December 2010

New Year, Fresh Start – 7 Exit Tips to Move You into the New Year with a Clean Slate!

New Year, Fresh Start – 7 Exit Tips to Move You into the New Year with a Clean Slate!

Out With the Old and In With the New

New Year Fresh StartA new year means a new start.

But first we need to look at the ‘out with the old’

before we look at the ‘in with the new.’

Why not start the New Year with a clean slate?

We all have skeletons in our closets;

those unpleasant things we are ashamed of

and hope nobody discovers about us.

But God can clean up our closets and wipe the slate clean.

He can give us a fresh new start and a clean slate in life so that we no longer care if others find out about our past, because God has cleaned it up and made all things new.

“Old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.” 
— 2 Corinthians 5:17

7 Exit Tips for the Year:

1. Take an Account of the Past Year

Make note of the people that have done you wrong and FORGIVE everyone of them. Release them, loose them, let them go, and let it drop.

Don’t let your anger cause you to sin, or let the sun go down on your wrath. (Eph 4:26) Remember, forgiveness does not condone behavior, but a lack of forgiveness hurts you. And if you don’t forgive others you hold yourself in unforgiveness. (Matt 6:14-15)

2. Forgive Yourself

Confess your sin and God will forgive you. (1 John 1:9) We are not to sin, but if we do, we have an advocate with the Father; because Jesus is righteous we are righteous in Him.

If God will forgive us, but we won’t, that is extreme arrogance and pride.

3. Examine Yourself

Ask yourself, “Where am I at in my faith?”

“Examine yourselves, whether you be in the faith; prove your own selves.” 
— 2 Corinthians 13:5

4. Repent

Repent means to turn from our ways and change for the better. Repentance is a basic principle of the doctrine of Christ. Repent and face the New Year renewed.

5. Commit to Forget the Past

“Forget those things which are behind and reach for those things which are ahead.” 
— Philippians 3:13

Let God wash away your sins and any heavy burden of guilt that you have been carrying with it. Leave them in the past and press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Phil 3:14)

6. Commit to Not Live on Past Successes

Don’t live on yesterday’s successes. Today is a new day and a new year is upon us; keep pressing forward. God does not want us to live on yesterday’s manna.

Don’t take record of the past. (Phil 3:8) Be busy about your Father’s business today. Commit to hunger after God’s Word daily.

7. Bury Past Events that Need to be Buried

Sometimes we need to bury past events.

“Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which does so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.” 
— Hebrews 12:1-2

Before we start the race we have to first drop the weights holding us down. Strife, gossip, worry, fear, pride, arrogance, racism are just some of the many weights.

Now what? Take some time to let God help you exit the year with a clean slate. Let Him fill your New Year with love, joy, hope, peace, power, prosperity, and victory.

May you have a blessed and Happy New Year filled with growing prosperity!

Cheers,
Brenda

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Will Christian Meditation Benefit My Life Long-term or Short-term Only?

Will Christian Meditation Benefit My Life Long-term or Short-term Only?

Know What to Expect from Christian Meditation

Christian Meditation Benefits Long TermChristian meditation is meant to be…

a daily habit in every believer’s life.

Through meditating on God’s Word

we gain understanding, knowledge, and wisdom to live a successful and prosperous life.

Christian Meditation Short-term Benefits

The Word of God provides nourishment to our spirit, soul, and body. Just as one meal of food will not nourish and sustain us long-term, neither will one session of meditation on biblical truths.

Give us this day our daily bread. Why? Because God wants us to seek Him and walk with Him daily. If He gave us our monthly bread, think how many of us might wait until the next month to seek Him!

Meditation on God’s Word is a way to draw us closer to the Lord and strengthen our relationship with Him. We would not expect to continually know a person better after spending time with them only once.

Faith also comes from hearing the Word of God. But faith does not continue to grow from hearing only once.  Take a look at the following verse and you will notice it says “hearing and hearing.” This is an ongoing process.

“Faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God.”  
— Romans 10:17

The world we live in is busy and chaotic and constantly bombarding us with negative thoughts and images everywhere we go. Do you think this is a surprise to God? Of course not; He warns us not to be conformed to this world. This requires renewing our mind daily with God’s Word. (Romans 12:2)

Christian Meditation Long-term Benefits

Now that you understand the importance and need for daily meditation, and that the benefits are primarily short-term; let’s take a look at long-term results.

The Bible is the divine Word of God. It is living and powerful. (Hebrews 4:12)  The scriptures are also full of “suddenly” verses. Meditating daily on His source of divine, living, power, sets us up for a suddenly.

Your life can change in a flash when the “suddenly” hits and the eyes of your understanding are opened. A transformation can take place in an instant that lasts a lifetime.

God also rewards obedience. And meditation on His Word is a commandment for all believers. Obedience to the things of God should be at the heart of every believer. The result is the manifestation of many blessings in our life on earth.

The ultimate long-term benefit, of obedience to God, is eternal rewards in heaven. (2 Corinthians 5:10)

Whichever way you want it: Christian meditation practiced out of a love and obedience for God has the power to benefit your life short-term and long-term; even eternally.

Why not commit to making meditation on God’s Word a priority in your life?

God bless you,
Brenda

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A Very Merry Christmas to You!

A Very Merry Christmas to You!

Merry Christmas!

 I want to take a moment,

and wish you and your family a…

Very Merry Christmas and a joyous holiday season!

May your holiday be blessed with – 

many moments of love, laughter and,

joy with your family, friends and your loved ones!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

God bless you always,
Brenda

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This is Christmas – Kutless Music Video

“This is Christmas” – Kutless Music Video

“This is Christmas” by Kutless

from their album O Come All Ye Faithful
Kutless plays “This is Christmas” in this music video.

“This is Christmas” Song Lyrics:

Do you find it hard to sleep tonight,
Resting by the Christmas lights?
Could there be something you forgot?

Beyond the bows, and mistletoes,
The tree with presents wrapped below,
There’s more to this than you had ever thought?
Have we lost the reason that we celebrate each year?

Chorus:
What is Christmas?
If there never was a Savior wrapped in a manger.
What is Christmas without Christ?

Remember how the story goes,
God’s gift was wrapped in swaddling clothes,
Beneath the star, one great and holy night.

The shepherds heard the angels sing,
The wise man brought an offering,
Peace on Earth began in Bethelethm
Have we lost the reason that we celebrate each year?

Chorus:
What is Christmas?
If there never was a Savior wrapped in a manger.
What is Christmas?
If the angels never sang ‘Glory to the new born king?’
What is Christmas without Christ?

There’d be no gloria
In excelsis deo
Gloria
In excelsis deo

What is Christmas?
If there never was a Savior wrapped in a manger.
What is Christmas without Christ?

This is Christmas,
It’s all about the Savior wrapped in a manger.
This is Christmas,
Because of Jesus Christ!

This is Christmas,
Because of Christ!
Because of Christ!

“And this shall be a sign to you;
You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes,
lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of
the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the hightest,
and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

— Luke 2:12-14

Enjoy this song and a Have a Very Merry Christmas!

God bless you,
Brenda

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Self-Confidence – Do You Possess the Essential Success Power of Believing in Yourself?

Self-Confidence – Do You Possess the Essential Success Power of Believing in Yourself?

Renew Your Confidence Energy Level Daily!

Self-Confidence Success Power - Believe In Yourself!Self-confidence is an essential,

powerful energy that will help you…

succeed at whatever you do.

A lack of confidence hinders success.

Believing in yourself and building yourself up regularly will provide great rewards in life.

Speak Well of Yourself

How do you know if you lack confidence? Listen to how you talk. What do you say about yourself to yourself?

Pay attention to how you are speaking and strive to always speak well of yourself. Others may say you are egotistical, but that’s not true. We are simply being imitators of Jesus and He didn’t speak badly of Himself.

Others will try to influence us to say negative things about ourselves because they don’t believe or understand us. But we should be like Jesus; who spoke well of Himself, even on the bad days, because He knew who He was.

Confidence in Who You Are

Do you know who you are? Have you grasped the understanding that if you are a child of God, that God lives in you? He has put a tremendous amount of ability inside of you.

Too often we look at our exterior and think only of the limitations of our brain and body. However, God looks at our spirit. And He has given us a big spirit. It is our spirit that is made new and so big that there is plenty of room to house the God of more than enough!

Confidence will come when you know who you are in Christ. That confidence will spill over into your speech.

Energy Boost for Confidence and Success

Do you want to be successful, stay motivated, and keep up your momentum? Then be one of the people who speak well of themselves.

Renew your confidence and energy level by speaking what the Word of God says about you. Speak out loud to yourself and in front of the mirror if you need to. Do it every morning and continually renew your mind to the thoughts God has of you in His Word.

Give yourself a charge and build your confidence level up regularly. Refuse to believe the lies and give them no place. Don’t let things like “I can’t”, or “I’m just this or that…” come out of your mouth.

Believe in Yourself

Whatever you do, build yourself up about it and you’ll do a lot better. When you have confidence, others pick up on that positive energy and are drawn to you.

Believe in who you are and the abilities you have been given. Speak well of yourself to yourself. Don’t let the lies rule your thoughts when you have a bad day. Remember, double-minded people can’t be confident because they are too busy trying to figure out what they believe.

“Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand.” 
— Matthew 12:25

If you are inwardly divided, you can’t give out the positive energy that makes people want to be around you. Confidence exudes strength, energy, and a joy for life.

Truth is: It is easy to be confident when you know that the almighty God lives inside you. You can be a light to the world. Believe in yourself and the God who lives inside you, and move forward with unwavering confidence in His vision for your life.

May your self-confidence grow daily and your life be filled with growing prosperity!

Soar higher in Him,
Brenda

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Inspirational Living: 3 Keys for Living in the Joy of the Lord and Laughing Your Troubles Away!

Inspirational Living: 3 Keys for Living in the Joy of the Lord and Laughing Your Troubles Away!

Keeping the Joy of the Lord Flowing in Your Life!

Laugh at Trouble and Keep the Joy of the Lord Flowing!Living in the joy of the Lord is the only way to live.

And do you know that even in times of trouble,

joy does not have to leave you?

Yes, it is possible to be peaceful and cheerful…

in the midst of trouble. Why? Because Jesus said so!

“These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” 
— John 16:33

3 Keys for Keeping the Joy of the Lord Flowing in Your Life:

1. Do Not Let Trouble Shock You

Just because the storms of life blow through, doesn’t mean you have to lose your joy. It is often said that the key to success in life does not depend on the hand you’ve been dealt, but how you deal with what you’ve been dealt.

That means that how we choose to react to trouble is what will determine our success. Problems and tribulations are a part of life, but they don’t have to steal our joy.

2. Laugh at Trouble

Learn to laugh at your trouble and choose joy over worry and anxiety. We can trust God or worry. Either way we’ll still be confronted with trouble in life. Why go through it in misery if you can instead overcome it with joy?

“Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again – rejoice!” — Philippians 4:4

Christ has already overcome the world and in Him we have power and authority to overcome. Realizing and believing that is a key to not losing any precious joy. Choose to focus on the promise and not the problem.

3. Confess Promises to the Problem

Replace the moaning, groaning, whining, and complaining with rejoicing. Rejoicing about what? Rejoicing about the promises God has given us in His Word. Dig deep into every promise so you can and dwell in that secret place of the Most High.

God is for you so quit fretting about who is against you. On a daily basis, refill yourself with joy by getting into the Word and confronting troubles with promises.

For example, if sickness tries to attack your body, then confront it by confessing:  ‘By His stripes I am healed.’ (1 Peter 2:24)

We were created to walk in the joy of the Lord, not to worry about every little thing. His joy can keep us living well. The healing power of joy works like medicine to our bodies.

“A merry heart doeth good like a medicine; but a broken spirit drieth the bones.” 
— Proverbs 17:22

If you feel yourself growing weary, then confess: ‘I am steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord and knowing my work is not in vain.’ (1 Corinthians 15:58)

If you are facing financial troubles then confess the promise: ‘My God shall supply all my need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Philippians 4:19)

Bottom line: The Word of God is filled with promises that are bigger than any type of trouble that comes our way. We can live with joy because Jesus has overcome the world and in Him we are more than conquerors. Resist any negative thoughts of failure or defeat and continually refill yourself with joy.

May your life abundantly flow with the joy of the Lord and growing prosperity!

God bless you always,
Brenda

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Do You Hear What I Hear? Third Day Live Christmas Offerings Music Video

Do You Hear What I Hear? Third Day Live Christmas Offerings Music Video

“Do You Hear What I Hear?” by Third Day

from their album Christmas Offerings

Third Day plays “Do You Hear What I Hear” – Live Concert Video.

“Do You Hear What I Hear” Christmas Song Lyrics:

Said the night wind to the little lamb
Do you see what I see?
‘Way up in the sky, little lamb
Do you see what I see?

A star, a star
Dancing in the night
With a tail as big as a kite
With a tail as big as a kite

Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy
Do you hear what I hear?
Ringing thru the sky, shepherd boy
Do you hear what I hear?

A song, a song
High above the tree
With a voice as big as the sea
With a voice as big as the sea

Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king
Do you know what I know?
In your palace warm, mighty king
Do you know what I know?

A Child, a Child
Shivers in the cold
Let us bring Him silver and gold
Let us bring Him silver and gold

Said the king to the people ev’rywhere
Listen to what I say!
Pray for peace, people ev’rywhere
Listen to what I say!

The Child, the Child
Sleeping in the night
He will bring us goodness and light
He will bring us goodness and light

“And the angel said to them, Fear not: for, behold,
I bring you good tidings of great joy,
which shall be to all people.
For to you is born this day in the city of David
a Savior, which is Christ the LORD.”
— Luke 2:10-11

Enjoy this song and God bless you!

Merry Christmas,
Brenda

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Encouragement of Hope! Why All the Sad Faces if this is the Happiest Time of the Year?

Encouragement of Hope! Why All the Sad Faces if this is the Happiest Time of the Year?

Discover Encouragement Affirmations to Live with Hope for Tomorrow!

Holiday Blues Discouragement and DepressionEncouragement to face the light and…

live with hope for tomorrow is –

much needed during the holiday season.

The music, movies, commercials, etc…

all shout that the holidays are the happiest time of the year.

If this is the case, why are there so many sad,

discouraged, and depressed people walking around?

In the USA alone, the suicide rate back in 2007 was stated at Suicidology.org to be 34,598, or about 95 suicides per day. That is about one fatal outcome every 15 minutes. What a terrible tragedy to have so much self-destruction when life is so precious.

The Discouragement Factor

Why do so many people take their own lives? The primary reason is overwhelming discouragement. Discouragement is a destructive force that changes a person’s mindset and outlook to become dark, negative, and hopeless. They lose their courage and find it replaced with fear.

Holiday seasons come with the expectation that happiness is required. However, the fact is, holidays tend to have added stressors on top of the rest of life’s challenges, including financial trouble, illness, loss of loved ones, and more. And unfortunately, many people find themselves discouraged and depressed during this season.

Victims of discouragement can quickly end up with hindered decision making skills and in no condition to do things effectively. Their whole mentality is placed at a disadvantage as their mind becomes depressed. Discouragement darkens the mind and can cause a person to make fatally wrong decisions.

The Encouragement Treatment

Discouragement stems from a feeling of separateness from God and this causes a consciousness of weakness and a feeling of standing alone. Treat this disease by conquering those mental enemies with positive affirmations. Drive out fear, anxiety, worry, and the “blues” by affirming your connection with God.

“We are all ‘under fire’ all our lives, and the real hero is the one who keeps straight on in spite of discouragements and disappointments, never losing one jot of heart or courage, never giving way to despair, trusting always in the Divine Power that will lead him to his goal.” 
— Orison Swett Marden

Begin to eliminate those negative things that stand between you and your Maker and allow free access to the flow of God’s Divine Power by regularly affirming His truths.

Encouragement Affirmations:

Holiday Encouragement Affirmations of HopeSay to yourself:

‘I am a child of the King of kings and there is something inside of me that is bigger than my circumstances. I am a co-heir with Christ and all that He has.’

‘I am strong, courageous, confident, and hopeful for the future. My mind is serene and I sleep peacefully knowing my destiny is in the hands of Him who controls everything and who does all things well.’

‘I declare my power to conquer difficulty and overcome. I trust in God and forge ahead. I dwell in the secret place of the Most High and abide under the shadow of the Almighty. His truth is my shield and protector.’

The truth is: We can allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by discouragement, OR we can rise above it. Overcome by speaking positive, encouraging, success affirmations. Strengthen your mind by using positive thoughts to drive out negative thoughts.

Choose to encourage yourself and others regularly, so that you keep a heart of courage, thoughts of hope, and trust always in the Divine Power of God in your life.

May you be encouraged, keep your face toward God’s light, and live a life of growing prosperity!

 God bless you always,
Brenda

P.S. This article is inspired by Marden’s book “How to Get What You Want” and specifically the chapter “Discouragement – How to Cure It”

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