October 2009

A Beautiful Thing and Priceless Experience!

A Beautiful Thing and Priceless Experience!

Surprise Blessings: You Gotta Lov’m!

I have to tell you about an unexpected surprise blessing I experienced recently…

Early this month, I had a stretch of being a full-time nanny for a little over a week.

It was for a really great family I’d also worked part-time for last school year  – and they asked me if I could help them out some again. The dad is an author of several books and in full-time ministry. So he had some speaking engagements that was going to take him out of town.

All their children are extremely talented and gifted. It’s always fun to spend time with them just to have some of their energy and creativity wash off on me.

We Chose LifeWell the youngest, is a 2yr old little girl who was born with spina bifida.

(Her parents have a very encouraging and heartfelt story of their daughter’s birth and life. Her father wrote a book on their experience and why they chose life and did not take the doctors offer to terminate the pregnancy.)

A little more background…last school year when I was there the little girl had a cast on almost the whole time. It went from her chest down to her toes! So obviously she was very limited in her activity and unable to get around and play.

I would think having a little more than half your body in a cast might dampen your spirit? It would mine!

But No: Not this little girl! She always had the sweetest smile and the ability to light up a room.

It was so humbling for me to know her and spend time with her (and still is). I had such a difficult year last year and was battling a number of challenges…

but every time I would go to their house, and see this little girl in her cast, and she’d still have the sweetest smile and happiest spirit…I would have to instantly reconsider what I was allowing myself to stress over and be unhappy over.

Okay, well fast forward to this month…

She now has most the surgeries complete on her hips, legs and knees. So no more cast. She has freedom to get around and it is amazing how well she does! She has leg braces to help her while she’s learning to walk.

The other thing she is learning to do is talk. She would say “ma” & “da” along with a number of other sounds and jabbering, but not really on demand words yet.

Well – I was blessed to have her start saying some words on demand while I was with her this month!

We just had a fun time during the week playing and being silly. I also got to hear more of the sounds and jabberings she was doing and I would copy her all the time. I would also act like her baby doll was talking and copying my words – and she thought that was pretty funny…

Anyway, the one day I was trying to get her to say “up” it sounded like she did. And then later in the day I was almost positive she started to say another word.

The next morning when getting her out of the crib I asked her to say “up” and this time she for sure did! And later she put her finger to her mouth and said “li” for light when she wanted to flip the light switch.

The BEST PART was getting her up after her nap time. She said “up” and then sat back down in her crib and started laughing…

and she kept laughing…

and would open her mouth like she was going to say “up” but couldn’t even talk because she was laughing so hard. That kind of deep belly laugh that makes your stomach hurt. 🙂 🙂 🙂

It was just the Most Beautiful, Precious thing!

For a good 3-5 minutes we just kept laughing. We were looking at each other through the crib bars and we would lean toward each other and open our mouths like we were going to say “up” and then bust out laughing again, unable to say a word…

And I can’t say for sure why she was laughing so hard, but I really think it was from a new level of understanding of the power she had to be able to speak and control what she was saying.

I wish I could describe the situation better, but it was one of those “you had to be there” times.

I’ll never forget it – I feel privileged to have been there that week and it was such a beautiful experience and blessing for me! Thanks for letting me share it with you.

And I thank God that He is helping this little girl grow and develop by leaps and bounds! If you would pray for her also it would be appreciated, as she still has some upcoming surgeries… Thank you.

Cheers,
Brenda

P.S. You can read this family’s story of facing the reality of having a child with spina bifida and choosing life.  “We Chose Life: Why You Should Too” by Anthony Horvath is available now at Amazon.

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Happiness – Monitor Your Influences or Your Happy Day is in Danger of Turning Ugly!

Happiness – Monitor Your Influences or Your Happy Day is in Danger of Turning Ugly!

How Do Daily Influences Impact Your Happiness?

Happy DayHappiness can be regulated by monitoring what you take into your life.

This is too often ignored, and its impact on our lives not taken seriously. Learn to monitor your intake to help control your level of happiness.

What do you watch, read, and listen to?

What you take in, is what you are going to put out.

Test Your Level of Output after These Types of Input:

  • How do you sleep after watching a scary movie before bed?
  • How do you feel after reading the newspaper reports on the unemployment and crime rate, and the latest health epidemics?
  • How big is the smile on your face after listening to songs about broken relationships and how much life stinks?

There is no doubt about it; what you choose to watch, read, and listen to is going to affect your happiness.

And that’s not all. It is also vital to take into account the people you associate with and the influence they have on you.

Grumpy companions, negative people, idea zappers, vision smashers, are all happiness squashers. 🙁 How often have you had a happy day go instantly ugly after being around one of these types of people for just a few minutes?

The key here is to use the influence of these things to your advantage. Start taking in things, and hanging around people, that are going to lift your spirit.

You know the right song can make your heart sing and put your feet to dancing.  A funny movie or a good joke will put a smile on your face. Just being in the same room with a happy, upbeat person can have that same spirit rub off on you and lift your countenance.

Stay prepared and have a collection of music, movies, and books readily available to lift your spirit and keep your outlook on life bright and hopeful.

Experience that instant feeling of happiness just from listening to a song. The feeling can even linger and last all day with the song singing in your head. Take advantage of this and use it for your benefit. Heck, isn’t that why many of the musicians wrote the songs in the first place?

The good news is, you get to choose the majority of what you take in and are exposed and influenced by. And for the things you don’t have a choice over, such as a grumpy co-worker, you can choose how you will react.

You can choose to say:

“This is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad!” –Psalm 118:24

Love, laugh, smile, and dance often!

Case in point: Regardless of what type of situation you are in, you can choose to praise God and keep moving forward with a smile. It’s a choice. Monitor what you take in. Let the Word of God be your primary intake and you’ll be surprised at what it can do for you. When you are full of the power of God, His joy becomes your strength and fills your life with happiness.

May your life be full of spirit lifting influences and continued growing prosperity!

Cheers,
Brenda

P.S. Image credits go to Billy Alexander. Thanks!

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Casting Crowns “Slow Fade” Music Video

Casting Crowns “Slow Fade” Music Video

People Never Crumble in a Day!

I listened to this song today and it reminded me of the importance of guarding our thoughts, words, looks, and all the little choices we make on a daily basis that may seem insignificant

It’s a slow fade
when black & white are turned to gray –
when thoughts invade – choices made –
a price will be paid – when you give yourself away –
people never crumble in a day!

It’s the second glance that ties your hands, as darkness pulls your strings.

The cute little girl at the end says:

Be careful little eyes what you see –
For the Father up above is looking down in love –
Be careful little eyes what you see!

How many problems and troubles might we avoid in our lives if we would simply be careful what we see, hear, say, and think on a daily basis in the small ways.  When the small things are ungodly, it is like the song says – they tie our hands and darkness pulls our strings.

But that does not have to be the case, and songs like this are great wake-up reminders to make sure we stay wrapped in the Word and meditate and study God’s Word daily!

Here is a great prayer that my pastor prays over us and encourages us to pray:

“I pray that God would grant you, according to the riches of His glory,
to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man,
That Christ may dwell in your heart by faith…
And that you know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge,
that you might be filled with all the fullness of God.
That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you,
and you in Him, according to the grace of our God
and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.”
— Ephesians 3:14-21, 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

Be encouraged…

God bless you,
Brenda

P.S.  A large selection of Casting Crowns music, as CDs and digital downloads can be found on Amazon. They are also taking preorders for the new album “Until The Whole World Hears.”

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Get Rid of Poverty for Good! What Do You Think?

Get Rid of Poverty for Good! What Do You Think?

Discover How to Clean Up Your Thinking and Attract Your Desired Abundant Life!

Law of Attraction ThinkingAttracting the desired abundant life and eliminating poverty requires getting the right thinking cap put on.

If your thinking is always unclear and fuzzy, don’t expect to receive anything.

You need to do some mental house cleaning if you want to live the good life!

Let’s dive in and get to work cleaning up our thinker.

Get a Clear Mental Picture

Before we can attract what it is we desire, we must first get very clear and specific on what it is we want.

As with anything, we can’t communicate it until we are clear on what we want to communicate. And if we want to get the desired results, we have to be specific.

Simply letting someone know we are hungry won’t result in getting a specific, desired meal on the table.

Keep Your Mind Focused

Once we are clear on the desired result, then we need to meditate on it and bring it to life. Meditate on it by speaking and thinking about it often.

As often as possible we must give attention to what we believe will come to pass and claim it by faith as if it is already here. Back up the desired vision with purpose and create a magnetic power to attract it.

In fact, the greater your desire, the easier it is to overcome mental laziness. An occasional wishing and dreaming is NOT going to produce results.

Think and speak daily, with unshakable faith that you will attain your desired result.

How would you act if your desire was already manifested?

Act and live by faith as if your prosperous life is already here. Enjoy mental ownership, with unwavering faith, until you have actual ownership of it in the natural.

Do You Think You Can?

He can who thinks he can, and he can’t who thinks he can’t.

No one can advance further than his faith in God, himself, and his purpose. Faith puts you in touch with God and with God nothing is impossible.

Even when others cry “Impossible!” you can, by faith, get rid of poverty and attract prosperity.

The bottom line is this: Get your thinking clear, stay focused, and have faith that your desired abundant life is on the way. Get your words lined up with your thoughts and watch as they attract your prosperity.

May you adjust your thinking as needed and experience a life of growing prosperity!

Be blessed to be a blessing –

God bless you,
Brenda

P.S.  I’ve experienced the power of this work in my life and I’ve also seen the results stop when I waver.  How do you keep your thoughts and words lined up on a daily basis on what you believe to manifest?

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Pastor Appreciation Love and Honor – Video

Pastor Appreciation Love and Honor – Video

Have You Shown Your Pastor Appreciation Lately? 

 
Pastor Appreciation

“Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in the word and doctorine.”
– 1 Timothy 5:17

God has blessed us with pastors to feed us with knowledge and understanding. (Jeremiah 3:15) They are a gift from God. (Ephesians 4:11) 

To our pastors: Pastor we love you and honor you and call you blessed!

Cheers,
Brenda

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Personal Growth – How to Be Spiritually Mature with 9 Key Qualities!

Personal Growth – How to Be Spiritually Mature with 9 Key Qualities!

Discover 9 Key Qualities to Help Evaluate and Guide You Spiritually

Key Spiritual Qualities for GrowthPersonal growth in all areas of our being is important.

We are a spirit, with a soul (mind, will, and emotions), living in a body.  Growing in all areas is vital to living a full life.

We have check-ups with our doctor to determine the condition of our physical health, and learn how to make adjustments and improvements. We also take tests to measure our intelligence and the condition of our emotional and mental well-being.

How do we determine our spiritual condition?

These nine quality factors will help evaluate spiritual maturity level and act as a guide for future growth. They are biblically based from Galatians 5:22. As Christians we call them Fruits of the Spirit.

The level of which these qualities are visible (or not visible) in a person’s life is evidence of their inward spiritual condition. They offer a great evaluation process for everyone.

9 Key Qualities to Help Evaluate and Guide Your Spiritual Maturity:

1.) LOVE

Are the things you do in life motivated by your love for people? Love is number one here, because walking in love is required to open the door to the other qualities.

2.) JOY

Do you exhibit an unshakable joy, regardless of your changing circumstances? Joy is not based on what is happening around you, but knowing that your name is written in heaven. Let the joy of the Lord be your strength.

3.) PEACE

Are others able to take courage in your unshakable peace? When you know God, you’ll know peace and with His presence in your life you’ll have a peace that passes all understanding and is present in the midst of storms.

4.) PATIENCE

Do you display patience with yourself and others in the things you wish to accomplish? Patience in daily events allows for a peaceful life. If God can have such great patience with us, we should strive to have patience with others.

5.) KINDNESS

Are you caring and understanding with people? Kindness displays sweetness when dealing with others.

6.) GOODNESS

Do you want the best for others? When genuine goodness is evident in you, people will trust you and feel safe around you. Others are drawn to this Godlike state of being.

7.) FAITHFULNESS

Are you a person who keeps their commitments to the end? Being loyal, steadfast, and stable in all your commitments should be a given. Without faith it is impossible to please God. (Hebrews 11:6)

8.) GENTLENESS

Do you keep your strength under control and maintain a balance of being tough and tender? Strive to remain even-tempered and deal with people with a gentle word or deed rather than lose your temper.

9.) SELF-CONTROL

Are you disciplined to make the right choices and move toward your goals? Self-control is vital since your flesh is at war against your spirit. Self-control must be operating in your life in order to have victory over negative devices.

In truth, there is no limit to what you can do with these powerful qualities at work in your life. Life is a growth process and we all have room for improvement.  Regular evaluation of these nine qualities will help guide you.

The bottom line is this: God has provided these qualities to us through His Spirit so that we can transform our lives and reflect His image. Draw on the life transforming power God has provided and let these divine qualities be evident in your life. Choose to mature spiritually as a vital part of your personal growth.

May you mature spiritually and continue to have a life of growing prosperity!

God bless you –
Brenda

P.S. Which one of these is the most challenging for you and which one the easiest?

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Pastor Appreciation Month

Pastor Appreciation Month

Have You Told Your Pastor Lately That You Appreciate Him?

October is a great time to show honor and appreciation to your pastor!

Pastor Appreciation MonthDr. James Dobson and his wife Shirley began to encourage churches, in 1993, to use October as a time to show appreciation to their pastor.

Focus on the Family Ministries has been offering free resources to help churches with this; which is now known as “Pastor Appreciation Month.”

There is still time to rally your church together and be a blessing to your pastor and his/her family.

Focus on the Family has a free step-by-step planning guide available for download at the following site: Pastor Appreciation Resources 

“Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in the word and doctorine.”
— 1 Timothy 5:17

God has blessed us with pastors to feed us with knowledge and understanding. (Jeremiah 3:15) They are a gift from God. (Ephesians 4:11)

We should treat them as a blessing and show them honor. Honoring our pastor is a total win-win-win…

Our pastor and their families get blessed, encouraged and strengthened. We get blessed. The church family is increased in unity and peace. And God is pleased at our obedience to His Word!

Just think if everyone in your church gave your pastor a card this month with a note of thanks & appreciation and a cash gift of honor. How would that impact your congregation?

Believe me: Love Never Fails

We like to honor our pastor and his family throughout the year, but especially in October.

Now go be blessed to be a blessing!

Cheers,
Brenda

P.S. If you or your church celebrates Pastor Appreciation Month I would love to hear about it and I’m sure others would too…

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Abundant Thinking – Will You Be Wealthy if You Win the Lottery This Week?

Abundant Thinking – Will You Be Wealthy if You Win the Lottery This Week?

Discover the Key to True Wealth!

abundance_of_god_wealthAbundance is something we can all tap into.

The prosperous, wealthy life is about money and finances, but, and make that a big but, it does not start or stop there.

So the question is: If you were to win the lottery today, or come into some great unexpected inheritance, of say five million dollars, would you be wealthy?

It is commonly known that the majority of lottery winners end up right back where they started or sometimes in even worst conditions.

A large sum of money, suddenly deposited into your bank account does not make you wealthy. It only adds some extra zeros to your account balance for a certain amount of time.

Money Is Not All It Takes To Be Wealthy

Are you saying about now “Just show me the money and I’ll be happy.”?

Money is a critical part of wealth and we all need it to live on. I agree. Nobody likes to be broke. However, as important as money is, it is only a part of wealth.

Money is just money.

True prosperity and wealth is the abundance of God. And as His child, God wants you to live in abundance and get out of the “poverty” mentality. God wants you to seek wisdom and be blessed with abundance in all areas of your life; spiritually, physically, and financially.

Deep down I’m sure you know this to be true. Now, unless you change some things in your life, you will stay in a cycle and always ends up right back where you started; before you came into money or any other blessing.

True Wealth Requires Wisdom and the Right Mindset

There are numerous stories of people that have prospered financially and then for one reason or another lost all they had. Yet they also had something else in their lives that allowed them to turn back around and become financially prosperous once again.

What set these successful people apart? They had wisdom and maintained the right mindset.

Wisdom and the right abundant, prosperous, and wealthy mindset allow you to manifest amazing results in your life!

No secret about it: Being wealthy requires filling your mind with the right thoughts. If you find yourself over and over in a position you do not want to be in, then it is about time you have an overhaul on your thought life.

Renew Your Mind

Renewing your mind is a process and requires work.

There are no magic thoughts or words that bring instant wealth. It is a growing process that changes you from the inside out and eventually becomes manifested in your life.

Are you with me still? The sooner you start the sooner you’ll experience the positive changes you desire.

Discover what the truly wealthy think about. Find out what the Word of God has to say about true riches. Then begin to activate your faith in these areas by speaking these things out loud to yourself and over your life. Put the law of attraction into motion.

A sample daily confession:

“Because I diligently seek the wisdom of God, riches and honor are with me, enduring riches and righteousness, my fruit is better than gold, and wisdom causes me to inherit wealth and my bank accounts to be full.”
(Proverbs 8:17-19, 21)

Get started today: Take control of your thought life and elevate your level of success. Be all that God intends you to be and be blessed to be a blessing. Watch your life transform as you seek wisdom and choose to think and speak abundance.

May you seek wisdom and renew your mind daily and continue to experience growing prosperity!

God bless you –

Cheers,
Brenda

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