November 2010

Dave Ramsey on Holiday Shopping – 4 Tips to Celebrate Debt Free

Dave Ramsey on Holiday Shopping – 4 Tips to Celebrate Debt Free

Why Go Into Debt to Celebrate?

Debt Free Holiday Budgeting TipsHappy Holidays.

If the holidays are supposed to be the happiest time of the year, why does it often seem like the most stressful time of the year?

Financial stress is at the top of many people’s list this time of year.

Many folks just don’t have extra money available to do all the celebrating and shopping they desire. Yet the world puts the pressure on to buy more and keep up with Joneses; even if it means going into debt. Throwing it all on the credit card seems to be the solution.

Although after the New Year, the bills start coming in and the struggle just to pay the minimum payments begin. The struggle to get the debt paid off can go on late into the year or longer. And that only adds to the stress the following holiday season. So instead of planning and enjoying the new season, there still remains the hassle of left-over debt and the stress that goes with it.

Are you ready to end the cycle and say no more debt, no more credit? Then it is time to make a plan early in the year and stick to it so you can avoid piling up mounds of debt on credit cards.

Dave Ramsey provides the following holiday shopping ideas and tips for celebrating debt free this year:

1. RESEARCH

Look for deals online before heading to the stores. Find out what the prices are at the stores you plan to visit and don’t waste your time shopping at one if you know another store down the street has a better deal.

2. MAKE A BUDGET

It’s common sense stuff, but amazing how many people have no financial plan for their spending. And when they go shopping they are like kids in a toy store buying the first flashy toy that catches their eye.

If you plan to work your way out of debt, it requires becoming disciplined during the holiday season. If you must buy for many, keep it simple and stay within your means. Don’t get caught up in the mindset that bigger is better or it will just come back to bite you when the bills start coming in after the new year.

3. USE CASH

As Dave always says, you spend less when you use cash. So stop by the bank or ATM to get your pre-planned amount of shopping cash before you hit the stores. And when it’s gone it’s time to stop shopping.

If you’ve planned ahead and followed the previous two steps then using cash should be easy. You will know what you need to buy and how much it will cost before you start. Planning time well spent!

4. START NOW – PLAN EARLY

If you haven’t made a plan this holiday season, then stop now and take some time to evaluate your situation and make a budget. Look at the big picture and consider the outcome of your choices this holiday season. Shop smart and keep it within your means.

And if this holiday season caught you off guard once again, well remember, it is never too late to try again. Next year you can make better decisions and do things differently.

Happy Holidays to All & a Very Merry Christmas!

God bless you,
Brenda

P.S. Check out www.daveramsey.com for a wealth of information on finances and budgeting. Dave Ramsey also provides a tool that allows you to create a budget online in 60 seconds.

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Vision – Why Let a Lack of it Prevent You from Living the Abundant Life of Your Dreams?

Vision – Why Let a Lack of it Prevent You from Living the Abundant Life of Your Dreams?

How to Catch the Vision and Run with it into Your Dream Life!

Vision Your Abundant Dream LifeVision looks forward into the future.

It takes vision if you want to move from…

your present standard of living to –

living your abundant dream life.

A continual focus on…

past problems and defeats,

will only result in fearful paralysis;

and that takes you nowhere.

Where’s Your Focus?

As of today, choose to stop looking at all the things that can go wrong, and instead turn your eyes toward your strengths and assets. Put your focus on what must go right to reach your goals and dreams. Wake up in the morning and go to bed at night, thinking only of ways to do the things you want to do. Do not allow yourself to waste time thinking of all the reasons why you cannot do something.

Kick-start your vision and think repeatedly of the many achievements you are going to accomplish in the future; which will be greater than anything you have ever done in the past. Once you get your focus in the right direction, you’ll find yourself forced to draw upon resources that you previously didn’t even realize you had.

Will You Take the Risk?

Clearly, change is going to involve some risk-taking on your part. But believe me, once you dare to act on your vision and reach toward your dreams, it won’t be long before you start winning in a big way.

Doing things you’ve never done before may prove to be frightening at first. Just keep in mind: Anyone who achieves anything of greatness in their life first takes some kind of risk. Others may not be able to catch the same vision that you have and you’ll find it takes a measure of risk to follow your vision through to your dreams.

Vision of a Dream Life

What is your dream? What vision or picture of a great thing or accomplishment floats to the surface of your consciousness from time to time?

Begin to make your dream a reality by writing it down with as much detail as possible. Write it in the present tense and see yourself as already living it.

“Write the vision, and make it plain, that he may run that reads it.” 
— Habakkuk 2:2

Remember, it makes no difference whether your dream is to start a new business, buy a house, get married, graduate with honors, get a new position at work, or any other goal be it big or small. Whatever it may be, you must step out and boldly go after it.

Sure, there will be times along the way that you miss the mark, but that does not make you a failure. Sometimes plans don’t work out as anticipated, but you still have the capacity to bounce back and try again.

What’s stopping you from walking out your vision into your dream life? Continually remind yourself that you have tremendous reservoirs of potential within you and with God’s help you are capable of doing anything you set your mind to do. All you have to do is decide to do it and know you can. Do not doubt whether or not you can. Simply get it settled that you can and make up your mind this very moment to run with your vision into your dream life.

May you dare to run with your vision and enjoy a life of growing prosperity!

God bless you always –

Soar higher,
Brenda

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Happy Thanksgiving! What Are You Thankful For?

Happy Thanksgiving! What Are You Thankful For?

Thanking God for All His Blessings!

Enjoy the above video “Thankful” by The Skit Guys –
and may we all give God the thanks and praise due His glorious name!

“Blessed are you, LORD God… forever and ever.
Yours, O LORD is the greatness, and the power,
and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty;
for all that is in the heaven and earth is yours;
yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exhalted
as head above all. Both riches and honor come of you,
and you reign over all; and in your hand is power
and might;
and in your hand it is to make great,
and to give strength to all. Now therefore, our God,
we thank you, and praise your glorious name.”
— 1 Chronicles 29:10-13

Have a Blessed, Safe, & Happy Thanksgiving!

God bless you always,
Brenda

P.S. Feel free to leave a comment and share what you are thankful for…

P.P.S. Here is a little bit of History about Thanksgiving Day

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Abundant Living – Prosperity Destroys Fools! So Why Don’t You Wise Up and Prosper?

Abundant Living – Prosperity Destroys Fools! So Why Don’t You Wise Up and Prosper?

How to Use Your Confession to Prosper and Manifest the Abundance of God

Wise Abundant LivingAbundant living requires handling the affairs of life wisely.

Yes, I know, prosperity occasionally falls in the laps of

some individuals; for example, they may get an unexpected

inheritance or win the lottery.

However, we all know that IF these individuals are fools,

the prosperity will destroy them.

Prosperity Destroys Fools

“The prosperity of fools shall destroy them. But whoever hearkens unto Me shall dwell safely.” 
— Proverbs 1:32-33

Some argue against being prosperous, and their reason is that ‘prosperity will destroy you.’ But the Bible says it will destroy a fool. So don’t be a fool.

How do we keep from being fools? Joshua 1:8 tells us that if we follow God’s method and confess the Word of God, then we will make our way prosperous, and deal wisely in all the affairs of life and have good success.

Wise Up and Prosper

Prosperity is a blessing, if it is acquired God’s way. A powerful way of keeping in line with God’s methods and activating His Word is through confessing it.

Now, sometimes people hear this and get crazy ideas about what this means. But all confessing really means is, speaking the Word of God out loud so you can hear yourself saying it. In order for us to succeed we must confess it out loud. This allows us to hear our own voices and that brings faith, because faith comes by hearing.

As we confess and affirm the Word of God, what we are doing is setting goals, and planting seeds in our heart. How can we expect to get something or somewhere if we don’t know what we want or where we are going? We establish God’s goals with His principles when we confess the Word of God. This in turn puts us on track to manifesting the abundance of God in our lives as the planted seeds soon become growing prosperity.

Positive Confessions for Abundant Living

Confessing what the Word of God says about you will change your life. Even the most negative people have gotten results after only putting this into practice for a few short months.

Keep in mind, when you first start speaking some of the things God says about you, you may feel like it’s the biggest lie that ever came out of your mouth. But the Word of God reflects the way He sees us, and confessing it helps us see and think about ourselves the same way God does.

Find a truth in God’s Word that pertains to your situation and make it into a confession. For example:

‘My God supplies all my need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus and whatever I do prospers, for I am like a tree planted by the rivers of living water.’
(Philippians 4:19, Isaiah 54:17, Psalm 1:3)

It’s hard to imagine the impact this has on a person until they’ve confessed it every day for at least a month. Confessing the truth of the Word is calling things that are not as though they were and calling them into manifestation. Allow the will of God concerning you to manifest in your life.

So go ahead; put this to the test right away. God’s Word is living and powerful and when confessed will change you. The wisdom of God will empower you to handle all the affairs of life wisely so you can manifest and enjoy abundant living.

May you wise up to God’s ways and live a life of growing prosperity!

Be blessed to be a blessing –

Cheers,
Brenda

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7 Scripture Based Affirmations – Why Not Confess and Share the Love? It’s a Beautiful Thing!

7 Scripture Based Affirmations – Why Not Confess and Share the Love? It’s a Beautiful Thing!

How to Draw on the Power of the Word to Increase Your Love Walk

Scripture Based Love Confessions and AffirmationsScripture-based affirmations can be a…

powerful influencing force in your life.

They help put you in the scriptures and draw

on the power of the Word in a more focused way.

Making these confessions a regular part of your day will bless you BIG time.

What about love? Well we all know love is a powerful force itself and when abundant in our lives it brings great peace and helps manifest growing prosperity.

What about God? God is love. He is pure, holy, good, and righteous. Every promise in His Word is rooted in knowing and sharing His great love. Take time to meditate the Word of God and get to know His great love.

CONFESS and SHARE the LOVE!

1. I love You, God, because You first loved me. (1 John 4:19)

2. I love You, Lord, with all my heart, all my understanding, and all my strength. And I will love my neighbor more than I love myself. (Mark 12:33)

3. I remain in God’s love and I love my enemies and pray for those who persecute me. (John 15:10, Matthew 5:44)

4. The love of God matters most and I imitate my heavenly Father and walk in love toward others daily. I love others deeply because love covers a multitude of sins. (1 Corinthians 13:1-3, 1 Peter 4:8)

5. God has given me a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind. Love helps me to rejoice in truth and to always protect, trust, hope, and persevere! (1 Corinthians 13:4-7, 2 Timothy 1:7)

6. I am rooted and established in love. I gain power to grasp the abundance of God’s love as I seek to discover how deep and how wide His love is. (Ephesians 3:17-19)

7. God is love and I make my life in Him. God’s great love is being perfected in me day-to-day.  I have a life of love! (1 John 4:16-17)

Let these scripture-based affirmations be only the beginning; a place to start. As you continue to study, meditate, and confess the Word of God, you’ll empower yourself with an increased source of love affirmations to speak daily.

Love is in the Air

As the confessions of your heart and mind overflow with love, that same love will manifest in your life and positively affect the lives of all those around you. Love is the greatest gift that has been given to us and the greatest gift we can give. Let it flow abundantly in you and through you!

Start today: Build your faith in God’s love and His loving way of living by confessing scripture-based affirmations like these.

May you confess and share the love of God and live a life of growing prosperity!

Be blessed to be a blessing –

Love in Christ,
Brenda

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You Are More by Tenth Avenue North – Christian Music Video

“You Are More” by Tenth Avenue North – Christian Music Video

“You Are More” by Tenth Avenue North

from the album The Light Meets the Dark

Tenth Avenue North plays “You Are More” Live on Spirit 105.3 Radio.

“You Are More” Song Lyrics:

There’s a girl in the corner

With tear stains on her eyes
From the places she’s wandered
And the shame she can’t hide

She says, “How did I get here?
I’m not who I once was
And I’m crippled by the fear
That I’ve fallen too far to love”

But don’t you know who you are?
What’s been done for you?

Yeah don’t you know who you are

You are more than the choices that you’ve made
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes
You are more than the problems you create
You’ve been remade

Well she tries to believe it
That she’s been given new life
But she can’t shake the feeling
That it’s not true tonight

She knows all the answers
And she’s rehearsed all the lines

And so she’ll try to do better
But then she’s too weak to try

But don’t you know who you are?

You are more than the choices that you’ve made
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes
You are more than the problems you create
You’ve been remade

You are more than the choices that you’ve made
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes
You are more than the problems you create
You’ve been remade

‘Cause this is not about what you’ve done
But what’s been done for you

This is not about where you’ve been
But where your brokenness brings you to
This is not about what you feel
But what He felt to forgive you
And what He felt to make you loved

You are more than the choices that you’ve made
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes
You are more than the problems you create
You’ve been remade

You’ve been remade

“Therfore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:
old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
— 2 Corinthians 5:17

Jesus washes our slate clean and in Him we are new creatures.

Enjoy this song and God bless you!

Cheers,
Brenda

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How Does Christian Meditation Compare to Other Forms of Meditation?

How Does Christian Meditation Compare to Other Forms of Meditation?

Traditional Forms of Meditation vs. Christian Meditation

Christian Meditation on the Word of GodChristian meditation is based on the Word of God.

It is the Word of God that saves, delivers, instructs, and

empowers, believers to live a successful life.

There are some key differences between

traditional forms of meditation and Christian meditation:

Meditation on the Living Word of God

The Bible is the foundation and source of life for every Christian believer. The truths of the scriptures are the object of their meditation. Meditating on God’s Word manifests success. The Word of God is full of living power. (Hebrews 4:12) God’s Words are spirit and they are life. (John 6:63) It is through His words that God spoke creation into existence.

“In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” 
— John 1:1

Christian believers focus their meditation on God Most High.

In traditional meditation, the focus is on self. The object of focus may be referred to as the “higher self” or spiritual self. A physical item, such as an idol may be used as a representative object to focus on. Or a word or sound may be the object of focus while practicing traditional meditation.

Meditation Power with the Word of God

Meditation, for the Christian believer, is practiced so that their hearts and minds can be filled with biblical truths. It is a way to renew their minds and be transformed into the image of Christ. It helps them become more like Christ daily.

The Christian meditator fills their thoughts with the promises of God, and the ways of God, by meditating on His Word. Revelation of His truths connects and draws them closer into fellowship with the living God. Then, action taken on revealed biblical truths, manifests success and prosperity in their lives.

The traditional meditator seeks to empty their thoughts by focusing on a simple mantra until they have cleared their consciousness of all thought as much as possible. The goal is to achieve peace and relaxation.

Reaching and tapping into one’s higher self may result in a greater conscious level of peace, awareness, and relaxation. Yet even at the peak of one’s highest level, they are nothing without God.

“In Him we live, and move, and have our being.” 
— Acts 17:28

It is God, the creator of the heavens and earth, who is the source of all; the beginning and the end. The Word of the Lord endures forever. It is in Him that we live and move and have our being. It is with God that all things are possible and it is with God that nothing is impossible.

Now that you know this: Why not open the Word of God and meditate on His promises and allow them to manifest in your life?

God bless you always,
Brenda

P.S. Image credits go to Sias van Schalkwyk

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How to Sleep Like a Baby with a Really Simple Diet Change!

How to Sleep Like a Baby with a Really Simple Diet Change!

Tired of Sleepless Nights?

Sweet Sleep, Sleep Like a BabySleepless nights quickly take their toll on a person’s life.

If you are someone who tosses and turns at night…

you know it is a problem that effects more than your sleep.

A lack of sleep soon causes havoc in your daytime routine as well.

Are you tired of being tired? If so, you may want to read on and take look at one of the culprits that may be preventing you from sleeping like a baby; out of whack sugar levels. Hypoglycemia is a condition of lowered blood sugar levels, which can result in trouble sleeping.

What’s Your Bedtime Routine Look Like?

Does this sound familiar? You’re wrapping up a long day and you’ll be going to bed soon. A bowl of ice cream and a cookie sounds like a nice bedtime snack, so you enjoy one and head to bed. You fall asleep right away.

But then in the middle of the night you wake up and simply cannot go back to sleep. You toss and turn and lie there thinking about the previous day and what you need to do tomorrow. Your mind replays things over and over and you’re frustrated because you desperately need sleep but just can’t fall back asleep.

Or do you experience this scenario? You eat your ice cream and go to bed, only to find yourself tossing and turning. You don’t sleep well. You have weird, scary dreams such as running to escape from danger and jumping off a cliff. You wake up in a sweat; feeling like you’ve been run over by a train. You are not rested and feel like you’ve been in a battle all night in your dreams.

What is going on?

Remember the ice cream, (or anything sweet) you ate before bed? Well it causes your blood sugar to rise quickly. Your pancreas then in turn cranks out a jolt of insulin to bring the sugar levels down, but it puts out too much insulin. Now your sugar levels are dropping too quickly.

And, since you are asleep you will not be eating something to bring up your out of whack blood sugar levels. So your body calls upon your adrenal system to trigger the release of stored glycogen into the blood stream. It works, and your blood sugar levels rise.

However, the problem is that now you also have fight or flight hormones coursing through the blood stream. One of these hormones, norepinephrine, is also a neurotransmitter. It causes your mind to kick into high gear and think, to devise a plan to fight and escape danger; it turns your sweet dreams into nightmares.

Sleeping Like a Baby Doesn’t Have to be a Dream!

Clearly a lack of sleep detracts from your quality of life. The good news is that, simple diet changes can be made to help control low blood sugar and improve quality of sleep.

Do this. Make a point of eating six times a day; three meals and three snacks. Include some protein at each of these times. Protein is critical to controlling low blood sugar because it slows the absorption of sugar into the blood stream and causes a gradual rise in blood sugar instead of a straight line increase.

Never eat a carbohydrate alone. Always have it with a protein. If you find yourself awake at night and having trouble going back to sleep, eat something with some protein, a little carbohydrate, and a little fatty acid; like a piece of cheese and a cracker, or a handful of peanuts.

Your next step? Take what you’ve just learned and put it into practice. This really simple diet change is easy to do and it may just allow you to place your head on your pillow and sleep like a baby.

May your nights be filled with sweet sleep and your life be full of growing prosperity!

God bless you always,
Brenda

P.S. This post was inspired by information from nutritionist Karen Hurd and you can find additional health and nutrition info at her website: http://www.KarenHurd.com

P.P.S. Do have any tips for sleeping well? Please feel free to share with everyone and leave a comment… Thanks!

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