July 2010

July 13, 2010 Parenting One Comment

Christian Parenting – Stop Using Negative Verbal Attacks and Start Parenting with Words that Prosper!

Parenting With the Power to Help Our Children Prosper

Parenting with a healthy pattern of communication is possible.

Do you want to help your children prosper?

Just as the world around us has harmful elements, so do our homes; even our Christian homes.

As unfortunate as it is, we often hurt each other, especially our children, with our words.

Did you grow up with parents who used words as verbal attacks?

If you did, I’m sure you hoped you wouldn’t do the same with your children. But the truth is, you will probably repeat the pattern unless you purpose to take action and stop it.

Stop the Negative Communication Pattern of Parenting

Changing your parenting communication pattern from one that uses negative verbal attacks is possible. Developing healthy patterns of communication, which reflect the presence of Jesus Christ, is key!

I’m sure you would agree that the cruel, degrading, judgmental, hurtful words we use to communicate with our children must stop. It is like verbal poison that wounds and destroys our children emotionally. Our words are often negative attacks at a child’s behavior, intelligence, appearance, or value as a person.

Verbal attacks can be direct or indirect. The following statements are some common examples:

You’re worthless and will never amount to anything.
Don’t act so stupid. Can’t you do anything right?
You are no good. Why can’t you be like your brother?

Just because we can’t see the inner damage that verbal attacks cause in our children, does not mean a negative impact still isn’t left lingering in them.

Parenting With Words That Prosper

How do we change a negative parenting communication pattern to one that is positive and helps develop our children into prosperous individuals?

Acknowledging the need to change is the first step. The next step is identifying abusive words we use. Then we need to begin exchanging the destructive, hurtful words with constructive, guiding, nurturing, and encouraging words.

James said the tongue is full of deadly poison and out of the same mouth proceeds blessing and cursing. (James 3:8-10) We need to lean on God’s help to keep our words, words of blessing and encouragement.

When our words are full of nurture and encouragement, our children know we are standing with them and not against them. Children need their parents to believe in their potential as they guide and discipline them.

Believe in your children. Help your children see themselves the way God sees them. Help them find their unique, gifted potential and you’ll also find they begin to respond in ways you desire. Once they discover you are standing with them, a healthier communication develops.

Yes. Our children try our patience, irritate us and sometimes humiliate us in ways we never thought possible. Problems, difficulties, disappointments, heartaches and failures are an unavoidable part of parenting. But we can choose to respond with words that heal instead of words that wound.

Bottom line: A parents words have power. We can make our children feel worthless or we can choose to learn how to parent with a healthy pattern of communication; one that helps them think as highly of themselves as God does, and helps them prosper.

May you parent your children with words of love and enjoy a family blessed with growing prosperity!

God bless you always,
Brenda

P.S. Feel free to share your comments…

July 10, 2010 Music No Comments

Casting Crowns – East To West (Live) Christian Music Video

“East To West” (Live) by Casting Crowns

“… I know You’ve cast my sin as far as the east is from the west
and I stand before You now as though I’ve never sinned –

But today I feel like I’m just one mistake away
from You leaving me this way –

Jesus, can You show me just how far the east is from the west?
‘Cause I can’t bear to see the man I’ve been
rising up in me again –

In the arms of Your mercy I find rest
You know just how far the east is from the west
from one scarred hand to the other…

“As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”
— Psalm 103:12

Enjoy this music video and praise God for His mercy!

God bless you always,
Brenda

P.S. This song and more by Casting Crowns can be found on amazon.

July 7, 2010 Law of Attraction One Comment

Growing Prosperity – How Can You Be Prosperity Minded and Live in Increasing Abundance?

Tapping Into the Wealth and Abundance that Surrounds You!

Growing prosperity is within your reach…

Even if your current circumstances are weighing you down

with financial lack, debt, and no seemingly visible way out;

there is hope.

The truth is, we are surrounded by abundance…

and we can tap into it by becoming prosperity minded.

A Technique to Start Attracting Abundance

One of the reasons that wealthy people have money is that they have learned to be prosperity minded. They have wealth because they feel comfortable about it.

How do you go about developing a prosperous mindset yourself? Here is a simple technique you can begin using right away to start attracting wealth or any other form of abundance you desire.

To develop a prosperous mindset, start seeing yourself in your mind’s eye, already in possession of the abundance you desire. Take time daily to visualize your life as you would have it to be. Close your eyes and envision and feel yourself there.

By gaining a prosperous mindset you’ll soon become much more comfortable with the thought of wealth and abundance in your life. As a result, you will start attracting it to you.

Just a Game, or a Technique for Increasing Abundance?

Does this just sound like a silly game of playing pretend? Let me assure you, getting control of your thought life is one of the wisest things you can do.

“People that think wrong believe wrong, and when they believe wrong, they act wrong.”
— Kenneth E. Hagin

There is power in moving your visualizations into your subconscious. Why? Because the subconscious does not distinguish between the mere visualization and the actual possession.

What does this mean? Once you succeed in planting abundant thoughts into your subconscious mind, and it feels comfortable to prosper, your subconscious mind will automatically seek ways to make those thoughts and feelings of abundance manifest themselves in a material form.

If becoming prosperity minded seems like a silly ‘head’ game, it’s not. Go ahead and put this technique into action for awhile and it will start to make a lot more sense to you. Once you succeed at becoming comfortable seeing yourself living in increasing abundance, don’t be surprised to see it also start manifesting in your life.

“Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
— Romans 12:2

God wants to see His children prosper and He tells us how to do it in His Word. Take time to renew your mind to line up with the Word of God so that your desires and circumstances can also change and line up with His will for your life.

Believe me. Once you put this technique into action and choose to be prosperity minded, you can expect to start seeing a growing transformation in your life. If you are ready to move from lack to overflow, then now is the time to begin to foster a prosperous mindset and tap into the surrounding flow of abundance.

May you be prosperity minded and live in growing prosperity!

God Bless You and Be Blessed to Be a Blessing!

Cheers,
Brenda

July 5, 2010 Meditation One Comment

Christian Meditation – What Areas of My Life Can I Expect to Improve by Meditating?

Meditation Benefits and Affirmations to Get You Started!

Christian meditation should be a foundational practice in every believer’s life. Meditating on God’s Word greatly improves the quality of life in every area.

Anyone can access the benefits of meditation. Whatever your beliefs may be, we all live in the world God created. That being said…

it is through meditation on the living Word of God that ultimately manifests the blessings of God.

Take a look at some ways our lives will improve:

Meditation Brings Mental Stability

The mind has creative power and we are told to prepare our minds. (1 Peter 1:13)

God’s Word causes joy and rejoicing in our heart. It changes the way we see our self, our family, and our future. It helps us start seeing our self and our life the way God does.

Sample biblical affirmations to meditate on for a sound mind:

I have been given a spirit of power and love and a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)
God is not the author of confusion but of peace. (1 Corinthians 14:33)
God keeps me in perfect peace because my mind is stayed on Him. (Isaiah 26:3)

Meditation Blesses us Physically

Meditation is like medicine. It is life to our spirit and flesh. Everything we need is in the word. Once we act on the meditated Word of God, we tap into the abundance of God. Physical and financial provision has already been provided, but it is up to us to act in order to receive.

Sample biblical affirmations to meditate on for physical needs:

I prosper and I am in health, just as my soul prospers. (3 John 2)
The Lord heals all my diseases and keeps me from destruction. (Psalm 103:3-4)
The Lord sent His Word and healed me. (Psalm 107:20)
By Jesus stripes I was healed. (1 Peter 2:24)

Meditation Provides Spiritual Growth

Physical and emotional blessings are just the natural created gifts we receive when we meditate and spend time in His presence. Faith, love and spiritual growth in many areas will also soon begin to manifest.

Sample biblical affirmations to meditate on for spiritual growth:

Christ dwells in my heart through faith and I am rooted and grounded in love and grow in God’s love, which passes knowledge, and I am filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:17-19)

As we tap into the abundance of God and His never ending supply, we will begin to experience growing prosperity in all areas of our lives. And meditation, which affects us both spiritually and physically, is part of God’s plan.

What is your next step? Take what you have just learned and put it to work in your life. Then watch as the power of Christian meditation transforms your life!

God bless you,
Brenda

July 4, 2010 News No Comments

Happy July 4th! Celebrating Freedom

Celebrating the 4th of July!

Independence Day in America is a time of celebration of freedom, both spiritual and physical.

May you all have a safe and happy day!

And special thanks and prayers go out to all those who have served and are serving in the military on our behalf; that we may continue to enjoy freedom.

Thank God for all His blessings!

John Adams
2nd U.S. President and Signer of the Declaration of Independence

“Suppose a nation in some distant Region should take the Bible for their only law Book, and every member should regulate his conduct by the precepts there exhibited! Every member would be obliged in conscience, to temperance, frugality, and industry; to justice, kindness, and charity towards his fellow men; and to piety, love, and reverence toward Almighty God … What a Eutopia, what a Paradise would this region be.”
–Diary and Autobiography of John Adams, Vol. III, p. 9.

“The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity. I will avow that I then believed, and now believe, that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God.”
–Adams wrote this on June 28, 1813, in a letter to Thomas Jefferson.

“I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out Your precepts.”
— Psalm 119:45

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
— John 8:32

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
— John 8:36

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
— Galatians 5:1

“In Him [Christ] and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.”
— Ephesians 3:12

1861 (July 4), Senate Prayer:

“Almighty and everlasting God, be not angry with us for our sins, which we only confess and deplore; but pardon our offenses and extend to us Thy favor. We thank Thee for Thy goodness on this anniversary of the nation a day tenfold more precious by reason of our present troubles, and sacred to the heart for the ever memorable Declaration of our fathers, in which Thou didst begin more openly to give us a name among the nations of the earth. We thank Thee for all Thy manifold and abundant mercies hitherto to make our nation exceedingly great and glorious; but now disasters have befallen us and darkness broods in the land. And now we ask Thy mercy as the Senate is convening at a most momentous crisis of our history. Give to Thy servants all needed help. Add to their deliberations wisdom and unanimity, and profit and speed to their conclusion. Bless Thy servant, the President of the United States, our veteran Commander-in- Chief, and all that have functions in the civil and military power. May the angel of Thy presence walk in the Cabinet and in the Congress and in the camp, to go before, to purify, and to direct the now greatly and universally-awakened love of country. And we beseech Thee to guide us, to overrule and order all things, and so to cause that nothing shall fail, that the disorders of the land may be speedily healed, that peace and concord may prevail, that truth and righteousness may be established, and that Thy Church and Kingdom may flourish in a larger peace and prosperity, for Thy Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.”
— Rev. Byron Sunderland, D.D.
(Source: Congressional Globe, 37th Congress, first session, new series, 1, 4 July 1861.)

Happy 4th of July!

God bless you always –

Cheers,
Brenda