it is very unlikely that you have not been at least slightly impacted by the culture’s slander of business. For those doubtful of how successful the campaign to discredit the worthiness of business has been, Business Week featured a cover story entitled, “Too Much Corporate Power” Sept 2000 that quantified American attitudes toward business with polls

72% of Americans agreed that business has gained too much power over too many aspects of American life.
Only 47 percent agree that “in general, what is good for business is good for most Americans” (down from 72% in 1996)
66 percent agree that “large profits are more important to business than developing safe, reliable, quality products”
Only 27 percent thought that business had “fair and reasonable prices, relative to their profits”

While certainly admiring the achievements of many of today’s wildly successful young entrepreneurs, many Americans have become conditioned to distrust the morality of business. “

If as a society we distrust the morality and ethical value of growing enormous profits as a company it is a natural law of success and wealth that we will struggle to increase our own personal wealth as a business owner until we rectify this on a personal level. To see if you happen to have such judgements and skepticism of company growth and the rich, ask yourself if you’ve ever made comments about those “Big deep pocketed executives who are only out for themselves” or have you given into popular opinion that the “Rich should be taxed because they can afford to cover the rest of us who are struggling.” Judging and distrusting the rich is a huge error if you aspire to increase your own personal wealth.

Daniel Lapin continues with this profoundly disturbing but truthful statement-

“Here is the message that the culture is broadcasting: If you cause unbearable pain to others while in pursuit of your sexual pleasure, you will find understanding and sympathy. However, if you are a businessperson causing even the slightest tinge of discomfort to others while in pursuit of profit and wealth, you will immediately and unconditionally be condemned as immoral.”

As I coach one on one with many clients and in groups with 40-80 clients at a time, I have become very painfully aware of how many people are not only judging the rich they are nearly terrified to break out of the set pattern of our culture and will unconsciously do anything they can to prevent themselves from being successful. The occurrence of procrastination increases, the reasons for not moving forward rise and the extenuating circumstances that prevent one from really working as hard as they can and giving it their all come in more flavors than even ice cream. Sadly, most people who say they want to make more money have never even considered let alone truly given intense thought to the moral and ethical side of making money.

When we add in the dignity and morality of business, the reality of inviting real mentorship into your space and getting to know oneself at a deep level, most people grow so uncomfortable they will stop before acquiring any level of success. If they do move forward, once the realization that they must drop the idol of perfection, learn to know and act on what is coming in the future and really do what it takes to succeed in business on a daily level, most people will succumb to what they’ve always known. They recoil and take the ‘well worn path’, even though it’s really a place of misery and distraught and the argument and war against wealth continues, full steam ahead.

My friends, did you ever dream in a million years that you are actually fighting a moral and ethical war when you seek to increase your own personal wealth, grow a big company, create jobs for many people and provide for those who cannot provide for themselves? Success is far more than a dream, it’s something that in order to achieve you’ll need to truly get over lesser things and grow as the Champion you were designed to be.

I’ll never forget when God had a heart to heart talk with me and told me to STOP worrying about what people think of me. He told me that it was far more than getting over my insecurities and fears of what people thought of me. It was greater than being concerned about the judgements that they had against me. He said that I had entered the realm that was in war for quite sometime before I even got there and while I certainly am not at the level of many big high level corporations, I had entered the rank of battle that many company owners know nothing about because they quit far too soon.

I want to challenge you today, to ask yourself why you want to make more money in business. Is it merely to increase your own personal net worth? And if it isn’t just for your own personal satisfaction and consumption are you willing to make a commitment to not only build a business, but become a NEW you?

Wealth will require the following equation.   

Increased Wealth =  The New You – The Old You

This equation was first presented to me in Daniel Lapin’s book and it really gave me an enormous breakthrough. The concept of getting new friends, a new mind, new ways of thinking and doing things is not a mere suggestion for those who wish to get a raise on a job, it’s an absolute requirement if you desire to create a entirely new future for yourself and your family. The New You will attract new opportunities, it will increase your confidence, you’ll make more money and more people will be attracted to you because of this. In other words, to acquire more money you CANNOT stay the same, stay who you are or continue to live as you do. It will require that you work on far more than merely new learning skills. Anyone who tells you to get new skills is really short changing the equation of real wealth creation- get a new YOU for a new life and a new bank account is the reality you’ll end up with.

Lastly, because it is a moral and ethical thing to make more money, I have another challenge to present you with today. Here is it. It is perfectly acceptable and kosher for you to ask God to help you to make more money. It’s perfectly acceptable for you to ask God for more money in general! If you are comfortable with prayer, go ahead and include a request for prosperity in your prayer time. What you are truly asking for my friends, is an increased opportunity to serve your fellow human beings and make an impact to benefit others.

That… is what A Real Change is all about.

Sandi Krakowski

 

Sandi Krakowski is a Mompreneur, Coach, Strategist & Mentor, Online Marketing Expert, Speaker, Writer, Copywriter. Mindset & Marketing For Small Biz Owners.  Her unique talent is as a “Back To Basics Step By Step Business” expert who currently serves more than 150,000 clients in over 136 countries. Her systems help the average business owner as well as big corporations get extra-ordinary results quickly. She has a track record for her ‘bringing it into action’ processes that company owners find easy to implement with quick results. She has been working online successfully for the last 14 years and built 11 successful companies ranging from eCommerce to Direct Sales to a Copywriting Firm, Marketing Business, Consulting, Coaching, Info Products and her current business A Real Change Int’l.

You Can Live the Satisfied Life

 

Living the Satisfied Life

by Olga Hermans

 

Have you ever thought about what it is that brings true satisfaction and fulfillment in life? How you can find that contentment that will last longer this time? We clutter our life with so much meaningless work and activities that it is easy to lose sight of the way that God has meant your existence to be. He designed us and it is up to us to discover the life we were born to live.

Life is meant to be enjoyable, fulfilling, and satisfying; there is so much more to it than just existing or struggling or even surviving. I just have been watching a teaching from Dr. Don Colbert and he said that things/material possessions only produce 10% happiness. Personality makes up about 50% and 40% comes from how we think, our actions and reactions. I thought that was very interesting, because we think, in our way of living, that things bring us the satisfaction that we desire so much.

Truly happy people have found that fulfillment finds its source deep within and is largely unaffected by external surroundings or material possessions. The world however thinks totally different; the world is always pulling us to buy this and do that and most of the times, we fall into that trap.

Several years ago, a U.S. news magazine conducted a survey, questioning people in various income categories. People with an annual income of $25,000 were asked how much money it would take for them to live “the American Dream.” The average answer was $54,000 annually. The same question was asked of people making $100,000 annually; their average answer was $192,000.

What do the results of this survey tell us? Until we come to the understanding that living satisfied comes from our heart and the way we think; our mindset, we will always think that we need more things in our way of living to reach our goal in life. A very rich man once answered the question of how much it takes to be rich with “just a little more”. That is what most people think “just a little more.”

Benjamin Franklin said it his way, “To be content makes a poor man rich and discontent makes a rich man poor.” To really enjoy a life of fulfilment on a daily basis, we need to have our eyes on the right source.

To enjoy this kind of fulfilled life on a daily basis, it is important for us to look to the right source. People around us and even our best family and friends cannot give us what we truly crave. People will always disappoint us, because we humans are fickle. We should never seek approval of others, material possessions or status because they are not meant to be in our days to give us that kind of lasting satisfaction that we think we so desperately need.

Oh yes, there is that superficial sense of satisfaction that can come from all kinds of sources, but that is not the kind of satisfaction that you are looking for, because they are always unpredictable and short-lived.

To be “satisfied” can be defined as the sense of having enough or doing enough; to be content; or to experience fulfillment and gratification. The problem is though that the average person never thinks or feels like has really reached that point of having done enough. That is why we need to have a close look at our perspective in life and to get a grip on the source of real fulfillment and lasting satisfaction.

Can you imagine how fulfilled your life with Jesus can be? His love and joy and abundance are living on the inside of us. Jesus isn’t fickle or inconsistent; He is always the same. He is the only person that you really can depend on. When we put Him 1st place in our life and we center our lives in Him, we become happier and stronger and on top of that we become much healthier in all areas of our way of living.

We have a better outlook on our way of living and because we feel so much better and feel fulfilled, our relationships flourish. Everything gets better, because our focus is not on other people but on Jesus who always causes us to triumph in every situation.

That is the key, that for a lasting satisfied life of fulfillment we need to become deeply connected with an intimate relationship with God. The person who created us to love us no matter what; the person that has experienced that is truly satisfied in the Lord because he understands that God is the only reliable source in his way of living. The only source that of true fulfillment, abundant provision, and lasting security.

This is how The Apostle said it:way of living

    …For I have learned to be satisfied with what I have. I know what it is to be in need and what it is to have more than enough. I have learned this secret, so that anywhere, at any time, I am content, whether I am full or hungry, whether I have too much or too little. I have the strength to face all conditions by the power that Christ gives me. Phil. 4:11-13

Paul tells us that we need to learn to be satisfied and that it is an attitude that we need to practice. You know, look at the children; they are never content on their own. They always want something new. Marketers know this for a fact; they place the goodies for the children on a lower eye level just for them. We as mommies have to tell them that they cannot get everything they want, right? Children aren’t satisfied with what they have; they want what they don’t have.

Sadly enough many people are still the same when they grow up. Teenagers almost always give in on peer pressure; they want to have the latest thing in the store because “everyone has it.” Far too often, that same childish behaviour carries on into marriages. Some people will always live with that constant feeling of dissatisfaction because of the things they don’t have.

There are far too many people who want to “keep up with the Joneses” and want to have the latest fashion and the latest gadgets or the newest car even. This dissatisfaction robs people’s joy and clouds their lives with discontentment.

Paul talks about attitude of contentment in First Timothy 6:6 (AMP):

“[And it is, indeed, a source of immense profit, for] godliness accompanied with contentment (that contentment which is a sense of inward sufficiency) is great and abundant gain.” Paul describes contentment as a sense of inward sufficiency. It is to be our source of immense profit.

Read again what Paul says in Philippians 4:11: “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content.” This same idea is also found in Hebrews 13:5: “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’”

A satisfied life comes forth when we live from the inside out; when we can see it on the inside it will automatically show up on the outside.

When we center ourselves in Him, we discover the depth of Jesus’ love for us, and this brings the fulfillment we long for. It is from this point that we discover the power and security of living a contented way of living. As you become clearer about how you want your life to look like and about who you are in Christ, you will watch it come to pass in your own life and that is the true satisfied life.

The moment we are content and at peace with God, we can be at peace with ourselves. His peace brings confidence, no matter who we’re with or how intimidating someone may seem.

Question: What are the things in your life that keep you back from living your life with contentment and satisfaction? Please share with us and the other readers.

You can subscribe to The Daily Choice which brings an encouraging message 5 days a week to your inbox by clicking here

How To Soar Into Your Dreams Like The Eagles

 

How To Soar Into Your Dreams Like The Eagles

by Olga Hermans

One of the things that all of us know about an eagle is, that they are always up in the air or sitting somewhere on the top of a tree in the mountains. But we never have to stop our car for an eagle, because it wants to cross the road. Eagles are born to fly; they force themselves to soar to great heights and glide on currents of wind; this is placed within them by their Creator.

You know, in a way, we are like that. When God created us; He planted a dream on the inside of us or a goal that would push us to go to heights of achievement. But for many, that dream remains just that, a dream. That soaring vision seems utterly out of reach.

Some people dream of having a business or a witty idea; a new invention. Others dream of raising a great family or great relationships. It doesn’t really matter what kind of a vision you have for your life. One thing is for sure, that God didn’t place that dream there to frustrate you. He had put it there for you to fulfill it and to live right in the middle of it.

We can learn many things from the eagle. Nature shows us that God exists and it shows us His character. Romans 1:19-20. The Amplified tells us:

“For ever since the creation of the world His invisible nature and attributes, that is, His eternal power and divinity, have been made intelligible and clearly discernible in and through the things that have been made (His handiwork). So [men] are without excuse [altogether without any defence or justification].”

The Bible uses the eagle frequently. Deuteronomy 32:11-12 is a metaphor for explaining the ways of God.

Let’s see what we can learn from the eagle.

Eagles are very fascinating, isn’t it? They have symbolized majesty, strength and power; the Bald Eagle is the national symbol of the United States. The ancient Egyptians and Greeks revered the eagle. The eagle was the primary symbol of the Roman Empire, as well. In fact, every Roman soldier had an eagle inscribed on his shield.

Ok, we are talking about your dream and mine . When the Bible talks about an eagle, it refers to the Golden Eagle. They mate for life, and when the time comes to build a nest, they typically do that high up in a mountain cliff. They start with large pieces of wood and branches of sometimes 8-9 feet long. These large branches are usually placed upon a sturdy rock ledge or in a cleft in the rock.

This reminds us of what Jesus told us that those that hear His words and act upon them are like a man who builds his house upon a rock (Matthew 7:24). And God hid Moses in a cleft of a rock in order to protect Him from the awesome power of God’s glory (Exodus 33:22).

The most important key to the fulfillment of your dream is to make sure that your life is built on the right foundation and that is Jesus. Nothing else will ever matter or be right until you surrender everything that you are and have to Him.
When the gathering of the large branches out of the valley is done, the eagle pair will look for smaller sticks and bring those to the nest-under-construction. When that is done the branches will be covered with leaves to make it soft.

When the nest is done and the couple is finished, the nest weighs between one and two tons and will be able to withstand frequent winds up to 100 miles per hour.

This is the moment to start the family. You will see that the way the male eagles deal with the baby eagles shows us a lot about how God deals with us.

The female eagle lays one or two eggs in the spring and after a few weeks the baby chicks come out. That is the moment that the male turns into a very skilled provider; he does whatever it takes to provide for all the needs of the family.

This is exactly what God does for us when we get born-again. All our needs get met, Phil. 4:19
The father eagle does much more than just provide the basic necessities, however. He literally showers his young ones with gifts.

Scientists still don’t know why, but the male eagle brings “gifts” before the baby eagles arrive; gifts that have no meaning and above and beyond the necessities of life. Things like an old shoe or some tin can and things like that. And then something funny happens; the mother eagle inspects everything and throws most of it out. 😉

This is something that shows us how much God cares for us. The bible tells us that He wants to do so much more for us than just filling our needs. It says that He wants to “bless” and “prosper” us. He “crowns” us with loving-kindness and good things. God enjoys it to bring good things into our life, just because we are His children and He loves us.

We can compare Baby Eagles w/ Baby Christians

When the baby eagle arrives, mom and dad do everything they can to please and support the baby eagle. All the baby eagles need to do is to sit in their nice comfy nest and wait for the food. Isn’t that what we do as a baby Christians? I remember the first months that I was born again; it seemed that all my prayers got answered right away. I saw many miracles happening in my life right and left.

But we all know those days don’t last forever. In the first season God makes a lot of grace available to us because we lack so much knowledge and there is absolutely no maturity.

But then slowly God is going to hold us responsible for the truth that we have heard and we have to start using our faith to get our needs met.

These eaglets have to do the same thing. The day comes that the mother eagle comes back to the nest not to provide comfort and provision as she always did before. No, she begins to flap her wings and walk around in the nest for the eaglets to get up and start moving. The mother makes the nest as uncomfortable as possible by even taking the leaves out which leaves the eaglets no choice than to get up and walk around. They are forced to strengthen their weak and unstable legs. Do you remember the verse in Deut.32:11?

We truly can get too comfortable as Christians, and there is a danger in being too comfortable for too long. That way you will never grow or develop the strength to achieve your dreams if God keeps giving you everything that you want the moment you ask for it.

Do you want to know what happens next? The mother eagle moves her babies to the very edge of the nest, which is 10,000 foot high above the ground. Whatever these eaglets are thinking or feeling at that moment is nothing compared what is coming up next.

The parent is going to do something that we would find shocking in our natural mind, because the momma eagle pushes her young out of the nest at that time. The eaglet has seen the parents fly and tries to imitate them by flapping his wings frantically with not much success.

And then, just before the eaglet touches the ground, the father comes to rescue and catches him and carries him back to safety. Wow! This is repeated over and over again; this is how the young eagle gets more and more confident and then after a while it flies with the same majesty of its parents.

Do you remember the post on procrastination where we talked about the fact that people keep waiting on God instead of taking some action? They don’t want to leave the nest. They cling tenaciously to the security and comfort of the familiar and the safe. As a result, they never step out into the realm of faith. And it is only in stepping out in faith that they can ever soar on eagle’s wings into their dreams.

Just as God has placed in every eaglet the desire to fly, He’s placed in every believer a vision or dream. A dream that is tightly connected to God’s high calling for your life. A desire to reach toward the lofty things He’s called you to do. So, when will you stop tolerating your unfulifilled life a start to discover the life you were born to live?

Far too few people ever take flight in those dreams because they’re afraid to leave the nest. They’re afraid to risk rejection. Afraid to fail.

Once you get a general idea of what that dream is, you need to let God refine it for you. Then, the only thing that stands between you and the realization of that dream is the comfort of your nest.

If you’re seeking God with all your heart, He’ll not let you fall to your destruction, even if you make a mistake. Psalm 91:11,12 says: “For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.”

There is no other way; when you want to live your dreams, you have to step out in faith. Never be afraid to dream. People who don’t dream, never will develop the motivation to step out of the nest.

Spend time with your God and let Him show you the dreams that He has for you.Then, when He’s refined that dream, step out of the nest with the confidence that comes from knowing He’s there to catch you if you fall.

Just remember, the only thing that limits God in this earth is how big you’re willing to dream and how willing you are to step out of the nest.

Do these things and you’ll ultimately find yourself soaring into your dreams.

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Question: Are you willing to get out of your comfy nest and go for your God-given dreams? Please share and start a discussion; every reader will like you for it 😉

The Seven ‘C’s’ Of A Great Marriage

The Seven ‘C’s’ Of A Great Marriage

By Olga Hermans

Good communication involves talking, listening, understanding and taking action. Communication breakdown is the number one problem in marriage. It’s the number one cause of separation and divorce. A lot of people don’t realize it, because they relate their problems to some other area. But if your communication is proper and you have the ability to share openly, you can solve financial problems, and children problems.

If you want to live the life you were born to live; you have to be able to communicate especially with your spouse. It takes an effort on your part to communicate effectively with God and with the people who are around you. If you get your communication right with God, you can have the right communication with the people around you; communication is a process. Having a successful scriptural marriage isn’t an instant, or easy, task. But it can be done.; you just have to make a choice.

Not just by reading a book or this article, but by choosing to put the principles that God has given us to work day by day, moment by moment for the rest of your life.

Here are the seven “C’s” that probably will help you if you put them to work; you can use them over and over again

1. Communicate

Communication is listening and understanding what the other person is trying to express and you do your very best to understand the other person. Communication is also opening up and sharing yourself with another person, even if it means becoming vulnerable. Communication is the basis of any successful relationship.

2. Cover One Another

If you truly love your spouse, you won’t expose, humiliate, or condemn them whenever they make a mistake; you will cover them. 1Peter 4:8.

Wives, you won’t point your finger at your husband and tell on how often he fails to pray or how carnal he is much of the time. And husbands, you won’t point your finger at your wife and tell on how much she nags. No. You’ll cover each other’s weaknesses. Cover each other with love.

3. Cherish One Another

The word cherish there literally means, “To feel or show affection.” Ephesians 5:29 Showing affection can be done by showing gentle and caring emotion with one another. It is the number one need of a wife, but it is also very important for the men.

You know, affection will always give you that emotional thrust that you need when things get rough; you are able to act in love. It is the glue that will bond you together in good times and bad.

4. Comfort One Another

Comfort is a vitally important element that enables us to stand successfully against the devil in every area of our lives. It makes it easier for us to be patient. 2 Cor. 1:3

God wants you to be your spouse’s greatest source of comfort. There is nobody else that can bring him tenderness when they’re hurt. A word of hope when they are discouraged

You’re the one to bring them kind-heartedness when they’re hurt, words of trust when they’re downcast, and friendship when it seems the whole world has forsaken them. If you’ll do it, you will go a long way in giving your spouse the courage to move forward.

5. Compel One Another

Again, just as you’re to be the greatest source of comfort to your spouse, you’re also to be the one God primarily uses to compel them toward love and good works. You are the one who should encourage your spouse to do better in everything; to inspire each other so you won’t grow weary in doing the right things. Gal.6:9

6. Consult With One Another

Agreement is a foundational principle of relationship succes, Amos 3:3. It is impossible to walk together if there is no agreement. When you break that principle; there will be strife and your marriage might eventually fail. So check with each other to see if you can agree.

Your spouse is a gift from God; so don’t misuse it. Your spouse is your balance and the person that enables you to grow and develop in the person you have to become.

7. Cleave One to Another

Never lose sight of the need you have for each other. Gen. 2:24 Always remember that your spouse complements you in a way no one else can. No friend, no child, no parent, and no pet – as wonderful as they may be – can do more for you than your spouse.

So cleave to that one alone. Pursue the marriage relationship with a singular determination that will eventually make you one flesh – not just in concept, but in fact. That only can be done by thorough communication.

There are many jokes about how much women can talk and talk and talk, but it is based on facts I think. Yes, I as a woman have a real need of sharing conversation, not just the chatter that this joke always talks about. This is not a joke; otherwise the need of men for sex is also a joke.

There are different levels of communication; from a cliché level where you only talk about the weather. Then we can have this conversation where we only talk about the facts that we went through that day. Men have a tendency to think in terms of the headlines, while women think more in terms of fine print. We want all the details 🙂

But real communication has a total openness and transparency level; where we experience trust and are able to share completely and freely about anything and everything. This is a level where we don’t hide and cover up, no areas where you are limited or where you feel there’s a touchy subject you can’t talk about.

You need to set aside a time when you can open up and communicate with your mate on a regular basis, whether it’s over coffee in the morning, at breakfast or lunch, in the evening on the back porch or whenever. Identify some place where you can open up and share together freely.

You have to make a choice to decide, because there is much power of agreement in communication. Will you do it? Let us know in the comment section what stood out the most to you and what things do you want to change? Thank you for doing that!

This article was inspired by a book from my former pastor Billy Joe Daugherty “Building Stronger Marriages and Families”