June 2010
Leadership – How Can the Power of Loyalty in a Leader Result in the Blessings of Success?
Leadership – How Can the Power of Loyalty in a Leader Result in the Blessings of Success?
Loyalty is Required to Reap the Full Reward
Leadership is a powerful directing force for any nation, group, or family.
The quality of a leader greatly impacts the followers and where they end up.
And the power of loyalty is a core element that results in leading the people into success.
Loyalty is a Key Qualification for Leaders
It is often thought, when someone is looking to step into a position, that in order to qualify they need to be the most talented or gifted person for the position. However, it is the loyal and faithful who are the most qualified to be leaders.
It is also thought that the friendly, flashy, outgoing person might be the best one for the job. But do not make the mistake in thinking that. A core requirement for leadership is loyalty and faithfulness and not anything else. A loyal person can be taught the skills needed for the job.
“It is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”
— 1 Corinthians 4:2
Loyalty is Required to Reap the Full Reward
Success comes to the loyal and faithful ones. One day we all hope to hear those famous words: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
In the good times everyone seems loyal. Those who remain supportive through the difficult times are different from those who come in when everything is working well. No doubt, loyalty is most appreciated in hard times.
Loyalty Needed for a Successful Team of People
One person can only do so much. Growing success requires building a loyal team of people. In fact, no team will be strong and effective if they are not loyal.
It would actually be better to work alone than with a team of disloyal, disgruntled, and disunited people. One disloyal person breeds strife, hatred, and murmuring like smoke that quickly fills the whole house. Whenever there is distrust and disloyalty, the people are on guard and stray away.
Effective leaders exhibit loyalty and faithfulness. People are attracted by genuine love and commitment and repelled by disunity and discord. Loyal leaders influence their followers to be an effective and loyal team of people, who in turn create loyal successors.
Bottom line: Those who benefit from the blessings of success are the faithful and loyal ones. Without loyalty every organization constantly undergoes disintegration. Loyal leaders build loyal teams that remain committed in the good times and bad so that all can benefit from the blessings of success.
May you be a loyal and faithful leader and enjoy a life of growing prosperity!
Be blessed to be a blessing –
Cheers,
Brenda
Top 5 Proven Techniques for Living a Truly Happy and Joyful Life Inside and Out!
Top 5 Proven Techniques for Living a Truly Happy and Joyful Life Inside and Out!
Learn to Be Happy by Adjusting Your Thinking and Living Habits!
True happiness can be experienced by all who apply ‘happiness habits’ to their day. There are some who are simply born with a happy disposition. But the truth is; most people have to learn to be happy by thinking and living in a particular way.
Often people are happy in life when everything is going just right. Yet those who have learned how to be truly happy aren’t always the ones who ‘have it all.’ External circumstances do not control their level of happiness. They have discovered the secret of being able to experience an underlying peace and well-being; which is the essence of true happiness.
Happy people live their lives differently. And when acquiring any new skill, it pays to learn from the pro.
“We can think of happiness as a skill no different from learning to play a musical instrument…it is possible to train our minds to be happy.” – Richard Davidson, Ph.D. UW-Madison
So if you are ready to let some joy shine through you from the inside out, then take a look at these five key skills.
Top 5 Proven Techniques for True Happiness
1) Notice and Give Thanks for the Happy Things in Your Life
Learn to take note of everything good and positive in your life, regardless of how small. What are the things that you see, feel, taste, hear, or smell that bring pleasure?
Intention activates a part of the brain, the reticular activating system (RAS), which is responsible for turning on our memory and allowing it to bring anything important to our attention. When you decide to look for the positive, your RAS makes sure that is what you see.
We tend to feed the unhappy, negative side of life. Make it a game to see how many good things you notice during the day. Take a few moments to savor the positive things and make it a habit to feed your happiness.
2) Do Not Believe Everything You Think
Do not believe everything you think. Our thoughts are not always true.
For example, you may give a presentation and focus in on the one person with a frown on their face, and think you’re doing a terrible job. Yet the fact is you are really doing a great job, but you do not notice the rest of the group that is smiling and nodding.
It is said that we average one thought per second during our waking hours and the vast majority are habitual, negative thoughts. This whirlwind of automatic negative thoughts can stimulate parts of the brain that involve depression and anxiety.
Learn not to believe every negative thought that wants to hijack your happiness, and instead focus in on the positive compliments. It is important to break the natural tendency to register the negative thoughts, feelings, and experiences more deeply than the positive happy ones.
3) Exchange the Bad Thought for the Happy Thought
When challenged with negative, unhappy thoughts and feelings in a situation, learn to exchange them for equally true, positive, happy thoughts.
For example, have you ever faced a deadline and thought it was going to be impossible to finish on time? Why not exchange that self-defeating thought by searching your mind for an equally true positive thought such as: I regularly manage to get things done on time and I can ask for help.
Learn to be more optimistic and see the glass half full. Pay more attention to the positive part of the truth in a given situation and lean into those thoughts. Let the joy of the Lord be your strength.
4) Appreciate the People in Your Life
People with good social relationships tend to be happy. Under times of stress we need the support of friends and family. And the best way to keep relationships happy and healthy is through appreciation.
“One of the most important things a person can do to raise his or her happiness level is to acknowledge those around them.” – Judith W. Umlas (author of The Power of Acknowledgement)
By showing appreciation to others for the support they give us, we reinforce that behavior; which in turn deepens our relationship with them. Engaging and communicating with others during times of stress has a calming effect and keeps us on the road to happiness.
5) Live with a Passion and a Purpose
Bringing a sense of purpose and passion to your routine activities will boost your happiness. Think about the activities in your life that you are passionate about. What is it about those things that make you happy?
One person may feel like an underpaid janitor, but another may passionately do their job the best they can with a purpose to make the building a beautiful place for others.
Learn to incorporate purpose and passion in your daily life at work and at home. Do all things gladly from the heart as unto the Lord.
The truth is: You do not have to let life just toss you around in unhappy waters. You can choose to learn new skills, live your life differently, and raise your level of happiness. 🙂
May your happiness increase daily and your life be filled with growing prosperity!
God bless you –
Cheers,
Brenda
Graduation: Your Story
Graduation: Your Story
Writing the Next Chapter in Your Life
Graduation: Your Story (Video by Skit Guys)
“As you graduate you are closing a chapter and beginning a brand new one…
as you write the rest of your story…
Remember to work hard – Remember to listen more than you talk –
Make relationships that will last a lifetime –
Find the right person to marry, and remember you have to be the right person too –
Make sure you take risks – Travel as much as you can –
Always remember to laugh – And most important…
Don’t forget to call your mom, she still worries about you!
Christ said I have come to give you life, and life to the fullest…
This is what you have the chance to achieve –
LIFE – So Go On Living!
“I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
— Jesus (John 10:10)
This time of year brings many graduations and graduation parties. These are exciting times for young people as they wrap up one chapter in life and move into the next…
It is also a great time to remind us all, regardless of age, that life is constantly moving from one season of life to the next, and it is important to continue to celebrate life!
God bless you always –
Cheers,
Brenda
Why Not Use the Power of Crying Out to the Living God in Your Day of Trouble?
Why Not Use the Power of Crying Out to the Living God in Your Day of Trouble?
The Power of Prayer in Your Hour of Need!
Powerful help is available when we cry out to God in our days of trouble.
Over and over, throughout history and in the Bible, we see God’s active involvement triggered by the cry of His people.
Moments of immediate, fearful need, hours of crisis, and days of trouble come to us all eventually. And they too often seem to show up unexpectedly, like a thief in the night.
The Power of Crying Out to God in Your Storms of Life
Have you ever found yourself in similar storms of life, or do you find yourself in a trial today? Then stop what you are doing right now and cry aloud to the Almighty God in your trouble.
“Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”
— Psalm 50:15
God is expecting us to call upon Him. So we should be ready to cry out loud to the Lord for His saving help; as soon as a need arises. God says He will deliver us, so we should boldly expect His deliverance. And the great thing is; we then have one more reason to glorify Him.
Humility Required to Cry Aloud to God in Your Distress
God makes it clear and simple that He wants us to cry out to Him, that He will deliver us, and third that we are to glorify Him for it.
Are you one that prefers to be an independent, self-sufficient type? Would you rather suffer through the storm without asking for help, and then with pride say ‘Look what I did?’
Crying out to God allows us to recognize our weakness and at the same time experience His strength.
“For when I am weak, then am I strong.”
— 2 Corinthians 12:10
Keep in mind it takes a lot of humility to cry out loud to God in our desperate moments. But that is what He tells us to do, regardless of our thoughts about the situation. God wants us to clearly see in the end that He is our deliverer and that He deserves the thanks. We should glorify Him by saying ‘Look what God did!’
A Desperate Cry to Calm the Storm in Your Life
Consider Jesus’ disciples during the storm on the Sea of Galilee. They were feeling overwhelmed by trouble during this terrible storm and the boat was filling up with water. The disciples were in a panic and overwhelmed; worried they were going to drown. And even though Jesus was in the boat with them, He somehow remained sound asleep.
As the disciples reached total desperation, they cried out loud to Jesus saying ‘Lord, save us!’ It wasn’t until they cried out to Jesus in desperation that He took action and calmed the storm in their lives.
The simple fact of the matter is this: God is totally serious about hearing from those who cry out to Him in their day of trouble. Know this and believe it. God delights in showing Himself strong on behalf of anyone who is facing a desperate situation and will cry out for His deliverance.
May you use the power of crying out to the Lord in your day of trouble and be delivered into a life of growing prosperity!
God bless you always,
Brenda
Growing Prosperity – A Powerful Secret to Manifest an Abundant Harvest!
Growing Prosperity – A Powerful Secret to Manifest an Abundant Harvest!
How to Plant the Seed of Faith and Harvest Abundance
Manifesting an abundant harvest requires planting the seed first.
Who would expect a farmer to reap a harvest without having planted seed months earlier?
As believers operating by faith, we also need to follow this example; naturally and spiritually.
What is the secret to getting this process going?
2 Great Faith Secrets to Planting Seed
Jesus tells us how to plant the seed of faith. He tells us in Luke 17 that if we had faith as a seed, we would speak to the situation or problem area in our life. He gives us two great faith secrets: ONE; that faith works like a seed, and TWO; the way to plant it is to speak it.
“If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”
— Matthew 17:20
In order to manifest a harvest we have to plant the seed by speaking. Our faith must be mixed with the promised seed of God’s Word. The life is in the seed and the way to plant it is by saying it, speaking it, proclaiming it.
The Law of Seedtime and Harvest
Many people don’t know how they got in the mess they are in. However, most of the time, the problem is their mouth. The mouth can deceive the heart. What we say is what we sow, and too often we are sowing the exact thing we do not want!
Have you ever heard the following?: ‘We’re going broke,’ ‘I never have enough,’ ‘I can never get ahead,’ ‘Nothing ever works out for me,’ ‘I’m afraid I’ll lose my job,’ ‘I always get sick.’
Speaking and praying the things we don’t want only opens the door to fear, and then fear replaces our faith. The things we say are the things we will reap. (Mark 11:23) This really is no great secret.
“Be not deceived, God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”
— Galatians 6:7
With seedtime and harvest we also need to take into account the time factor. Sowing is a process. Sure, there will be some who are highly developed in their faith and see the manifestation of some things very quickly. But the normal way of faith and confession is to start sowing weeks and months before the time the harvest is needed; just like the farmer who plans and prepares ahead of time.
Manifesting an Abundant Harvest
The kingdom within you has been sown with the seed of what you have been speaking. And the sowing and reaping process works for you just as it does for the farmer who goes to sleep, and gets up, and the ground brings forth the fruit.
Begin sowing seeds of abundance by speaking something such as:
“My God supplies all my need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus; I have abundance and prosper; because I have given, it is given unto me good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over.”
You say and sow these incorruptible seeds concerning finances, and then while you are sleeping, they go to work to manifest a harvest in your life. One day you will wake up and see the seeds you have planted and watered begin to sprout.
Do yourself a favor: Take the promises of God’s Word and mix your faith with them. Mix your faith with the Word and plant it in your heart by speaking it. The life is in the seed; in the promise of God. So if you plant the promises of God in your heart, you can expect to manifest an abundant harvest.
May you sow the seeds of God’s abundant promises by faith and reap a life of growing prosperity!
Be blessed to be a blessing –
Cheers,
Brenda
Godly Dads Video – D. James Kennedy
Godly Dads Video – D. James Kennedy
Happy Father’s Day!
This video is based on a Father’s Day sermon by D. James Kennedy.
Dads are important and have one of the most important jobs in the world…
and unfortunately it has gone largely unnoticed.
Today we celebrate all fathers and pray that you are all godly dads!
Happy Father’s Day!
God bless you,
Brenda
Dad, If You Only Knew by Josh Weidmann
Dad, If You Only Knew by Josh Weidmann
Dad, If You Only Knew: Eight Things Teens Want to Tell Their Fathers (but Don’t)
In honor of the upcoming Father’s Day, I was looking for a video to celebrate all dads out there.
In the process I ran across this video and book and decided to do a separate post. For anyone who had, or currently has a Father who is an active part of your life; you know how important your dad is. And for those who don’t, you also know the great struggle that loss can cause in life.
The book: “Dad, If You Only Knew: Eight Things Teens Want to Tell Their Fathers (but Don’t)” by Josh Weidmann and coauthored by his dad James Weidmann, sounds like an excellent resource for helping dads connect with their children.
Someone on Amazon commented that it is a great resource for both parents, and not just dads. The older I get, the more I also appreciate the positive influence of friends and family when it comes to raising children. Especially with so many single parent families. Raising healthy children is a job that requires utilizing all the help that is available.
Here is the description for the book “Dad, If You Only Knew”:
Listen Up, Dads! Your Teen Is Talking to You!
As exasperating as parenting can be during these volatile years, your teen is depending on you for steady faithfulness, love, and guidance. And because teens often find words elusive and expression difficult, they probably haven’t told you the things they wish you somehow automatically knew. So let Dad, If You Only Knew… be your guide. Josh Weidmann, just out of the teen years himself, joins his father, James, to help dads understand where their kids are coming from. It’s a messy world they live in, and meeting them in it is no simple task. But knowing these essentials now makes fatherhood eight times easier!
Welcome to Your Teen’s World
It doesn’t matter if you have the most picture-perfect, ideal-in-every-way teen or one who’s in full-swing rebellion. That teen you love is a “riddle wrapped in a mystery.” No father can know what his teen is really thinking.
That’s why youth communicator Josh Weidmann teamed with his father, Jim, to help you bridge the gap. In Dad, If You Only Knew…you’ll get an open, honest glimpse inside the teen mind. Josh’s extensive research, combined with pointed direction from a father’s heart, provide you with the practical guidance you need to establish a healthy, thriving father-teen relationship. It’s one you desire, your teen needs, and you both can’t afford to miss.
Story Behind the Book
“The resounding cry of teens for their fathers rings in my ear. I have been speaking to youth for five years and the greatest void I see in teens’ lives is the one left by their dad. I am only twenty-three years old myself, and to this day I can say that my dad is the most influential man in my life. Because of his impact, I have asked him share in this book. We have written this message in hopes of helping dads reengage in the vital father-teen relationship.”
— Josh Weidmann
God bless you –
Cheers,
Brenda
Expect Abundance – How to Use Expectation to Trigger the Law of Attraction!
Expect Abundance – How to Use Expectation to Trigger the Law of Attraction!
Increase the Flow of Wealth Into Your Material World
Expecting abundance is a powerful force.
What are you doing to generate increase?
Wealth will not come into your material world…
until you first expectantly visualize the wealth in your mind.
But what does that really mean?
Prospering Internally
Before we can begin to overcome the poverty surrounding us in our external world, we need to claim victory over the impoverishment buried deep within ourselves. Prosperity begins with an inward awareness that an unlimited supply abounds within the spiritual realm all around us.
“It’s almost as if there is an invisible reservoir of abundance in the universe that can be tapped if you will just obey certain spiritual laws.”
— Norman Vincent Peale
It is impossible to feel poor with an understanding and consciousness of being surrounded by the infinite God of the universe; a God that never lacks. The lack that we experience in life is simply caused from our own limited awareness.
The Light Bulb Story
There is a story told of a poor couple that moves into a small village and is astonished to discover their new home is lighted by electricity. They had no prior experience with the power and force of electricity and they never saw an electric light before.
After several months, the couple adjusts to this new found discovery when a salesman stops by and recommends they upgrade their 8 watt bulbs with 60 watt bulbs; to better meet their needs. Once the new bulb is plugged in, the entire room is illuminated.
The couple never imagined, in their wildest dreams that the source of this new flood of magnificent light had been there all the time. They didn’t know this abundant increase of light could come from the same current that was feeding their 8 watt bulb.
Plugging Into Abundance with Expectation
The truth is; most of us are even less aware of the power available to us than this couple was of the electric power current. We never dream that the infinite, abundant, current which surrounds us could flood our lives with light more magnificent than the most powerful light bulb.
In order to experience increase we need to plug a larger, more prosperous, expectant idea into the current of the infinite abundance of God. Unfortunately though, most of us strangle our supply with negative energized thoughts of doubt, fear, and poverty; which only cutoff the inflow of prosperity.
Now is the time to change that negative, habitual, pattern of thinking. Remember, the stream of plenty flows toward the expectant mind. We must live by faith expecting to receive.
Firmly establish the desired goal in your mind and live expectant. Expect good things to happen. Expect to be blessed. Imagine already being in possession of wealth and develop the prosperity you seek in your mind first. Know where you are and where you are going; and expect to get there!
Allow your expectation to trigger the attractive force that will help move your desired goals in your direction.
“As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.”
— Proverbs 23:7
Let the law of attraction help manifest your prosperous thoughts.
Remember: As you think means the innermost thoughts of your heart; which you control. That is what you expect, what you attract, and what you will ultimately receive.
May you live by faith, expecting to attract a life of growing prosperity!
Be blessed to be a blessing –
Cheers,
Brenda