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.

 

 

How to Accept Yourself For Who You Are

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.

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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!!

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Finding Your Passion – How to Get Motivated in Life

 

Finding Your Passion – How to Get Motivated in Life

by Olga Hermans

 

 

Everyone today seems to be busy. Ask just about anyone how they are and they will respond, “Busy.” And it’s no wonder. Roughly 78 percent of women with children aged between six and seventeen work outside the home. Many people spend their lives trying to climb the ladder of success only to find when they reach the top; their ladder was leaned against the wrong building all the time.

In other words, people are passionate, but passionate about the wrong things. God never told us to be busy. He told us to be fruitful. We are making a big mistake if we associate being busy with being successful. Many marriages have been destroyed because one or both partners are too busy to spend time with each other.

Many people lose their health because they are addicted to life in the fast lane. They don’t rest properly and eventually their body breaks down under the strain of nonstop activity. I have believed that lie at one time. I thought the busier I was, the less time I had to even hear from God concerning what His will was for me. I had a plan and I was working my plan. I was diligent and passionate, but my passion was in the wrong place.

Just being busy doesn’t mean anything; it definitely doesn’t mean that you are successful. It means that you are busy, that’s it!! Have you heard this little story about the woodcutter? He was very strong and asked for a job with a timber merchant and got it. The pay was really good and so were the work conditions. For that reason the woodcutter was determined to do his best. He wanted to be a success on his new job.

His boss gave him an ax and showed him the area where he was supposed to work. The first day the woodcutter brought 18 trees back. “Congratulations,” the boss said. “Go on that way!” Very motivated by the boss’ words, the woodcutter tried harder the next day, but he could only bring back 15 trees. The third day he tried even harder, but he only brought back 10 trees. Day after day, no matter how hard he tried, he was bringing back fewer trees.

I must be losing my strength, the woodcutter thought. He went to the boss and apologized, saying he could not understand what was going on. “When was the last time you sharpened your ax?” the boss asked. “Sharpen? I had no time to sharpen my ax. I have been very busy trying to cut trees.”

You might have heard this story before, but it is a very good reminder for us to not make the mistake of being too busy to do the things we need to do in order to be a genuine success. This is also a good place to check our motives again. You see, we cannot impress God with how much we do or with what we do. He is interested in our motives; why we have done it and it must be very good, Godly reasons.

We shouldn’t do things to impress people and to be admired. These are not good motives. Doing things just to please people is not always the right thing either. We are told to strive to please others, but not to live to please others. Rom. 15:2-3 That’s a big difference!

Let me tell you this: If you don’t learn to follow your heart and the spirit of God, you will always live under pressure. I just wrote an eBook on prayer where I describe how that works. I think it is one of the most important things that we have to learn, to follow the Holy Spirit in our lives. That is the very reason why God sent him to us. John 16:13

If God says “no”, then you must say “no,” no matter how much you are pressured by others to say “yes.” Likewise, if God is saying “yes,” then we must say “yes,” even if the world is saying “no!” The devil is a thief and a liar and one of the things he thoroughly enjoys is stealing our time. Time is a precious resource God has given us. Each of us have a certain amount of time allotted to us, and once we have used up any portion of it, we can never get it back.

Do you find yourself complaining a lot about everything you have to do? If so, you should inspect the fruit of each thing you are putting your time into. I can guarantee you will find a lot of your activities are not helping you fulfill your destiny.

The devil can make you feel guilty about not doing something you have been asked to do. The should’s and ought’s in life can be very domineering. Everybody wants you to do their thing. They have plans and want you to to help them fulfill them, but they are probably not concerned about whether or not you are fulfilling your purpose. Make a decision today about whether you are going to live for people or for God.

The next time you feel really tired, ask yourself what is the cause. If you’re tired from putting forth effort that is helping you fulfill your God-ordained purpose, then be happy. If you are tired from running around in circles being busy, but going nowhere, then repent and make some changes in your schedule so you don’t keep repeating the same wasteful cycle. You make your schedule and you are the only one who can change it.

People are frustrated when they are not fulfilling their purpose. If you are not able to focus your passion, you will have no energy; it will drain you. We all can get caught up in an emotional hype that has absolutely nothing to do with our purpose in life. Don’t make the mistake of wasting your life and having nothing but regrets to look back on.

Tell us how and where do you find your passion? How do you know you are on the right track?

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Your Heart Needs Attention

Your Heart Needs Attention

by Olga Hermans

 

Today there are more than half of our young people in the world living in single-parent households during their childhood. This creates a sense of abandonment and rejection in their lives. Yet God desires for each and every one of us to be whole and fully restored to how He created us to be.

One of the signs of an abandoned heart is that people refuse to look at personal problems and personal responsibility. When was the last time you looked at the attitudes and conditions of your heart? Whether you realize it or not, many of these were established by your childhood environment and carried into adulthood.

Your life experiences affect your heart. They definitely have an effect on how you make choices for your life.  And you probably will find it difficult to make decisions, because it is difficult for you to look ahead and see your future. When you are able to spend time with a good family and a great church family as well, your heart has time to recover. But hurts, bitterness, and lies will produce problems in your heart.

As you renew your mind to God’s Word, your heart will open up again to the good things of life. When you start making the necessary adjustments in your life, the problems in your heart will fade and you will begin to experience positive results.

When you know that your life is on target with God, you only need to make some small changes to keep going and continue to grow, increase, improve and prosper.

Let’s say for instance, you are driving from Vancouver to Dallas. You know, it is all the way south, but you need to make some changes to stay on course, like changing roads now and then. But you know, that you just have to keep on going to get there and not to stop and not give up, because that is the way to get there right?

If you have made some really bad decisions and wrong choices in your life; you better stop your car and change direction, and find the road that will take you to God’s best for your life. Most people have made some bad decisions, but that doesn’t mean we should stay there. No! There is always a new start waiting for us.

Sometimes you have to make more than small adjustments, you may have to do a U-Turn and get serious about life changes. I want you to know, it is never too late. It is never too late to turn around and set your life on the right foundation. Stop sabotaging your life and stop tolerating that your life is running on an almost empty tank.

The “roots” of your heart produce positive and negative results.

…looking diligently [becoming aware, plugging in, learning] lest anyone fall short of the grace of [or live below God’s will, His grace, His blessing]; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled. Hebrews 12:15

Bitterness means “a bitter root…producing a bitter fruit.” Springing comes from the Greek work phuo meaning “to puff or blow” or “to swell up.” Defile means “…to taint” or “contaminate.” A bitter root from negative circumstances in life swells up and contaminates our hearts. Take this motto: “Don’t get bitter; Get Better”!

You gotta watch those roots

How is it possible that a married couple still divorces after being together for many years? It is because a root springs up. Why do people get in debt and poverty when they know that God wants them to prosper? That specific root came up.

Why do we accept to be depressed and discouraged when we are full of the Spirit of God and know the joy of the Lord belongs to us and the peace of the Lord is ours? A root defiles our hearts. It keeps us from God’s best.

Roots grow below the surface. We are able to see the trunk, leaves, and branches on the conscious, surface level. When you renew the spirit of your mind to God’s best for your life, you are willing to dig up the negative roots and move toward a healed, whole heart.

The roots of your life, all those issues in your life; they predict your future. It will never work when you keep covering them up, ignoring and denying them. There will be a moment in your life, where you will have a big garbage dump of issues that you knew you had but never wanted to deal with.

Have you ever seen those acreages where truckload after truckload has been dumped “until it is full”. Then they decide to cover it up with beautiful grass and everybody sees “a beautiful park”. It looks so nice on the surface.

But then after some years, people in the neighbourhood begin to experience some ails and physical problems. After some research, methane gas is found and it came rising up through the grass. So, a complicated system of piping needs to be built to deal with the problem. The gases are gathered and burned off so the gas will not escape into the atmosphere. Why? Because they didn’t want to deal with the garbage issues from the beginning.

Your Life Needs to be Detoxified

Sure, you can cover the garbage of your past, but it will never be able to heal your heart. When you go places or go to church on Sunday, you may look nice, but gases are rising from the surface below and you know it. There are personality disorders. You love the Lord, you are on your way to heaven, but you still cannot get your relationships right. You trust God, you believe in God, you work hard, but you still struggle financially.

Maybe you believe the bible and you quote Scripture, but you cannot serve others or get close to them. You feel lonely, isolated, and separated. You call yourself a Christian, but you do not have time for your children, you talk disrespectfully about your husband, and you gossip to your neighbors.

We can look good on the outside, but the hurts, pains, and problems of our past are bringing up gases. There is a tendency to blame others and point the finger. We want to say, “It’s that spouse who left me,” “It’s that guy who raped me,” “It’s that parent who rejected me.”

Certainly they had a part to play, but you have to decide right now if you want a whole, healthy, healed heart.

Let Your Spiritual Roots Spring Up

God has always been there for you; He always gives you opportunities to be healed and to deal with the issues in your heart; those roots in your heart. Wake up and become aware of what is going on, on the inside of you. Make that choice not to hide what you cannot hide anyway.

We all have seen those roots that grow through the cement and sometimes can even tear a road to pieces; that is how powerful they are. No matter what you put on top of them, they will spring up at any given time. They have a way of coming up when you least expect them. Make a choice to determine not to ignore them or even deny them.

Our habits and attitudes are linked to a root system in our lives. In the natural, sometimes you can pull up one root and realize it has gone way over to the other side of the yard. It is not so easy to get rid of.

Likewise, in the spirit realm, we must begin to look below the surface of our lives.

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Step Up To The Plate, It’s Your Destiny to Hit a Homerun

 

 

Step Up To The Plate, It’s Your Destiny to Hit a Homerun

by Olga Hermans

 

Do you know what it takes to make a homerun? One thing is sure, you need to be in good physical condition. Winners will lift weights and work out to be at their best for the regular season games. This kind of physical conditioning is a part of spring training, but it continues throughout the rest of the year. Even during the off season, a ball player must continue physical conditioning for top performance.

We all know what most people do in off season; the pressure is off and temptation hits us. We even might get into some bad habits like getting lazy, eating too much junk food and things like that. Christians have off seasons too; the seasons that come after great victories. Maybe you finally got out of debt or your business rose to that level that you have been waiting for.

The thing is though that we cannot stop training in off seasons, because we cannot afford to be out of shape when a curve ball comes blasting our way. The most devastating injuries occur when we become complacent about the things of God because the pressures of life are off for awhile.

When we experience sickness in our bodies, we can end up on the sidelines and if the devil has his way, he will do his best to put us out of the game completely. When we are critically sick we can use the scriptures and release our faith of course and that is all good. But if your life is going in the wrong direction, without a life change you will be sick again.

God has put within us an immune system to fight off enemy particles in our bodies. This system is designed to destroy destructive germs and negative cells, such as those that cause cancer. The immune system sends out chemicals and positive cells to fight and destroy bad ones. When the immune system is worn down, diseases (enhanced through anger, strife, fear, unforgiveness, bitterness, depression, loneliness and similar negative emotions) gain access into the body. Taken from “The 7 Pillars of Health” by Dr. Don Colbert

So, here are several life changes you can make to bring your spirit, soul and body back into alignment in order to step up to the plate to hit that homerun again!

1.   Reset Your Priorities

You can make a decision to have your priorities right. The Bible says clearly that we shouldn’t lean on our own understanding but acknowledge God and He will direct our path! Prov.3:5-6 Let’s face it: God is much smarter than us 🙂

2.   Adjust Your Schedule

You can decide, “The Kingdom of God is going to be first in my life”. Start the day with giving God your very first moments of the new day. When you do that, you prayers are so much more effective and they will cause you to soar like an eagle in God’s plans for you.

3.   Relax in Faith

We are told to cast all our care upon Him, for He cares for us 1Peter 5:7. The God of Israel never slumbers nor sleeps, why then should we stay awake all night worrying? Psalm 121:3-4. Cast your cares upon the Lord and relax in faith. Once you have given something to Him, do not take it back again. He is well able to handle anything that comes your way.

4.   Rest in the Lord

Some people are so uptight they make coffee nervous! You can decide, “Lord, I will rest in You and lean on Your everlasting arms.” Hebr.4:9-10. We shouldn’t overlook the need for natural rest. God made our bodies that way. A good night’s sleep can go a long way toward relieving stress, increasing mental alertness and giving you physical stamina for all the tasks of your day.

5.   Laugh

Many people are standing up on the outside, but they are lying down on the inside. Depression will cause you to lie down on the inside and it will hinder the proper functioning of your immune system. Learn to laugh at your own mistakes and do not be afraid to share the humor with others in a light-hearted way.

6.   Eat the right foods

Replace fried foods (those heavy in fat and high in cholesterol) with fresh vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Drink plenty of water and ease up on sugary soft drinks. We cannot make a “god” out of eating. It is all right to enjoy food, but we ought to have enough sense to eat things that will not cause health problems.

7.   Exercise

In Bible days, Jesus and his disciples did not hop in a chariot when they wanted to go somewhere. They walked everywhere they went. What we call exercise today was their normal way of life. Find exercises you like and stay with them. Schedule them into your day just like you would an appointment.

8.   Forgive

This is a biggie; many people think it is hard to forgive their abusers or their enemies, but the truth is that it is much harder on you NOT to forgive. You are binding yourself up to the enjoyment and fulfillment of your life. Unforgiveness will block the power of God from working in you. It is time to repent and get all that negative stuff totally out of your spirit, soul and body.

When you make a choice to do what is necessary to get into a good physical condition and staying that way even in off-seasons, you will be prepared at any time to step up to the plate and hit a home run. You will be alert, ready, and strong enough for the circumstances.

My Question to you is: Are you willing to take these steps serious? Tell me and the other readers what you are going to do about it and which step is it that you have under your belt already? Thank you for doing so.

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.

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Healthy Eating From a Biblical Perspective

 

Healthy Eating From a Biblical Perspective

by Olga Hermans

Last week my family and I finished a 10 day juice fast. We watched the “Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead” Movie and realized that it would be a good thing to make a choice to detoxify our bodies. We had a great time doing it; some of us endured a lot of pain, like bad headaches. But we will probably do it again, just because we choose to make a healthy choice.

You know, all the things that we see the world promote, we can find in the Bible. Fasting is a  biblical principle; Jesus did it, John the baptist did it, Paul did it; why shouldn’t we? There is nothing new under the sun. The Bible is a very practical book; it is not a history book and not just a “pie in the sky” or something that can collect dust on your coffee table. No! You can find all the answers to all your questions. The Bible is a book that you can live by.

It covers every area of your life and it has a lot to say about what to eat and what not to eat. Yeah, God is concerned about your lifestyle. You are not the first person that has problems with food. Do you remember the first problem of Adam and Eve? Food! They ate the wrong food, the forbidden fruit.

Then there was Esau; what was his problem? He loved his lentils. There is nothing wrong with that, but he sold his birthright for a bowl of beans. Food became his downfall!

And Eli in 1Sam.1-4 was overweight because he loved that fat meat and passed his bad eating habits on to his sons. His sons loved the fat meat so much that they stole it from the sacrifices. God warned Eli to get his sons under control, but Eli liked to eat more than to obey!

Eli’s situation is sad because he really did love God. But he could not give up his eating habits or discipline his sons. He was so overweight that when he heard that the Ark of the Covenant had been stolen, he lost his balance and fell backwards off a stool, breaking his neck!

Wrong eating habits produce all kinds of bad things, but be encouraged, God has the way out of these bad habits!

1.   The Lusting For Food

We all have a desire to eat good food and that is very natural. Our bodies need food to keep going. But we never should start to lust after food. I myself love to eat chocolate with almonds in it and can really crave for chocolate. Then I read this scripture in Proverbs, that good practical book on wisdom: “Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger” (Prov. 19:15).

Idle people are hungry people! Have you ever noticed that when you sit in front of the TV and you get entertained; your mind is kind of idle and you find yourself longing for all kinds of goodies? Not so when you are busy and occupied with some important things. So, it is a good thing to keep you busy. It’s good to keep your body busy, and it’s good to keep your mind busy.

Another key to eating properly is found in Proverbs 13:25: “The righteous eats to the satisfying of his soul: but the belly of the wicked shall want.”

The word that stands out here is the word “satisfying”. You can eat to the satisfying of your soul or you can go beyond that amount and stuff yourself! Most of the time we go beyond being satisfied because the food tastes so good. The righteous don’t go beyond being satisfied; they stay within that limit.

Here is a verse that might surprise you: Proverbs 25:27, “It is not good to eat much honey.” That has to do with sweets. It is better to eat natural sweets like fruit. Honey is good, but too much of any good thing is dangerous!

We’ve covered the dangers in eating sweets; now let’s look at the dangers in eating too much meat.

2.   The Eating of Food

Eating sweets is not good, and eating too much meat is not good. None of us wants to eat too much and get into trouble with our eating. We want to be healthy people. The next question would naturally be, “What can I do to change my eating habits?”

The Bible tells us how to handle our craving for too much food. The first scripture that comes to mind in changing our eating habits is 1 Corinthians 10:31: “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” Ask yourself if your eating habits glorify God.

We can be skinny and still not glorify God in our eating! If, on the other hand, you look like the Michelin Icon/man, will people see God in you? Proverbs 23:2 says, “And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.” That is pretty serious and it shows how serious we need to be when it comes to wrong eating habits.

Now, let’s be optimistic and look at how to eat. Proverbs 18:20 says, “A man’s belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled. Never complain about what you eat but speak good things over it.

Many people are in trouble over food because they eat when they are depressed. Proverbs has something to say about this too: “All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast” (Prov. 15:15).

Eat when you are happy, and it will be a feast to you. It could be crackers and milk, but you’ll be happy. Whatever you eat when you are happy will be a continual feast. You will receive more strength from your food if you eat it with joy.

4.   The Sanctifying of Food

One of the most important aspects of eating, and something that will help you to keep a right attitude in your eating, is found in 1 Timothy 4:3-5: “Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.”

These verses tell us that we do not have to be vegetarians. Every creature is good for food. Remember, though, that we are not to be unruly eaters of flesh. Did you know that what you pray over, giving thanks, is set apart by the Lord for your well-being? I believe that if nutrition is lacking in what you have to eat, God can make it up to you if you will give thanks for it and pray over it.

However, that doesn’t mean you can neglect good meal planning. But sometimes you may be in a position where you can’t eat correctly. If you believe everything you hear or read about food, you will become frustrated: “Bacon causes cancer,” “Coffee causes cancer,” etc. If you followed it all, you wouldn’t know what to eat! Ask God to bless and sanctify your food, and He will take away sickness from you. You can’t always be extremely selective about what you eat, but you can pray the right thing over your food before you eat it.

5.   The Choosing of Food

We must eat the right kind of food! If you are tempted to eat a blueberry pie or a piece of cake, think of partaking resurrection power – the power you need to overcome all those bad eating habits. The more resurrection power you feed to your mind and body, the easier it will become to say, “No!” to bad eating habits.

5. The Kingdom of Food

The last point is without doubt the most important one. Paul said in Romans 14:17: “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink: but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” We are not to major on the “kingdom of food,” but we are to major on the Kingdom of God. Do not dwell on your eating habits, whether you are too fat or too skinny.  If you want to reach your destiny that God has for you, it might be a good choice for you to take your eyes off the problem and put your eyes on the Kingdom of God.

Here are some practical steps to change your eating habits and see your body improve:

1. Keep your mind active – think on right things (Prov. 19:15; 27:7).

2. Don’t eat to stuff yourself, but to satisfy yourself (Prov. 13:25).

3. Watch your intake of sweets and meats (Prov. 23:3,20).

4. When you eat, do it to glorify God (1 Cor. 10:31).

5. Take your bad eating habits to the cross and reckon them dead (Prov. 23:2).

6. Speak right words about your food before you eat (Prov. 18:20).

7. Don’t eat when you are depressed (Prov. 15:15).

8. Pray God’s Word over your food (1 Tim. 4:4,5; Deut. 7:13-15).

Question: Do you have any bad food habits and what are you willing to do about it?

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Seven Keys to Boost Your Confidence Instantly

Confidence And Negativity Cannot Live In The Same House; They Are Like Oil And Water, They Do Not Mix!

 

Seven Keys to Boost Your Confidence Instantly

by Olga Hermans

 

If some people are confident while others are not there must be a reason. Let’s have a look at some keys to boost your confidence instantly and tap into some things that will help you live with more confidence and with more boldness; are you ready?

1.       Confident People are Positive

Absolutely! Confidence and negativity do not live in the same house; they are like oil and water, they do not mix! I learned this the hard way that being positive is so much better and more fun and fruitful. Being positive or negative is a choice that you have to make, it is a way of thinking, speaking, and acting. They come from a repetitious behaviour that we have formed in our life.

Our life is the way we are because we are the way we are; there is no other reason and sometimes that is hard to swallow. In life we don’t get what we want, we get in life what we are. If we want more we have to be more, to be more you have to face yourself. People don’t like to be around people that are negative.

It has been said that 90% of what we worry about never happens. Thinking negatively makes you miserable. Why be miserable when you can be happy?

2.       Confident People Say NO to Fear

Fear is not from God; it is the devil’s tool to keep people from enjoying their lives and making progress. That does not mean that we will never feel fear, but it does mean that we will not allow it to rule our decisions and choices and our actions. The Bible says that God has not given us a spirit of fear. 2Tim 1:7
Fear causes people to bury their talents because they are afraid to fail, they are afraid to be judged and be criticized.

I DO know what it means to live in fear. When my parents died I was in my late 20’s; fear hit me like a brick. Fear came over me and filled me with a sense that I would never make it on my own and until this day I still have to be very alert to resist this fear. Feelings are fickle; they are ever-changing. The bad ones are there when you wish they weren’t and the good ones disappear when you need them the most.

3.       Confident People DO NOT Compare Themselves

It is impossible to be confident when you compare yourself to others. If there is one person that you can compare yourself with, it is you. Really, that would bring the best out of you! Why compare yourself to others? No matter how good we look, how talented or smart we are, or how successful we are, there is always someone that is better, and sooner or later we run into them.

I believe confidence is found in doing the best we can with what we have to work with and not in comparing ourselves with others and competing with them. Our happiness should not be found in being better than others, but in being the best we can be. What do you think?

4.       Confident People are Action Takers

I have heard that there are two types of people in the world. The ones who wait for something to happen and the ones who make something happen. We all have something to overcome. When you want to do something, don’t let yourself think about all the things that could go wrong. Be positive and think about the exciting things that can happen. Your attitude makes all the difference in your life.

Making mistakes is not the end of the world. We can recover from mistakes. In fact, one of the few mistakes we cannot recover from is the mistake of never being willing to make one in the first place.

5.       Confident People Do Not Live in Assumptions

Many people feel empty and unfulfilled because they have spent their lives bemoaning what they did not have, instead of using what they do have. We all know those thoughts that come “what if” I had my own house, “If I only” I would have more money, “what If” I would be married and “if I only” I could have had a better start in life and so on, and on and on!

One of the biggest mistakes we can make in life is to stare at what we don’t have or have lost and fail to make an inventory of what we do have.

6.       Confident People Bounce Back Quickly

So what if you fail? So what if you made a mistake? What else is new? We all fail and we all make mistakes. The good thing is that we learn so much from our mistakes.  A person is not a failure because he/she tried some things that did not work out. We only fail when we stop trying. I have heard it many times that most people who are very successful failed their way to success.

Let all those mistakes be training ground for you, you will be much better on the other side. If you never would make any mistakes, what would you learn? Nothing, really! One of the great things about God is that He always gives you a new beginning. One thing you absolutely shouldn’t do is to let the past dictate your future. Because you learn of your mistakes you are keen to do things differently.

7.       Confident People Know That God Loves Them

If you are a Christian you should know this for sure, but even if you are not a Christian you have to know that God is a good God and He loves you no matter what you do or where you have been. He loves you more than you will ever know.

There are people who feel so bad about themselves and then get around people who hurt them. You need to look for friends that you feel safe with. God will show you how to recognize them if you listen to His wisdom. One of the ways that God loves us through people and when we have the wrong people around us, we will always have that feeling that something is wrong with us.
God’s love is unconditional and makes you feel confident.

I want to close with this scripture

Even as [in His love] He chose us [actually picked us out for Himself as His own] in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy (consecrated and set apart for Him) and blameless in His sight, even above reproach, before Him in love. For He foreordained us (destined us, planned in love for us) to be adopted (revealed) as His own children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with the purpose of His will [because it pleased Him and was His kind intent]
— Eph 1:4 -5

I hope that these 7 Keys will help you on your way to being fully confident; let me know which one jumped out the most for you.

If you would pay more attention to your thoughts and choose to think on things that will help you instead of hinder you, you will be able to boost your confidence instantly and you will enjoy being more confident. Think confident and you will be confident.

Question: Please share with us the one key that really impacted you while reading. Thank you!

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You Were Born To Be A Star


…Then You Will Shine Among Them Like Stars In The Sky. Phil.2:14

 

You Were Born To Be A Star

by Olga Hermans

 

We live in a culture and in a time that is focused on how we should qualify as stars; being the best. Those that are inspiring for what they do or the position that they want to have in society.

I believe that not only we as people are looking for stars, but that God is also looking for stars. He is looking for you and I to shine like stars in the earth. God is not like Simon Cowell from American Idol bringing us out on the stage somewhere to be judged by the masses.

God says “I will work in you and I will work through you, that you would shine like a star. Phil.2:15

We are so focused on stars, we are searching for stars. Every realm of media and society, every sport is focused on those that are stars. We have movie stars, we have pop stars, and we have ALL stars. When your children are in school and they do well, they get a gold star. A star is something that we are looking for. Before you go to a restaurant or hotel, you check how many stars it has; is it a 2 star or a 3 star or prestigious 5 star. We are focused on stardom; we are focused on the best. Not only in people, but in things as well.

An Oreo cookie is considered as the best in its field; they sold 400 billion cookies since they were first created and they go down as the most popular cookie of the twentieth century. Now you know that Oreo’s are stars.

We live in a culture and in a mindset that is focused on stars; we are searching for stars. Many of us would say about ourselves “well, I am not a star”, but looking at others who are an athlete, a musician or some political figure and we say, well they were probably just born that way.

I was reading an article the other day by Steven Levitt; he was asking  about the commonalities between those who would succeed and there were certainly a number character traits and personality traits. But there was one thing he found in an ordinate number of those that had succeeded and advanced to the premiership in their nation. These people were born in the first three months of the year. There was an above average of people that were born in that span of time and so they dug a little bit deeper and then they found that 40% of all those that had become stars were born in those months. And only 15% of those who were born in the last 3 months of the year became stars.

The finding was simply that the kids who started school at a slightly older age were just slightly more developed; they had a little bit more opportunity to give their best and were noticed and affirmed and given tasks appropriate to that. And so at a young age they were given the opportunity to work at it.

You know, I don’t believe that stars were just born. It takes a little bit of work. And if you talk to someone who is classified as a star they are quick to say “I have worked hard at what I got.”

You have to live in the fullness of your purpose and passion for your life. It is like you are sitting in your car and your eyes are dozing off; you’re getting a little sleepy behind the wheel and you feel the shatter on the side of the road. And then there is that moment of alertness where you come to your senses and you become far more aware of what could have just happened and adrenaline fires through your body.

The apostle Paul tells us that there should be a shot of adrenaline in our spirit at the thought of living anything less than what you were saved for.

It is like you are on the road of life right now and you are falling asleep behind the wheel of your life. I want to encourage you today to wake up, let there be a search of adrenaline that God has something bigger and grander in store for you. You could totally miss it; you could totally miss what God has in store for you.

Php 2:13  For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him. It is God who is working in you to will and to act.

It is like a light bulb; this is an extended service light bulb.

This lightbulb was designed to shine brightly; it was fashioned that way. It is perfectly designed that way, but unless it is connected to a source of power it can accomplish nothing.

In fact, it doesn’t matter what this lightbulb thinks of itself, this lightbuld might have some insecurities that it cannot keep up with the more eco-friendly light bulbs. This light bulb might be a little bit ashamed of its 40 watts thinking that there are some 60 watts out there and some 90’’. This light bulb might be embarrassed that it is not halogen.

But it does not matter what the light bulb thinks of itself, when it is connected to the power it will shine as it was designed to do. In the same manner this light bulb might think “check out my form”. I got something special to offer and this lightbulb might go trying to light the world but unless it is connect to its source of power, it will accomplish nothing.

Let me encourage you today that it is both humbling and empowering in every way. It is God who works in us to will and to act. How does He work in us? He gives us purpose. He gives us the power to accomplish that purpose. God is willing and able to make you and I able. It is God who gives us purpose.

For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. Philippians 2:13 If we allow God to work in us and through us, we shine because that is what He has designed us to do. It is how He created us.

He has a great design in store for your life, He causes you to shine like a star. You don’t have to do it on your own, but you have to do it. There is something to do for you here on the earth. There should be a shot of adrenaline to think of living anything less than all that God has for you.

Once you discover what God has in store for you; you also will  discover your passion, pursue it with every fiber in your body until you achieve every goal you have with that passion. What is YOUR passion that you are currently pursuing? Let us know by leaving a comment.

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