Does Your Life Inspire Others To Be Better?

October 6, 2011 by 10 Comments
Share on Tumblr Share

 

 

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

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

Share on Tumblr Share
Filed Under: Making Choices in Life Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

What Does It Mean To Set Your Face Like Flint

September 29, 2011 by 25 Comments
Share on Tumblr Share

What Does It Mean To Set Your Face Like Flint

by Olga Hermans

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

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Share on Tumblr Share
Filed Under: 6 Your Destiny Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

What About 2012?

September 28, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Share on Tumblr Share

 

 

What About 2012?

 

Prophecy delivered by Kenneth Copeland
on November 10, 2011
Washington, DC Victory Campaign

“What about 2012? What does it hold? What’s in store? What’s in store for the nations? What’s in store for Israel and what’s in store for the Church? I have a great storehouse. Much more has been stored up in the storehouse of riches beyond your wildest dream that I laid up for you before the foundation of the world. Much more is stored up there than what the Church has ever called for. I never have held back on the Church,” saith The LORD and the God of plenty. “I’ve made it available to you. I put it in My WORD. I gave you a promise and stood behind it with the blood, precious blood of your Savior. But there has been a backwardness in My people about laying hold of the things that I have provided for you. But I will say this: There is a people in the land. There is a people around the world. There is a people strong and mighty, growing much stronger and much mightier and more bold to lay hold and put their claim of faith on the things that I have laid up for you and it thrills Me,” saith The LORD, “because it’s been yours all the time.

“Ah, but what about 2012? 2012 is a year full of surprises. Some surprises are going to shake people up. Some surprises are going to shake people down. But for those who are listening to My voice, those who have made themselves available to My Spirit and to My WORD, you’ll have surprises. Oh, not like the world and not like a lot of carnal-minded Christians. Your surprises will come as suddenlies. Like in My WORD when it said, ‘And suddenly there came upon them.’ And you’ll stand up with a big smile on your face and say ‘I just got a suddenly, didn’t I? Oh! Yes.’ But it’ll not take you by surprise because I said in My WORD I’d show you things to come. I said in My WORD what I speak the Holy Ghost will hear and He will speak it to you. And there are those of you who are seeking My voice and seeking My WORD and seeking My Name and looking at Me in My face while I’m looking at you in your face. And together we’ll walk in this and together we’ll walk through this and there’ll come a time when you’ll just smile at Me and I’ll just smile at you and you’ll say, ‘Ha. Ha. Ha. I knew that all the time. Praise God. My Father showed me that was coming and I was all prepared and it didn’t come on me as a suddenly. But this other surprise that came on me. Oh, what joy. Oh, what thrill. Oh, what goodness. I wonder what else my Father has in store for me. Hallelujah. Praise God.’

“2012? I’ll tell you about 2012. It’s going to be a year of great joy for those who know joy. It’ll be a time of marvelous breakthroughs. This is a time of victory. It’s a time when people begin to realize that My WORD is a living WORD, that My Spirit is the living Spirit, and that you are My voice in the earth. And your voice is the voice of victory. So rejoice and shout and understand that the breakthroughs that you’ve sought and watched over, prayed over, stood in faith for, ah, don’t turn loose now. Don’t turn loose now because they’re at hand. They’re right at hand. They’re right on top of you right now. Praise God. Hey!

“Have no worry. Do not be in fear about the United States of America. Don’t be in fear over the failure of this republic. This is not the time for this nation to fail. I’m not done with it yet. And it may come as a surprise to many; this nation is not done with Me yet,” saith The LORD. Hallelujah.

“We have a job to do. And this year will be like none other where this nation is concerned. And many will say, ‘Oh, woe is us! Oh, woe is us!’ And you know what? Oh, woe will be them.

“And there are others who’ll say, ‘Oh, we can’t win! We can’t win!’ And to them they can’t win.

“Ah, but to those of them who say, ‘Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha. This is a time of greatness! America again! Oh, and it’s my nation and it’s God’s nation and we’re right where we’re supposed to be. He has us right where He wants us, and our future is bright because God is still LORD over the United States of America.’

“So rejoice and give forth a glad sound because The LORD of glory is still on the throne and prayer changes things and together we’re going on to greater victory.

“Oh yes! 2012 is a time of greatness Miracles that seemed as if they would not come but they’re here. There is an atmosphere conducive to miracles that’s been growing and growing and will manifest greatly in the first quarter of 2012 and continue throughout the year and on into 2013. I’ve been looking forward to 2012,” saith The LORD. “I know how it’s going to turn out. I’ve already dealt with it in My WORD. Your future is looking better all the time. But of course you’ll need to look at it through My eyes,” saith the Spirit of grace. “So as I said before, rejoice, for your time has come.”

Share on Tumblr Share
Filed Under: Prophesies Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Finding Your Passion – How to Get Motivated in Life

September 26, 2011 by 25 Comments
Share on Tumblr Share

 

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?

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

 

Share on Tumblr Share
Filed Under: 3 Your Actions Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Prayer: The Breakfast of Champions

September 19, 2011 by 23 Comments
Share on Tumblr Share

Prayer: The Breakfast of Champions

By: Olga Hermans

 

“If I fail to spend two hours in prayer each morning, the devil gets the victory through the day.
I have so much business I cannot get on without spending three hours daily in prayer.”
~ Martin Luther

Prayer is the backbone of a successful life and many successful people know that very well. They take their time to be still and envision their day together with the Lord. Effective prayer will cause you to soar like an eagle in God’s plans for you.

I know people who are successful who will give credit to God, because they know that their success came from the time they spent early in the morning with their maker.

Let’s look at these points once stated by my late Pastor Billy Joe Daugherty. Why Early Morning Prayer would you say?

1.   Jesus did it

Jesus set the example for us in prayer. He got up early in the morning and found a place where He could be alone to start His day with prayer. So, if Jesus started his day with prayer, how much more do we need to start out with prayer? He taught us to go in our prayer closet; wherever your place is, is not important, as long as you can settle your heart in front of the Lord and receive from Him for the day that is ahead of you.

2.   The way you start something has a great effect on the way it ends up

If you start out communing with the Lord, there is a big chance that you will be in communion with Him throughout your day. The way you start out can have a definite effect on the way things will look in the end. When a sailboat starts out, the way the sails are set determines the direction the boat will go. The way you set your sails at the start of your day determines the course you will follow during the day.

3.   When you pray early in your day, you will get an attitude adjustment!

It has been said many times that attitude determines altitude. The pitch of an airplane determines how high it will fly. The nose needs to be turned upward to fly higher, right? It’s the same with or lives. If we haven’t set our lives in the right direction, we will continue to fly on a straight course and never gain any altitude. But when we start out by setting our affection on God, something happens and we begin to climb higher and higher.

4.   It is important to start your day with prayer because many interruptions come in the middle of the day.

You can pray through your schedule each day. Pray though each thing that you know is going to happen. Ask the Lord for direction and prioritize your activities. Many people jump out of bed, run for breakfast, go to work and sometime in the middle of the day, they might think about God. But then they might not, because their schedule is so demanding.

5.   When you are hungry for fellowship with God, you will take time for early Morning Prayer.

Some people work night shifts, which makes it difficult for them to start early in the morning. The key, however, is to set a time, preferably at the start of your day whatever that timeslot might be for you. Families are wonderful and your spouse might be the best thing for you, but there is just something about having a quiet time with the Lord. If you spend time with Him, you will be on top.

6.   Just as you would fill your gas tank before you start out on a trip, you need to fill your mind with God’s Word and prayer before you start your day.

Then you are prepared for the reversals, emotional situations and bad attitudes that you may encounter during the day. All the frustrations and hassles we face could be because we haven’t won the battle in prayer before we started the day. Problems arise and demands come up, and sometimes there is more demand than there is of you! You need to fuel up on the Word and prayer before you start your day!

7.   In Exodus 16, the Lord told the children of Israel to get their manna before the sun got hot on the ground.

Manna is Living Bread and that is Jesus. That means to get a fresh word from heaven from the Word of God before you start your day. There is just something about getting up early to gather your manna at the start of the day.  People who don’t set their sails on God early in the day many times forget about Him during the day, and they go in the power of their own flesh.

8.   When you start your time of prayer with praise to the Lord, you will receive revelation, instruction, inspiration, strength, peace, deliverance from temptation, refreshing and restoration.

People faint and become weary when they do not wait upon the Lord in a time dedicated to prayer. When people talk about how weary they are and how difficult their spiritual life is, they actually say that their prayerlife has ebbed away. Isaiah 40:28-31 tells us clearly that those that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength. They will exchange their weakness for the strength of God.

9.   Giving God the first part of your day is part of the spiritual law of giving the first fruits. If you give God the first part of your day, He will multiply time back to you.

Trust GOD from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for GOD’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Pro 3:5-6

God will guide the path you take if you pray over it. But if you don’t acknowledge God and ask for His wisdom, He could be standing right in front of you with the answer to every problem you are facing, but you are too busy trying to solve your own problems and trying to make things happen in the flesh.

God wants to speak to you in early Morning Prayer. If you take time to listen, you will hear God speak.

When the gate of your day is guarded with prayer, the devil won’t be able to gain entrance into your life because you will be alert to his tactics. Without early morning prayer, however, people’s minds and spirits aren’t that alert to the voice of God.

But when you get up early in the morning and God speaks to you at the start of your day, it will carry you, guard you and keep you on course. I, myself, have experienced both; there were times in my life that I skipped my time with the Lord early in the morning and there is that time that I love to go in front of the Lord and open up my heart to receive from Him and leave all my cares of the day with Him. The latter is the best of course.

God will never condemn you; He loves you no matter what you have done; He is always there for you. For me; I live each day with the understanding that if it were not for God’s unconditional love and grace, I would not be where I am today.

Let us know and share with our readers how you set your time with God. Be an encouragement to others, because that is what we need. Thank you so much for doing that.

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

 

 

Share on Tumblr Share
Filed Under: PRAYER Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

From My Heart to Your Heart

September 16, 2011 by 12 Comments
Share on Tumblr Share

From My Heart to Your Heart

by Olga Hermans

 

Do you remember I told you that you as my subscriber mean a lot to me? I am constantly thinking how to connect with you better and trying to find more than one way. People need each other in good times and in bad times. Today I just want to talk to you from my heart; I don’t want to teach something or promote something. Just to share my heart and I hope you will share yours.

These last years have been a little bit of a rollercoaster for me. 7 Years ago we came to Vancouver with 6 suitcases; we had left everything behind us. That is a whole story in itself, and I don’t want to get into that right now.

But it was a drastic change for us, because we had started a bibleschool in The Netherlands which had been very successful; we had great testimonies and God had done amazing things during those years. It was a wonderful thing to get to know God that way. So, we had given the bibleschool to a Dutch couple who are still running the bibleschool and are doing a great job. Actually, it had been our vision to start the school and then give it to one of the nationals and then move on to our next assignment.

Everything was prepared and then all of a sudden, doors closed with a smack right in our face. The situation went sour and there was not much left to do then just to move forward. God showed Himself strong on our behalf and opened the door to Canada for us, which was a supernatural miracle in itself.

So, my question is; have you been in situations that made you just numb for a while. The only thing you knew to do was let one of your feet make one more step forward. Some of you might have been in situations that your house was burned down, or one of your family members just died unexpectedy. I know that some of our readers have experienced the hurricane in Joplin. How do we cope with these situations? What do we do next? People like you and I go through hard times; Jesus warned us that there would be storms in our life.

The bible says that our life is just a vapour, but to us it is the most important thing that we have. What are we supposed to do? What does your life look like? If I look at my own life right now, I see that many things still have to come to pass and I believe they will, because our God is faithful.

But there is one thing that we have to do and that is to take action. How long do we keep tolerating our way of living as we do? If we are frustrated about things why don’t we stop right there and look at what we are doing and stop doing all those mindless insignificant things and start new things to build our life up again.

When I look at my own life, I have been sabotaging myself for way too long. What about you?  Wanting my life to look a certain way, but doing another. Just doing things that didn’t line up with the desires in my heart. Crazy eh? That is a destructive behaviour, wouldn’t you say? The moment I realized that I was doing that, I made some quality changes and at this moment I’ve started to see the fruit of it.

I want to encourage you my friends. If you are frustrated and weary of all your “well” doing, have a look at your life and see if your life would look the same within a year from now. If that is the case, you gotta make some changes, because you probably know the saying that doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is insane.

I want you to know that I am here to help you; we need accountability in our life. You and I need to love our life and be confident. We need to envision ourselves bigger than our fear that is holding us back to step out. Tell yourself that you are strong and that you are talented, and able. See yourself moving forward in whatever you want to accomplish.

Victory starts in our mind. When you know that God is for you and that He has a good plan for you, you will see yourself as He sees you, capable of overcoming that fear that blocks your way. I have heard it said that the road to success is paved with failures. Remove anything that creates a picture of failure in your thoughts and choose to see yourself succeeding.

There is no way to get through life without experiencing pain. But it does not have to be wasted. We wonder sometimes why God waits so long to come to our rescue or why He allows certain things to take place. We cannot always figure out what God is doing, or why He is doing it, but if we trust Him, He will make something wonderful from it.

Do you believe that? I do believe that.

I’d like to finish with some great quotes from Joyce Meyer, I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

“Courage is fear that has said its prayers and decided to go forward anyway.”

“Put your expectations on God, not on people.”

“Our joy does not have to be based on our circumstances.”

“Strive for excellence, not perfection, because we don’t live in a perfect world.”

“God doesn’t tell you to do hard things so He can stand back and laugh and watch you struggle. He tells you to do the things that He knows are gonna work out to your good in the end.”

Let’s hold each other accountable. Share your comments of the 1 or 2 new things you plan to put into action to bring change in your life. Thank you for doing that!

Share on Tumblr Share
Filed Under: 3 Your Actions Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

How Boundaries Can Save Your Life

September 15, 2011 by 13 Comments
Share on Tumblr Share

How Boundaries Can Save Your Life

by Olga Hermans

The other day we were having a good time in a coffee shop with some friends, as all of a sudden one of our friends wanted to trade places with one of the women. It was very obvious that he was irritated and wanted to sit in a different place quickly. I asked him what was going on and guess what he said? “Too much skin”. As I looked at the view that he had in his old place, it was not particularly a very tasteful view.

Have you ever been to a restaurant with your spouse and the waitresses almost dress like “hookers”? Their skirt is higher than the edge of the table and their “girls” are hanging out of their shirt and bouncing for attention. I am sorry but that is so distasteful to me, that I want to get up and go somewhere else.

Why do girls do that? Like it or not, you’re being watched. People watch people. Guys particularly watch girls and women. They watch how you dress. They watch your behaviour patterns. They watch any signal you send. Whether you are naive or purposeful in what you do makes no difference to the fact that they watch you, they are aware of both circumstances; they do recognize naivete, and they know when a girl is purposefully luring them.

I can remember myself, how naive I was in my early teens. When the trend was to wear mini-skirts, I went along and wore my skirts as short as possible. Looking back now, I realize why I might have been doing that. I didn’t feel good about myself and wanted to express that one way or another. I was raped when I was 13 and hadn’t told anybody. The first man in my life had overpowered me and used me in a very humiliating way. So, to cope with the pain on the inside I dressed “cheap” and craved the attention. DUMB!!!

Girls who are fashion-conscious but naive to the fact that society is pushing sexual “freedom” and hedonism (the attitude of “whatever feels good, do it”) could be setting themselves up for hurt and regret.

I remember a young, beautiful Christian woman who always dressed in the latest fashion, wearing clothes tight enough to emphasize her good figure. She simply thought people would admire her good figure, assuming that guys would just “look but not touch.” She liked being watched, but was not prepared for someone crossing the boundary with her. She didn’t realize that there was a guy watching her and waiting for the moment to rape her. Of course, he had no right to rape her, but did she set herself up? She had grown up in church and had always felt very protected.

How far does God’s protection go when we move beyond the boundaries that God has warned us to establish? You could ask yourself if it is possible to be a Christian girl or woman and believe in God, attend church regularly, and yet go beyond the boundary of “the secret place” of God’s covering, (see Ps.91) and become an open target for attack?

Some girls don’t want to think about it. They want to believe that as long as they aren’t thinking about sexually arousing a guy, even if they are dressing immodestly or wearing clothes that focus on certain body parts, they are okay.

Many times girls just don’t realize that what they wear or how they carry themselves sends signals to guys. Hosea 4:6 says: “people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…” Where there is a lack of knowledge, there is a lack of discernment and discretion, which will lead a girl or woman into trouble. And the enemy is always looking for an opportunity to cause pain and hurt. 1Peter 5:8

A person who neglects to establish boundaries in her life is setting herself up to be used, abused, and taken advantage of. If you don’t set the boundaries, your body will become the property of someone who has no right of ownership. Without boundaries, a girl or woman today can not only be hurt but also destroyed. You and I probably know enough stories which is very sad in itself.

There are many good boundaries in the earth that have been created by God. He created a boundary between the ocean and dry land. He created trees to grow to a certain designated height. He placed the sun at a specific distance from the earth so that the earth and its occupants would not burn.

We as human beings have also established many boundaries. For example, governmental agencies set limits or consequences to protect its citizens so that someone won’t feel at liberty to destroy another person or his property.

On a personal level, I have placed boundaries over my own life; I have chosen to restrain myself in certain matters, and I also have chosen to restrain others from taking advantage of me. But to do this, I first had to think about how I dress, how I behave, and how others might view me. This isn’t bondage; rather, it is protecting that which is valuable to me and my life.

My Question to you is: Are there some boundaries in your life that you have established and are they working?

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

Share on Tumblr Share
Filed Under: Making Choices in Life Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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

September 12, 2011 by 14 Comments
Share on Tumblr Share

 

You Are in For A Treat!!

 

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

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

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

By:  Sandi Krakowski

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Daniel Lapin continues with this profoundly disturbing but truthful statement-

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wealth will require the following equation.   

Increased Wealth =  The New You – The Old You

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

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

That… is what A Real Change is all about.

Sandi Krakowski

 

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

Share on Tumblr Share
Filed Under: Abundance Prosperity Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Pressing Into New Depths of Prayer

September 7, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Share on Tumblr Share

Pressing Into New Depths of Prayer

 

The following excerpt is taken from Tongues: Beyond the Upper Room by Kenneth E. Hagin

There is a moving out beyond time and beyond space into the realm of the Spirit that is beyond my ability to describe. Some have walked out into that realm of prayer only far enough to get their feet wet. Like children wading in the water, they talk about what they experienced, saying, “That was so wonderful! It was the ultimate in praying in the Spirit!” but in reality, their experience is prayer was barely the beginning!

These people have only touched the realm of the Spirit. They need to wade on out into the deep waters of the Spirit until it isn’t only knee deep or loin deep, but so deep they can’t possibly touch the ocean bottom! They can swim on out and enjoy the fullness of what God has for them in prayer (see Ezekiel 47).

However, it is important to understand that these things will not always come easy. For one thing, the flesh will do everything possible to hold us back. That’s the reason the Word of God teaches us to crucify the flesh. The mind will also hold us back, trying to make us focus on the realm of the physical senses and what can be seen. That’s one reason God tells us to get our minds renewed with His Word (Rom. 12:1-2). Once our minds are renewed, we’ll be able to move further into the realm of His Spirit through prayer.

But as more and more of us respond to God’s call to pray, there will begin to be greater and greater manifestations of His power and glory on this earth. The manifestation and demonstration of God’s Spirit will become as common and as real as everyday natural things are to us. This is what our hearts have longed for and what intercessors have prayed for so many years.

…God wants us to move out further in the Spirit and learn how to maneuver in that greater realm of prayer. AS we are faithful to obey His call to pray, the day will come when we move beyond the edge of space – further on into the Spirit – and reach the fullness of God’s glory!

I’ll tell you this much: Jesus is coming. There is no use splitting hairs about that truth, because it will happen, whether you believe it or not! SO let us commit ourselves to praying in the Spirit so a great harvest of souls can be reaped in these last days. People are dying, and the end is coming. The end of all things is at hand, and what we do, we must do quickly.

If you would like to purchase this book, you can do so by clicking here!

Share on Tumblr Share
Filed Under: Excerpts from Books Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

You Can Live the Satisfied Life

September 5, 2011 by 13 Comments
Share on Tumblr Share

 

Living the Satisfied Life

by Olga Hermans

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This is how The Apostle said it:way of living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Share on Tumblr Share
Filed Under: Making Choices in Life Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
« Previous Page
Next Page »