strength
Affirmation Creates Power by Orison Swett Marden – Part 3 of 3
AFFIRMATION CREATES POWER by Orison Swett Marden – Part 3 of 3
Part 3 of 3
Constant Affirmation to Overcome Fear and Attract Desires
If you are deficient in any quality,
you can strengthen it by constant affirmation.
If you are a coward anywhere in your nature
(and most people are),
you can strengthen courage by constantly affirming
that you are absolutely fearless, that you are courageous,
that nothing can harm you.
Reason that fear is simply the sense of danger, and
when you have perfect confidence
in the great Creator’s purpose,
when you trust it implicitly, there will be not cause for fear.
If you have convinced yourself that there is only one great cause, that the opposite must be a delusion, you will gradually lose the sense of fear and gain the courage you desire.
Every time you feel a sense of fear come over you say: “I am absolutely fearless; there is nothing to fear; fear is not a reality; it is not the truth of being. It is only the absence of courage, based upon ignorance of the great cause.”
Emerson knew the virtue of this philosophy when he said:
“Nerve us with incessant affirmation. Don’t bark against the bad, but chant the beauties of the good.”
Stoutly determine not to harbor anything in the mind which you do not wish to become real in your life.
Shun poisoned thought, ideas which depress and make you unhappy, as instinctively as you avoid physical danger of any kind. Do not entertain a discordant or an unhappy thought, or a thought of weakness and misery, but replace all these with cheerful, hopeful, optimistic thoughts.
When you feel out of sorts, blue, discourage, disheartened if you form the habit of suggesting to yourself some agreeable or pleasant subject, to dwell upon or thing about, or take up some word or idea which will suggest pleasure, happiness, and harmony, you will be surprised to see how quickly you can change the whole course of your thought, and when this is changed, the feeling will change also.
You will increase your courage and confidence, and this is half the battle. You will soon find that your environment will begin to change. Hope will brighten, you will have a healthier outlook upon life. Then thought, instead of depressing your mind, will be a perpetual tonic of encouragement, and light will soon break and drive out the darkness.
All that you dream of, all that you yearn for and long to be, will be within your reach if you have the power to affirm sufficiently strong, if you can focus your faculties with sufficient intentness on a single purpose.
It is concentration upon the thing you wish that brings it to you, whether it is health, money, or position.
Constantly affirm that which you wish, hold it persistently in the thought, concentrate all the power of your mind upon it, and when the mind is sufficiently positive and creative the desired thing will come to you as certainly as a stone will come to the earth, when left free in the air, through the attracting influence of gravitation.
You make yourself a magnet to draw the condition you wish.
*** end of part 3 of 3 ***
AFFIRMATION CREATES POWER by Orison Swett Marden
The Race – Inspirational Video with Heather Dorniden
The Race – Inspirational Video with Heather Dorniden
Life Knocks Us Down, But the LORD Gives Us Strength to Get Back Up!
Heather Dorniden of the University of Minnesota races the 600m at the Big 10 Indoor Track Championships. In lap 2, Heather got cut off and took a bad fall… BUT SHE GOT UP and not only continued the race, SHE WON!
Heather reminds us that even in the race of life we will eventually fall, but God is always there to help us get back up.
Heather has said that she always hoped that she could become famous enough in her running career to act as a positive example of a strong Christian, female athlete so that she could use her position as a platform to inspire young girls to chase their dreams and stay true to their faith.
Well Done Heather! Keep Running Strong!
“When I fall, I shall arise.”
— Micah7:8“I can do all things, through Christ who strengthens me.”
— Philippians 4:13
Soar higher in Him,
Brenda
Higher Level Meditation – How Will Christian Meditation Change the Way I Think and Feel?
Higher Level Meditation – How Will Christian Meditation Change the Way I Think and Feel?
Discover How Christian Meditation Can Help You Achieve a Higher Level of Thinking and Living!
Christian meditation is something
every believer can choose to practice.
Those who do choose to meditate
soon find out it changes the way
they think and feel.
Let me ask you this…
How Does the World Make You Think and Feel?
Think for a moment about the daily choices we make and how they change our thoughts and feelings. Do you watch the news? Do you watch movies? Do you listen to music? Do you read the paper? Do you browse online social media sites and forums? Do you have conversations with co-workers, family, and friends?
Of course you do, and it is no secret that what we see and hear changes the way we think and feel!
The trouble with regular interactions, in our everyday routine, is that it tends to be overwhelming, stressful and discouraging. Most of the news, shows, music, movies, websites, and people we talk to bombard us with tragedies, loss, hardships, etcetera. This in turn leaves us in fear mode.
For this reason, many people find themselves searching for something to bring peace in the midst of chaos.
Christian Meditation to Change the Way You Think and Feel
God commands us to meditate day and night, because it will draw us closer to Him and benefit our lives. Just as with His other laws, He does not force us to obey. Instead we get to choose.
So, will meditation on God’s Word change the way we think and feel?
Absolutely, YES! Those who choose to meditate soon find out it changes the way they think and feel for the better!
“Blessed, happy is the person who delights in the
law of the Lord and meditates on it day and night.”
— Psalm 1:1-2
The ways of the world come to no surprise to God. And Proverbs 23:7 tells us, “Whatever a man thinks in his heart, so is he.”
God instructs us to meditate on His Word so that our heart will be filled with His power. If a person, with purpose and intent, will meditate on God and His ways, they will achieve a higher level of thinking and living, including joy and peace.
“You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You,
because he trusts in You.”
— Isaiah 26:3
No matter what happens around us we can meditate on God’s Word to draw strength, life and victory.
Believe me: Once you start to practice Christian meditation daily, the way you think and feel about yourself, and your life will take on a brighter outlook. The life transforming power of God’s Word changes lives!
Do you, as a Christian believer, purpose to achieve a higher level of thinking and living by meditating on the Word of God daily?
God bless you always,
Brenda
Never Ever Give Up In Life! Inspiring Video
Never Ever Give Up In Life!
An inspiring video of the love of a father and the pain of a son. Derek Redmond was favored to win the 400 Meter in the ’92 Barcelona Summer Olympics, but great pain and disappointment happened midway through the race.
When life gets tough and the pain feels unbearable, our heavenly Father is at our side helping carry us through!
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” — Psalm 46:1
Never quit, give up, or give in. It’s not about how many times we fall but how many times we get back up and stay in the race.
“Let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.” — Hebrews 12:1-2
Great is the love of our heavenly Father and we don’t have to do the race called ‘life’ alone. He is at our side and helping us through to the finish.
God bless you,
Brenda
Finish Strong – Inspiring Nick Vujicic Video
Finish Strong – Inspiring Nick Vujicic Video
What Matters Is How You Finish!
I’m not sure what has knocked you down in life…
What you are struggling to overcome…
Or what might be causing you to want to quit…
But what I do know – is when we look to the author and finisher of our faith we can finish strong!
“…and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
looking to JESUS the author and finisher of our faith;
who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross,
despising th shame, and is set down at the right hand
of the throne of GOD.” — Hebrews 12: 1-2
This short video is guaranteed to inpire you to get yourself up and finish strong!
Find out more about Nick Vujicic and the awesome things he is doing with his life to make a difference in this world. Visit Nick’s website.
Be blessed to be a blessing –
Cheers,
Brenda
P.S. Feel free to share your thoughts and comments. Everytime I watch or read a story about Nick I am left feeling inspired to do more with my life and quit with my excuses and complaining…
Wisdom Stability of the Lord – Isaiah 33:6 Video
Wisdom Stability of the Lord – Isaiah 33:6
The Stability of Your Times is Found in the Lord!
“And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of your times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the Lord is his treasure.”
— Isaiah 33:6
This video didn’t turn out like I intended, but the verse is still a good one! 🙂
It is also interesting, because at our mid-week service tonight, my Pastor taught some on how salvation includes not only our eternal spiritual salvation, but also the other benefits of God including spiritual, physical, and materially blessings.
He also pointed out that we need to be knowledgeable about what is available to us so we can claim it. When I look at this verse it relates…
If we want true stability we have to look to God’s Word and get it through the salvation He provided. And further wisdom and knowledge of His Word will help us tap into the great inheritance provided us. A healthy fear of the Lord, that causes us to obey His Word is a treasure greater than we can receive in this lifetime!
God bless you –
Brenda
How Do You Overcome Spiritual Attacks with the Powerful Authority Provided You?
Spiritual Warfare – How to Overcome with the Powerful Authority Provided You?
Fight Spiritual Attacks with Spiritual Weapons!
Spiritual warfare is real and it is important to understand this raging battle between the Word of God and the forces of darkness. Once you acknowledge the battle at hand, you’ll understand the need for the authority Christ gave to His believers.
What Authority Do We Have?
“Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”
— Jesus Christ (Luke 10:19)
Keep in mind, poisonous reptiles and insects were something that the early church leaders regularly encountered. They had to battle this type of attack from the enemy, while spreading the Gospel, and they also had to deal with demonic spiritual activity.
Today, as believers, we may not regularly face serpents and scorpions, but we do face fear, rejection, persecution, hatred, sickness, poverty, and such. But we are not powerless, because Jesus gave us power to overcome all the attacks of the enemy.
Who is the Battle Against?
First let’s look at what we are up against. Spiritual warfare is a battle against unseen demonic spirit beings that use people. Our real enemies are not people. And because they are not flesh, we cannot fight them physically. Unfortunately, because they are unseen, many people don’t believe they even exist.
“We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
— Ephesians 6:12
Spiritual attacks are fought with spiritual armor and weapons. The Lord tells us to put on the whole armor of God, which He provided us, so that we will be able to stand against the evil one. (Ephesians 6:13) The armor helps defend us from the enemy’s fiery darts that come at us.
How Do We Use Our Authority?
God gave us an offensive weapon that will penetrate the spirit world. It is called the Sword of the Spirit. This is the Word of God.
“The Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword.”
— Hebrews 4:12
A sword used to be the most powerful weapon and was compared to the Word of God to represent the power available in the Word. Today we have much more powerful weapons available, but you get the idea.
The Word of God, when spoken by a believer, can penetrate the spirit world and cause harm to the enemy and stop him in his tracks.
Most of the attacks of the enemy are aimed at filling the minds of people with lies so that they cannot think clearly about God’s truth. Jesus told us that the devil is the father of all lies and there is no truth in him. (John 8:44)
Specific Instructions
We exercise our spiritual authority in Christ by speaking the Word of God directly to the enemy. There is no instruction in the Bible to pray to God to stop the devil. Nor are we to just ignore him.
The instructions given say to resist him and give him no place. (Ephesians 4:27, James 4:7). Believers are also empowered to cast him out. (Mark 16:17)
We are to use our authority and speak directly to the enemy, like Jesus did, and command him to stop. When satan attacked the thoughts of Jesus, He immediately responded by saying ‘It is written’, and spoke the Word of God. (Matthew 4)
Work the Word and watch it work!
Now that you are armed with this information; use it. We are not powerless to resist outlaw spirits that challenge us and our mission. Power is available in the Word of God to overcome evil. It is our responsibility to use the authority Jesus has provided. If we will take authority over the enemy, we can cause his plans to backfire on him every time.
May you put the power of the Word of God to work in your life daily and continue to experience a life of growing prosperity!
God bless you,
Brenda
Spiritual Warfare Venting and My Experience
A Little Spiritual Warfare Venting and Rambling for today…
What the Enemy Intends for Bad – God Will Work for Good!
First, I want to apologize to you for the website being down for almost three days.
My web host provider had some unexpected issues over the weekend that took my site down and it just went live again mid-day today! I’m thankful God answered my prayer and the site is back up without errors.
It definitely gave me practice with patience, overcoming frustration, etc.!
It also had me thinking about spiritual warfare and reflecting back on things in life. You know, I’m finally getting old enough, and wise enough, to realize things aren’t just coincidence. And that the enemy of this world is up to more than we realize…
I started thinking about my site going down and how it not only was in the group that went down, but it was the last one to get back up and running. I’ve had many other sites over the years, either personally or that I’ve managed for others. Never have I experienced this type of down time.
Yet none of the other sites were related to spiritual matters and encouraging people to keep God first in life.
As I reflected back, it is clear that the times in my life that I’ve had the most attacks and trials were either times that I clearly chose to walk away from God, and do my own thing, or times when I decided to step out in a significant way for the Lord.
When I chose to do my own thing in the past, and disobey God, it is understandable that I was going to have to face the consequences of those wrong choices.
However, it used to appear like bad timing when trouble would bombard me during the times I was trying to do the right thing.
For instance, when I purposed to start attending church regularly – BAMM – attacks! When I bought a new Bible and study materials to get into the Word – BAMM – attacks! When I got myself and my girls involved in a good church and started volunteering – BAMM – attacks!
Earlier this year, when I decided to finally move forward and put this site up, I was at first constantly amazed at how so many details easily fell into place and worked out. I thank God often for the provision and ability He continues to give me to be able to do this.
Yet there is, once again, clearly this battle going on at the same time…
On one hand, I know God is helping me and guiding me and adjusting me as I go. However, on the other hand, I am again battling attacks. I seem to have gotten a whole whammy of them since I started this site. Physical attacks against my health, mental attacks against my thoughts, and also attacks against my finances and relationships.
They left me doubting if I should be doing this and I did and continue to keep praying for wisdom and guidance. Everything in me keeps saying move forward.
Well anyway – today I started to get mad, thinking about the enemy attacking me (and I also know of a few others personally under attack for stepping out in a significant way to serve God). I feel like battle on!
God is on my side, how can I lose? What the devil intends for bad, my God will work to good!
I serve a really Good God, and a really Big God! And He has helped me overcome the attacks of the enemy. My health and thought life is better … and my relationships are better … and God gave me some ideas and the energy lately to start implementing them that will improve my finances.
Plus on top of it all, with each attack the enemy has thrown at me… I’ve not only come through, but I’ve come through stronger, wiser, and learning how to use the Word of God to lessen the impact of the attacks. I’ve experienced to a greater degree the importance of not living with doubt and fear, but remaining confident and living by faith.
I refuse to let the enemy steal my joy!
My main web site (and others) went down for almost three days – and No – I was not happy about it, but the funny thing is – I didn’t get emotionally upset. I knew that God was going to take care of things and I was able to maintain a peace in the midst of this little storm of life.
I did get mad at the devil though and it has spurred me to write a few articles on spiritual warfare.
Okay – I’m done venting and rambling on… and I’ll end now with this:
“The Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword.”
– Hebrews 4:12“The Lord is faithful, who shall establish you, and keep you from evil.”
– 2 Thessalonians 3:3“Now thanks be to God, who always causes us to triumph in Christ, and makes manifest the savor of His knowledge by us in every place.”
– 2 Corinthians 2:14“May the God of peace make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”
– Hebrews 13:21
May you walk close to God and your life be filled with growing prosperity!
God bless you & keep you –
Brenda
P.S. I’d love to hear your thoughts, comments, or suggestions on the subject…