Gain Success By Rising Above Your Obstacles

Have you ever been on an airplane on a cloudy day? I always find it fascinating that you begin your journey in the clouds, not able to see anything below. Eventually you get to a point where you rise above the clouds. No matter how bad the weather on the ground is, you are now above it all, surrounded by sunny, blue skies.

I was reminded of this image as I prayed and meditated in church the other day. When you rely on the Godly power within you, you can easily bring yourself to a higher level. Instead of looking up at the cloudy skies and storms around you, rely on this power to bring you above the clouds. Even though storms are still going on, they are now below you. You have risen above into to the clear blue skies. Nothing can stop you now.

It is very important to maintain the attitude that your problems are below you. Yes, they still exist, and yes you need to conquer them. However, when you view your obstacles like you are far above them, the feeling of power and invincibility dominates instead of feeling overwhelmed and defeated. You have a greater confidence, things get done, and goals get accomplished.

Now is your time to fly. Don’t fly through the clouds. Instead, fly into the clear, sunny skies that await you as long as you rely on God’s power to excell. The power is limitless and it’s yours. Take it and fly with it. Enjoy the blessings : )

What Is Your Vision Of Success?

Do you believe you can succeed? The answer may be an obvious yes. Hopefully it is. However, there are many people who truly don’t believe they can reach their goals. It is often suggested to visualize success in the mind in order to develop the faith necessary to make it happen. However, sometimes people just can’t see success or the possibility of it through their own eyes.

How can one change this and enable themselves to visualize success? One excellent way that was suggested to me is to see all situations through God’s eyes instead of your own. Think about it for a minute. In God’s eyes all things are possible. In God’s eyes everything is good. In God’s eyes there is only love. the list can go on.

When we see things through God’s eyes we indeed see the possibility of success instead of our own doubt. We see and take advantage of the goodness in every situation instead of the negative and shortcomings. We see love in everybody and evything. When we do this, we automatically set ourselves up for our own success.

The next time you doubt the possibility of success, think again. Pray and visualize success through God’s eyes of infinite possibility. Visualize only the most ideal scenes and situations. Become so convinced of the achievement of your goal that no one, including yourself, can tell you otherwise. See the good, and love what you have. It’s a gift from God. He can see it, and so can you. Enjoy the blessings : )

Dare To Believe

It’s amazing how I’ve read certain quotes or Bible verses countless times, and then, just once, it stands out so powerfully. One such verse is 2 Corinthians 5:7. it says we walk by faith, not by sight.

I often discuss this concept on this site, yet sometimes forget to follow it myself. When I do follow the advice and walk by faith, great things happen, many of which I didn’t even see coming. The same is true for you or anyone else.

What is walking by faith? It is living by the definition of faith, which is the assurance of things hoped for and the certainty of what we do not see. You can do this in several ways. First, you need to know exactly what you want. Then, you visualize it taking place. Along with visualizing, it is very important to feel success. Enjoy the positive feelings you would feel if your goal was actually being realized. Another important point is to live by the “as if” philosophy. Be and do as if you alredy have what you want.

This is a great way to build your faith. We often don’t believe like we should because we don’t see the results. For example, people want more peaceful relationships, but they still see strife. We want more money, but still see the low bank balance. We want health and energy but still see a higher number on the scale. When you visualize the success you are seeking, you are walking by faith, regardless of what you see. In fact, when you are visualizing, you are seeing your success.

God provides miracles for people who believe. When you walk by faith you are setting yourself up for those miracles. Then you will also see the success you are dreaming about. I dare you to believe : )

A Simple Way To Instantly Increase Positive Results

We’re nine days into the new year. How are doing with your New Years intentions so far? For me…so far, so good. I am paying special attention to one of these intentions. One I listed last week is that I refuse to take no for an answer. When it comes to achieving my goals, I’m only accepting yes. No is not an option.

At this point you may be saying that, as a Christian, I should understand that God sometimes says no. I understand, and I will partially agree. After all, I am in no way trying to play God here and think that I know best. In fact, I have written some articles on this site and provided examples of situations in my life where I am eternally greatful that my prayers were denied. However, I believe it’s time to stop looking at unanswered prayers as a no.

I still believe God has two answers for our prayers. Instead of yes and no, let’s start seeing it this way…the answer is either yes or something better. That’s it. By looking at it that way, nothing less than a yes is an option. If it’s not a yes, it’s something better! By living this way, it will develop your faith, and enable the miracles you are seeking to come forth. Even if it’s not exactly the way you planned it, it’s the way God intended, which is always the best.

There is nothing stronger than belief. When you pray with the knowledge that your prayer will be answered with a yes or something better, you are injecting major faith into your prayers and into your mind. When you act upon that faith, you are doing your part. Your faithful action combined with God’s touch and power in your life can bring nothing but an abundance of miracles. That’s definitely the type of life I want to live.

I am refusing to even consider a no when it comes to achieving my goals. When I pray, I expect a yes or something better. I challenge you to do the same. Please share your blessings. Have an excellent day!

Sharing The Light

Christmas has come and gone, and as usual it was a special time. One of our Christmas Eve traditions is attending a candle light service at our church. It is beautiful how the whole church is lit up simply by each person holding a small candle.

This year the pastor mentioned something I had never thought of before. He said that this beautiful light we were seeing from many small candles all started from one big candle. That big candle lit one small candle, which lit another, and another, etc. The entire church is lit with candles because people share the light with each other, a light that came from one main source.

I thought about this scenario and realized how true it is in life. God’s light is our main source. This light and the power of it can be a part of us as long as we “light our candle” with it. We can then shine this light, and more importantly, share it with others to help light their worlds. As we do this the light spreads. Our world and those of others becomes very bright with this positive light.

Imagine how much brighter this world would be if everyone obtained their light from the main Godly source and shared it with others. After all, we are told in Matthew 5 that we are the light of the world. Jesus adds that a city on a hill cannot be hidden, nor do we take a bright lamp and hide it under a bowl. Instead, we put the lamp on a stand and let it’s light shine brightly, and it gives light to all who are in the house. He further commands us to let your light shine among men so they may see your good works and God will be glorified (v. 14-16).

It is my challenge to make sure I am constantly in touch with this light and sharing it with as many people as possible. Let this be your challenge as well. Enjoy the blessings : )

Following The Yield Sign

When I was very young, I quickly became familiar with some of the signs of the road. I wasn’t driving of course, but I was proud to know that the green light meant go, and red meant stop. I learned that the octagon shaped, red sign also meant stop. The yellow signs meant I needed to be cautious of pedestrians, animals, or slippery conditions. However, one sign always confused me. It was that read triangle one that said yield. What does yield mean?, I thought to myself. It was weird. I couldn’t figure it out because sometimes people stopped, sometimes they slowed down, or sometimes they just kept going without changing their speed.

Today I am fully aware of what the yield signs. I learned that it ultimately means giving the right of way. Sometimes I need to stop completely. Somtimes I just need to slow down, and other times I can keep going at pretty much the same speed. However, recently I have learned the importance of yielding  in life. Not so much to other cars, but more to other forces.

What am I talking about? Specifically, I am talking about yielding to God’s power in my life. His power and wisdom is readily available to me. It’s a part of me. It’s part of you. The key is to give it the right of way. We often don’t do that. Life gets so busy and we get so caught up in its fast pace that we go right through the sign. We try to do everything in our own power. However, that often makes things more difficult.

My challenge now is to yield to the true power that is in us. Get out of the way and let God’s power take over. It knows the answers and actions to take. It can accomplish far more than we ever could. It is the power blessings and miracles are made of. Once again, it’s all part of us, waiting to manifest. It’s just a matter of us stepping out of the way and letting it do its work.

I don’t know about you, but I’m done getting in the way of the great power that is in me and wanting to work in my life. It’s time to yield to God’s great power and depend on it instead of relying on my own ego and limited power. I challenge you to do the same. Sometimes you can go ahead, sometimes you need to move slowly, and sometimes you may need to stop completely. The key is to obey the yield sign and yield to the power of God that is part of you. Let it do its great work and watch the miracles take place. You will be blessed in a major way : )

Affirm Belief

All things are possible to him who believes – Mark 9:23

The above quote is easily one of my favorites in the Bible. It also comes from one of my favorite stories in the New Testament. A man asks Jesus to heal his son “if he can”. Jesus questions him..”if I can”? like..are you kidding me? Don’t you know I can do anything?

As much as I enjoy the above story, there are many times where it hits me right between the eyes. There are many times where I pray “if you can” prayers. There are other times where I lack the faith needed to make all things possible.

A question I’ve often asked and you may be asking right now is..how do I change this? How do I develop the belief necessary to make all things possible? I have found that there are two main ways..

1. Ask – Simply ask God for it. This has always been a bit ironic for me. I’m supposed to ask God for things with the faith that He’ll do it. So how can I actually ask Him for faith? Sounds weird, but He is ready and willing to help us increase our faith. In the story above, after Jesus rebukes the man’s “if you can” statement and says all things are possible, the man asks Him for this very faith to make all things possible. In the next verse he specifically asks, “please help me overcome my unbelief!”
2. Positive affirmations – Besides divine help, I am convinced God has given us the will and ability to help ourselves. I also believe he expects us to use it. One way I’ve learned to do this is by positive affirmations. I often discuss the benefits of positive affirmations on this blog. If you don’t already know, they are simple positive statements you say to yourself over and over until you begin to believe it. These statements can be extremely simple. For example, in his book “The Power of Positive Thinking”, Norman Vincent Peale says the best way to stop worrying and have faith is to simply say to yourself, “I believe” over and over and over again. If you think it doesn’t work, then try it. I have used this technique many times in stressful situations, and in some cases it’s as if the stress magically disappears. Other simple phrases work just as well, especially other Bible verses like the one I began this article with.

The bottom line is that the more your brain hears these statements, you feel the corresponding emotion, and take inspired action, you believe it. These thoughts then become part of you and your being. These thoughts replace the thoughts of worry and unbelief. What happens next is that it affects the action you take. In fact, if you let unbelief linger you often take no action because you are afraid of failure. When your mind is full of faithful thoughts, you instead are convinced of success and will take the action quickly to make it happen.

If you want the results you are seeking in life, affirm belief and faith. Say it and see it in your mind. Then watch it unfold on the big screen of your life. The coolest thing is that, once you see these positive results, it only increases your level of belief, and more great things happen. Believe me, I can totally affirm that this is true. Enjoy the blessings : )

The Power Of A Fresh Start

One of the things I am most thankful for, is the fact that we are given the chance for a new start every 24 hours. No matter what the days before have been like, this day is new. It’s a chance for something special. It’s the chance to accomplish something you’ve never done before. It’s a beautiful, fresh start.

I was reminded of this fact by some information I received from Joel Osteen. He presents some ideas for a fresh start. I will share those here with you:

F – forgive those who have hurt you. It is unbelievable how liberating this can be. I will also add…be sure to forgive yourself too!

R – refuse to look back. Look forward instead

E – expect God’s best. Starting today!

S – stay in faith, regardless of the current circumstances.

H – hope for tomorrow. In Joel’s words, when you hope, obstacles become opportunities and setbacks become comebacks.

This all sounds like simple, greate advice to me. Use it to your benefit and take advantage of the daily fresh start God gives you. Enjoy the blessings : )

Rejoice In The Success Of Others

…”there should be no division in the body, but its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it. If one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is part of it” 1 Corinthians 12:25-27.

I begin with this quote because I have heard or seen this concept in several places recently. I guess that means I should be listening : ) Anyway, it is very true. The good news (or should I say great news) is that, even though we live in mortal bodies,  we are spiritual beings. We all originate from the one Spirit of our source and creator. We also reap the power of this wonderful Spirit. The bad news is that too many people live their lives seperate from that Spirit, and separate from other people.

This concept ties in to other things I’ve talked about on this site. Because we are all one in Spirit, what we think about others ultimately affects us. For example, when you think negatively about someone else, you are bringing these negative thoughts upon yourself. When you resent the success of someone else, you are basically resenting the fact that you would ever enojoy this success. We are all one body, remember? The opposite is also true. When you rejoice at the success of another person, you are adding positive and thankful thoughts to it. This ultimately helps manifest good to you too and adds to your own positive karma. We’re all one, remember?

This is not always an easy concept. I know there are times when I have deep desires, but the accomplishment of my goal seems nowhere in sight. Then I see another person enjoying the very success I am seeking. It is easy to become resentful or jealous. This is true even if it is someone close to us, even those that we love. However, the advice I am learning is that we cannot think negatively towards them. Instead, sincerely rejoice and thank God for their success. You are one in Spirit with these people, so these positive thoughts will affect those people, yourself, and everyone else around you. It’s some powerful stuff. Use it for your good, and the good of those around you. Enjoy the blessings : )

How To Let Your Light Shine

This little light of mine. I’m gonna let it shine. This…oh, I’m sorry. I had this song stuck in my head and didn’t realize it was time to start writing. Most of us know this song somehow, either from our own church experience or someone else’s. An appropriate Bible verse that goes along with it is Matthew 5:14-17, which says…you are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it in a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men , that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven”

So let’s go back to our song, along with this verse. It tells us to let our light shine. However, it doesn’t tell us how to do it! Is there a way to let our light shine? I was reading the Life Application Bible, and they actually mention 6 ways we hide our light. Those are:

1. Being quiet when we should speak.
2. Going along with the crowd.
3. Denying the light.
4. Letting sin dim our light.
5. Not sharing our light with others.
6. Ignoring the needs of others.

Due to the fact that I like to focus on the positive, I turned these ideas around. Instead of discussing ways we hide our light, let’s instead talk about how we can shine our light:

1. Share positive and encouraging words whenever possible.
2. Express the parts of your personality that make you unique.
3. Be willing to let God’s light shine in you.
4. Do your best to do things right. Nobody’s perfect, but do your best to be your best.
5. Look for opportunities to share the light with others.
6. Serve others as much as possible and do what you can to meet their needs.

If you are seeking for ways to shine that little light of yours, I think this is a great way to do it. Not only will others be blessed, but you will notice a greater positive light shining on your own life as well.

Enjoy the blessings : )