Living the Life You Really Want Is Not Always Easy

November 10, 2011 by 7 Comments
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Living the Life You Really Want Is Not Always Easy

by Olga Hermans

 

 

Living the life you really want is not always easy, but you can do it. Let me show you how. God has a plan for your life. It doesn’t matter how much time has passed or what kind of mistakes you have made, the vision He has given you is still in you and it is time to pursue it. If you are willing to pursue your dreams, nothing can keep them from coming to pass!

Has your dream become fuzzy? Has everything around you, your circumstances, what people say, or what the economy says affected your dream? Have you come to that place where you have decided that it will never come to pass? Or, is that dream still somewhere deep, down inside of you? If it is, then it’s time to dust off your unfulfilled dreams!

It’s time to create a proper atmosphere in your life so that your dream will become a reality. It is important that you know that before you can change your present situation; you have to look ahead to where you want to be. You cannot keep focusing on your present circumstances. You need to know where you are going, so you can set your goals for getting there when you arrive.

“… Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables,
that he may run that readeth it.” Hab 2:2

This is a very important verse in the Bible, because that is how God works and we should do the same. The only way to know what you want to do and know where you are going is to think about it and to write it down.

Hebrews 11 says that God is an architect and a builder. Architects and builders have blueprints; they have plans. Noah had a plan to build the Ark; Moses had a plan to build the tabernacle; Solomon had a plan for the temple; and He has a plan for your life.

Every time you read your vision that God has put in your heart, you can run with it. It keeps you focused. It motivates you. It propels you forward. What puts a dance in your step and a smile on your face? If you haven’t experienced anything like that in years, then it’s time to get away with Him.

There are times that we have to shut ourselves away with God. It can be in your own house, where you find peace and become still before Him. Once you hear the Father reveal His plan to you, you write it down and run with it. Then, you never give up until it becomes a reality.

Don’t let it overwhelm you. Life doesn’t happen all at once. It happens in minutes and hours. Take each day as an opportunity to seek God about what He would want for you to do that particular day.

It doesn’t matter how old you are. You can act on the dreams and ideas He has put in your heart. People may want to put you out of pasture, but God never does that. He is with you no matter what. So, don’t waste your precious life only dreaming, and not acting upon it.

He didn’t care that Abraham was an old man when He gave him an idea of his future as the father of many generations. He doesn’t care if you are five years old or ninety-five years old. He sees your potential and the impact you can have on the future, regardless of what age you are.

Get determined for the dream in your own life, to move forward, to keep on living and learning, and doing something. You should be constantly dreaming, constantly believing the Father will help you achieve higher heights. You gotta know that what you dream of will come to pass, if you have faith in God, in yourself, and in the dream.

It is your responsibility to not only dream and be determined in your dream, but also to move into the direction of your dream. Don’t spend too much of your energy on what other people have done in the past, or you will continually be living in the past. The past never sees the future!

It All Starts On The Inside

God drops a dream in your heart in the form of a picture of that dream. In other words, you have to see it on the inside. When you see a promise in the Bible, that promise is designed by the Holy Spirit to paint a picture on the inside of you. Words create images. The Word says, “I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health.” The Holy Spirit will take that scripture, those God inspired words, and create an image on the inside of you.

From that moment on, you will begin to have an image of health and prosperity on the inside of you. When you meditate on the scripture, your image is going to become more real on the inside of you than what is happening on the outside.

The Bible says that “as man thinks in his heart, so is he.” God’s Word is designed to paint images. You can see it this way – your heart is the canvas, the Holy Spirit is the Artist, and the Word is the oil. As you fellowship with Him, the Holy Spirit will paint an image on the canvas of your heart of the way God sees you, not the way the world sees you.

We don’t think in words, we think in images. When I speak the word house to you, you automatically think h-o-u-s-e and, it’s likely that you think of your own house. But if I would say a mansion and you don’t live in a mansion, then you don’t see your own home any longer, you will see an image of somebody else’s home.

That is the very reason why God put His Word in print, so you and I would get an image of what He promises us. God is not a respecter of persons. He is not going around picking out a few people and dropping a dream in their hearts because He loves them more than He loves someone else. He wants to plant a dream in the heart of everybody.

In order for that dream to drop into your heart, you must be in communion with Him. You must have time and fellowship with Him. The more time you spend with Him, the more real your dream will become. As a result, you will begin to look for it; you will begin to expect it to come to pass.

Never give up, keep looking for it. Get the image of what God has planned for you deep down on the inside and constantly see yourself walking in your dream. Seize your destiny. Don’t let it slip away. Click here for more information.

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How to Walk in The Favor of God

November 7, 2011 by 14 Comments
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How to Walk in The Favor of God

by Olga Hermans


What does it mean when we talk about the favor of God? I can presume that we all have experienced favor one way or another in our life, right? What is that, favor? What does that look like?
And let the beauty and delightfulness and favor of the Lord our God be upon us; confirm and establish the work of our hands–yes, the work of our hands, confirm and establish it. Psalm 90:17 Ampl.

When the Father laid out the plan for your life, He lined up the right people, the right circumstances, and the right breaks. He has already released His favor in your life, supernatural opportunities and divine connections. The breaks you need have already been predestined to come across your path.

You need to stay in faith and go out each day and be a person of excellence and you will experience the many blessings that the Father has for you.

In 1993 we left Canada for economic reasons to go and live in The Netherlands. It had always been my husband’s dream to live Canada, so we didn’t take moving away very lightly. But we always kept thinking back to our time in Canada and started to think about going back to Canada again in the beginning of 2000.

When my son was 21 or 22; he came to us and told us that he wanted to go and study in Canada to live there. At that moment there was not much that was keeping us in The Netherlands. Both our parents had died; our daughter was living in England at that time and had plans to live in Australia.

But because we hadn’t been back to Canada for so long, we knew it would be very difficult to reinstate our residency.

So, we flew into Seattle in September 2004 and drove to the border at Peace Arch. As we stopped at the custom’s booth; the officer asked us how we would like to enter Canada. They gave us the option between entering as a visitor or as a returning resident.

This totally flabbergasted us and we said; is it still possible to enter as a resident? Then we had to go into the office where we stood in line to wait for our turn.  Then, another booth opened and that officer called us out of the back of the line and insisted we come to him.

We handed him our paperwork and after a few minutes he came back with our paperwork and said: I’m going to waive all the requirements! He stamped our passports with the required stamps and said: “Welcome back to Canada”! 

That was the favor of God; His approval and His goodness for sure. It was a great experience, which made us feel very special. He loves to bestow favour on His children.

When God gives favor; people favor us, and often for no reason they can even explain. Favor is actually a part of grace. In the English New testament, the Word ‘grace’ and the word ‘favor’ are both translated from the same word ‘charis’. So the grace of God is the favor of God.

And the favor of God is the grace of God; that which causes things to happen in our lives that need to happen through the channel of faith. His power is doing something for us that we can neither earn nor deserve.

Think about that! God wants to give you special privileges. His favor will cause people to go out of their way to bless you without even knowing why they’re doing it.

How does favor work? Things just fall into place. Obstacles disappeared. What happened? You just walked into the blessings of the Lord. They were already lined up. You just walked into them. Just like when we arrived at the Canadian border, God had it all lined up already and we just walked into that blessing. It was a marvellous thing.

Esther, Daniel and the Hebrew children, Ruth and even Jesus received favor from God that caused them to be accepted instead of being rejected in specific situations. They may have been rejected in some areas, but they were accepted regarding the things He had sent them to do.

Esther needed favor with the King. She was selected to bring deliverance to her people, who were in danger. She stepped out in faith and went into a place that was hard for her in the natural. He gave her the favor she was believing for, and she fulfilled His call on her life.

Ruth was a Moabite, so there was no way for her to be accepted by the Israelites without favor from God, because the Moabites were idolaters. But God gave her that favor because she loved and trusted Him. She did nothing special to deserve it, but her heart was right.

Ruth had gone though heartache and pain as a young woman. Her husband was killed in a battle. When her mother-in-law Naomi was moving to a different city, Ruth decided to go with her and help take care of her. There was a great famine in the land. Food was scarce. Ruth went out in the fields every morning to glean wheat left by the reapers. That is how she and Naomi survived.

One day, Boaz, the owner of that field, came to visit. His workers told him about the young widow Ruth who picked up what the harvesters had missed. Boaz told his workers to drop handfuls of wheat on purpose for Ruth.

When you walk into one of your favor moments, people will go out of their way to be good to you. Many times they don’t realize why they’re doing it. It’s simply because you stepped into a time of favor that God released into your life.

You see Ruth was just minding her own business, doing her very best and being faithful. All of a sudden she started seeing all this wheat lying in front of her. Think about it. She didn’t have to struggle any more. She didn’t have to search the field trying to find a little here and a little there. All she had to do was picking up the wheat piles left for her.

Extraordinary things began to happen for Ruth. She received blessings that she did not have to work for. That’s the way our Father is. All of a sudden you get breaks that you didn’t deserve.

Due to His favor, she married Boaz, “a man of great wealth”

Ruth 2:1, and their ancestral line brought forth David from whom Jesus was descended. Ruth no longer worked in the field. She and her husband (Boaz) owned it.

God’s supernatural favor flowing in your life is not based on your background, looks or personality. His favor is based on the Word of God and believing what it says about you. Favor can break through barriers set before you, and it is available to every believer.

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

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It’s Time To Live In The Blessing

October 31, 2011 by 7 Comments
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 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.

 

 

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Powerful Secrets To Discovering The Life You Were Born To Live

October 27, 2011 by 13 Comments
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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.

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How to Accept Yourself For Who You Are

October 24, 2011 by 15 Comments
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How to Accept Yourself As God Made You

by Olga Hermans

 

 

God Knew You Before You Were Born!

To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.
Ralph Waldo Emerson.

When we don’t know who we are and why we were put here, we can easily become wrapped in someone else’ definition, which can be dangerous to our self-esteem. Everywhere we turn, we are bombarded with images of what manhood and womanhood should be according to the standards of society.

It is hard to be free to be yourself when you are not exactly sure who you are. It is even harder if you know who you are but don’t like yourself. You have been given specific physical features, personal traits, talents, and even hobbies that are all unique to your God-given purpose and assignment on this earth.

Being true to who we really are will lead us to our true purpose and our real destiny. When you really want to live with true purpose, you might have to make some adjustments and you might have to embrace some change. Making adjustments can be challenging, and they may take some time, but the results will be truly worth it.

You need to realize how unique and valuable you were made and how to turn all those things you don’t like about yourself into strengths that set you apart from everybody else. The very thing that you always thought was your worst attribute could be the very thing that attracts people to want to know you more and the God you serve.

I heard somebody say once that we should be a trendsetter and not a trend-follower; I totally agree with that, you? You and I ought to be setting the pattern for the world to follow, instead of the other way around. We ought to be fashionable as well. God doesn’t want us looking like a bunch of refugees from the city dumb while the rest of the world is keeping up with fashion. The world ought to be looking to us Christians to set the standard. They should be watching us, how we dress and conduct ourselves.

The world should be taking its cue from us, not vice versa. But that can’t happen without a truthful realization of exactly who you are and what you were created to do. It comes from being the original that you already are and not a copy of someone else and being comfortable with yourself.

The moment you gain confidence in who you are in Christ Jesus, in the love He has for you, and the special uniqueness He has given you, you will be free to be yourself.

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing
of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable,
and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:2

Don’t keep thinking about a pattern what every Christian is “supposed” to be like or act like, it is time to break out and to be yourself. Whatever it is that you believe God has called you to do, whether it is business, politics, or sports or the ministry, whatever it is, God wants you to succeed.

You know, our success will make Him look good. It will make God very attractive. That is what it is all about. It is all about that God gets all the glory for everything that He did in our life. When we live by the principles of God that produce success, people will start to recognize Him and want to get to know Him as well. When we tell people that God is the source of everything that we do and of everything that we have, it is great testimony and it makes God very attractive.

There was a time in my life when I was very concerned about what other thought of me. This fear affected my confidence in myself and my abilities in a very negative way. But then later I discovered my purpose and I had to realize that in order to fulfill God’s plan and purpose for my life, I had to change the way I saw myself. I had to see me as God sees me.

We really have to begin to see ourselves as God sees us. If we view ourselves as incompetent, inferior, or unqualified, we will never get far in life. However, when our worth comes from within, and our image is one of success and victory based on God in us; it will eventually translate to every area of our lives. Nothing can hold us back.

How we see ourselves makes all the difference in whether we are successful in life. Our inner image is very important. We need to understand that many times, the way we see ourselves determines how we are able to handle and overcome situations in our own personal life.

That really requires making a decision to see a better image of yourself to realize that you truly can do all things through Christ, because He has given you the ability to do so. In order to conquer fear, you have to embrace the image God has of you, and become willing to see yourself equipped by God to accomplish all He has created you to do.

Have you ever experienced someone saying something negative to or about you that affected you long after it was spoken? This is because words are containers which go deep into a person’s heart and soul. They have the potential to do great damage, or good, to the listener. For example, if you grew up with a parent who constantly told you how bad you were or that you wouldn’t amount to anything, you most likely internalized those words, and they began to shape your self-image.

I myself, as a mother of two adult-children, I have realized how important it is that I build their self-esteem by speaking positive words and affirmations into them and into their lives instead of negative ones.

Just as the effect of negative words can be tremendous, the results of speaking positive words can have a huge impact on shaping our lives as well. A word is like a seed that we plant. When that word goes into the soil of our heart, it will eventually grow up to produce a harvest. The harvest of a positive self-image is the result of speaking positive words.

We need to ask ourselves constantly: what does God have to say about us? Let me make sure that you realize this; it is always good! He loves us all the time; His thoughts toward us are always above and beyond our own thinking.

You can subscribe to The Daily Choice which brings an encouraging message 5 days a week to your inbox. Click Here

 

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Why Tests, Trials, and Temptations

October 20, 2011 by 11 Comments
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Why Tests, Trials, and Temptations

by Olga Hermans

When it comes to LIFE, everyone must live it. David Horton

 

Did you read that profound statement? This might sound very obvious to you, but I think we sometimes forget this. We usually think that we are the only ones who deal with problems or experience tests, trials, and temptations.

Or on the other side, people think that there shouldn’t be any trials in life and when they arise they like to neglect them or deny them and live like an ostrich who puts his head in the sand and choose not to face the trials or challenges in their life.

Other people might feel guilty right away and think they left the door open to the enemy or that they missed God somewhere down the road and now they are out of the will of God.

The truth is though, that it doesn’t matter where you are in life or who you are; we all live on the same planet, we all deal with the same devil and we are all in the same boat.

Psalm 34:19 gives us a great perspective on this:

“Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.”

I had a mother in law who just never wanted to talk about problems; she just smiled and actually never wanted to acknowledge that there was a problem. She would say something like: Oh Harry (that was her husband) don’t be so serious, you should look at it from a different angle. There is no problem, what are you talking about?”

Do you also know people like that who never like to talk about a problem even to the point of never even acknowledging that there is a problem? Then there are people who always see a problem; every day of their life. And the only talk about why it is happening and how it all came about and so on and so on.

We have to know that crises of life come to everyone; we ALL will experience hardships. They are not a sign of an open door or sin in your life; they come to you because there is a devil out there who hates you and wants to destroy you. Let me give you a FREE tip: circumstances are never a sign of you being in or out of the will of God. If that were the case then the Apostle Paul must have never been in the will of God because his circumstances were always strenuous.

Here is another tip: when problems occur—and they will—don’t focus on the problem. Realize that it is never God’s will and God is never behind the problem.

When problems arise in your life don’t start asking why it is happening, because that will only lead you to discouragement. Situations like that are never easy, but you have to strengthen your back bone and start to focus on how to get out of the problem instead of focusing on how the problem came into your life.

This is the moment to use your faith for God to deliver you. How do you do that? Start with what you know. Think back on what Jesus did for you; He delivered you from it ALL! Every disease, every sickness, every calamity ….everything!! Every trial out there is already conquered. He made you more than a conqueror, remember?

It all depends on how you look at it

One more thing for your deliverance from your tests, trials, and temptations; you have to see yourself the way God sees you. The time we were in Bibleschool, they always taught us that if we were dealing with sickness for instance to never think of ourselves as a sick person seeking healing, but rather as a healthy person resisting the devil and his sickness. This is profound!

Many people think that tests, trials and temptations come from God. No!! The enemy is there to deceive you and to get you on another path and waste all your time. Have you ever had a bad thought coming in, one that feels good? Then you do as whatever that though was to only feel very bad because you did it? That is how he plays with you.

He gives you the bad idea and then after he come to accuse you and condemn you and tell you how bad you are and why you did such a stupid thing. And now you are all discouraged.

Many people believe that the tests, trials and temptations are what make us strong. As long as we think that way, we also think that God sends those trials our way. But the truth is that a crisis of any kind doesn’t make you strong. Of course you can use them to GAIN strength, but THEY do not make you strong.

Here is an example. A weight in and of itself is not what makes a weightlifter strong, he only uses the weight to gain strength, but the weight in itself doesn’t make him strong.

 I remember a friend discussing this with my husband, that nobody gains strength by just laying on a weight bench and having that heavy bar across his chest with those heavy weights on it. No, you have to lift that weight to gain muscle strength. You don’t gain strength by just thinking about getting strong and hoping and wishing you would gain strength. Of course not.

The moment when he starts taking that weight and starts pushing that weight away from himself, he becomes stronger.  The weight doesn’t make him strong – it’s what he does with it.

So many people have thought and still think that tests and trials make us strong, but that is not true. We all experience them because we live in this world where the law of gravity is at work. BUT when we use our faith and when we use our words to push them away, than we become stronger and stronger.

Don’t be reluctant, be bold and stir yourself up to become strong in your faith. Speak to that mountain and tell it to move in Jesus’ name. Don’t assume that God wants you to walk through the trials and temptations to make you strong. There are no trials in heaven, why would God want you to have them here on the earth? There is no sickness in heaven, why would God want you to be sick here on the earth? That doesn’t make sense, does it?

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Consider 15 Ways Of The Ant

October 17, 2011 by 28 Comments
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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

October 13, 2011 by 22 Comments
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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?

 

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How Spicing Up Your Life Can Make You Happier!

October 10, 2011 by 17 Comments
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How Spicing Up Your Life Can Make You Happier!

by Olga Hermans

Happiness does not depend on your circumstances … it is a choice that you make. The first step is to make a conscious choice to boost your happiness; the bottom line is if you want to be happy, you need to make a decision to be happy right now.

An extraordinary number of people are asking questions about their own happiness on the internet, and many are not satisfied with the answers they often find. Why not? Don’t they want to make a choice? Happiness and other positive emotions play an even more important role in health than previously thought, according to a study published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine by Carnegie Mellon University Psychology Professor Sheldon Cohen.

If you want to spice up your life to be happier, you must develop a habit of happiness. You must learn to relax and go with the flow, instead of getting frustrated. You have to believe that God is in control, and that means you have no need to be stressed out or worried.

Moreover you need to be grateful for what you have, rather than complaining about what you don’t have. A habit of happiness boils down to staying on the positive side of life. Each day is full of surprises and inconveniences, so you must accept the fact that not everything is going to always go your way. Your plans are not always going to work out just as you scheduled them.

The Bible says, “Rejoice in the Lord always.” 1Thess. 5:16 The Msg. Bible says: “Be cheerful no matter what” Another translation simply says, “Be happy all the time.” That means no matter what comes your way; we can have smiles on our faces. We should get up each morning excited about that day.

I can tell you that this does not come naturally to me; I am a person that really has to work on this. I have a more serious and observant personality. Although I can really cheer up when circumstances are good and all that good stuff. So, if I want to spice up my life to be happy and I do, I have to cheer up a little.

I have learned the hard way to not be so rigid and be set in my ways. Life is too short to live it stressed out. Besides, prolonged stress can damage your health and significantly shorten your life. I don’t want to live with knots in my stomach because some person is not doing what I want them to do.

You and I can make a choice to be more flexible and have a more easygoing attitude. Think about it. Ten years from now, many of the things that we are allowing to create stress in our life won’t even matter. You and I won’t care that we were stuck in traffic or that Thanksgiving will be different that we had planned.

Make a decision that you’re going to be happy even if you get stuck in traffic, even if the waitress spills something on your new outfit, even if you have to wait in that long line.

God did not create you to be a negative-thinking person. He didn’t make any of us to live depressed, stressed out, worried, or frustrated. God intends for you to be happy, content and to enjoy your life.

Take an honest look at your life. Are you as happy as you know you should be deep down inside? Do you get up each day excited about your future? Are you enjoying your family? Enjoying your friends? If not, what is stealing your joy and causing you to get upset? Why are you worried?

It is a good thing to take inventory and then take it one step further. Begin renewing your mind in those areas. Many times, you can make a small change; a minor adjustment in your attitude, or a minor adjustment in how you treat people; a minor adjustment in how you respond to problems and it will make a huge difference in your life and in your level of joy. This definitely will spice up your life.

There is so much sadness in our world today. Many people are sick physically because they are living so stressed out, uptight and worried. The apostle Paul said, “I have learned how to be content no matter what state I am in.” In other words, “This doesn’t come automatically.”

We must do the same thing. Happiness is not going to fall on us. It is a choice we have to make. Being positive doesn’t necessarily come naturally. We have to make a decision daily. Our mind, left alone, will often drift toward the negative. If we don’t stay on the offensive, little by little we will grow more sullen. Soon, we’re not as much fun to be around.

We start to find fault. We get critical. Refusing to allow these negative habits take hold of us will spice up your life and can make you a much happier person. When you get out of bed in the morning and put a smile on your face, Set the tone right at the start of your day.

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Does Your Life Inspire Others To Be Better?

October 6, 2011 by 10 Comments
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Does Your Life Inspire Others To Be Better?

by Olga Hermans

Today many are mourning over the life that influenced many, Steve Jobs. He definitely influenced the world by what he did. Many lives will forever be changed because of this one man.  Steve Jobs was a visionary and a dreamer as many others, but we were able to see with our own eyes what he did to make his dreams and visions come to pass. Apple believes that people with passion can change the world. I also believe that passion is one of our main attribute that we need to achieve our dreams. Steve Jobs definitely believed in himself and in his product.

It is amazing what we can accomplish when we believe in ourselves or we know somebody who really believes in us. Do you believe in yourself or do you have somebody in your life that believes in you? If you want your life to get better, then you need to help improve somebody else’s life. Steve Jobs was a great example. If you will help somebody else to become successful, God will make sure that you are successful.

God puts people in our life on purpose so we can help them succeed and help them become all He created them to be. Most people will not reach their full potential without somebody else believing in them. That means that you and I have an assignment. Everywhere we go we should be encouraging people, building them up, challenging them to reach new heights.

When people are around us, they should leave better off than they were previously. Rather than feeling discouraged or defeated, people should feel challenged and inspired after spending time with you and me.

The Bible says that love is kind. One translation says, “Love looks for a way to be constructive.” In other words, love looks for ways to help improve somebody else’s life. Take time to make a difference. Don’t just be obsessed about how you can make your own life better. Think about how you can make somebody else’s life better as well. Our attitude should be: To whom can I be an inspiration today? Who can I encourage today? How can I improve somebody else’s life?

I believe that God is going to hold us responsible for the people He’s put in our lives. He is counting on us to bring out the best in our spouse, in our children, and in our friends. Ask yourself, “Am I inspiring somebody to be better, giving that person more confidence, or am I just coasting along, consumed with doing my own thing?”

That is something that I love about being a mom. There is nobody else in the world that can take my place; I am the only mom they have and they will know it :).  Believing in my children and watching them grow up as mature adults, making their own choices and planning their own lives is my greatest joy. I like them to know that I am their biggest fan. I aim for them to know that I am all for them no matter what they want to accomplish. They need to know that I love them at all times and that I am concerned and that I really believe in them.

Everywhere Jesus went, He saw potential in people that they didn’t see in themselves. He didn’t focus on their weaknesses or their faults. He saw them the way they could become. Look at Peter; he was a man with some rough edges. He was hot tempered, loud, pretentious, and impulsive, but that didn’t deter Jesus. Jesus didn’t say, “Forget it, Peter. I am going to find somebody a little more refined than you.” No, Jesus worked with Peter to bring out the best out of him. It was in there. He just had to get it out.

You never bring out the best in someone by condemning and criticizing, or verbally beating a person down. You inspire people by love. You inspire people by showing that you really care. I heard somebody say, “Complimenting each other is the glue that holds relationships together.” With so many things working against good relationships nowadays it’s amazing what a kind word here and there will do.

So, be free with your compliments and be quick to speak them. Remember, your thoughts don’t bless anybody but you. You can think good thoughts about somebody all day long, but it’s not going to do them any good if you don’t speak them out loud. Every day, try to find somebody you can inspire by giving them a compliment and by building them up.

I want to inspire my husband, my children and my friends. I like to think that people like to be around me because I inspire them to be a better individual. Moreover, I also want to spend time with people who strive to bring the best out of me. The Bible says, “Iron sharpens Iron.” The way we live with each other should encourage one another to do better.

You can inspire others to do better everywhere you go. Everywhere you go, make positive deposits instead of negative withdrawals. When you get up in the morning, instead of applying your energies to how you can be blessed, find some way to be a blessing to someone else. If you make somebody else’s day, God will make yours.

Make a quality choice to be an inspiration to people and to bring out the very best in the people that God has put in your life. You’re never more like God than when you give, and the closest thing to His heart is helping others. If you will meet somebody else’s need, God will meet yours. What you make happen for others, God will make happen for you.

Let’s end this post with an awesome quote:

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” Steve Jobs

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