A Good Friday Reminder

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Each Good Friday, I like to reflect on what the day represents. My fellow Christians believe Jesus was crucified on a cross. God gave us His only son to demonstrate His love for us. This son willingly gave up His life as a reminder of His love for us.

As I reflected this morning, here are the thoughts that entered my mind…

Because of what He did, I am forgiven. Every sin of action and omission, every mistake I’ve ever made, and every stupid thing I’ve ever said and done is gone and forgotten.

Because of what He did, His spirit is in me, around me, and always with me.

Because of what He did, I always have a spirit of power in me and with me.

Because of what He did, I am healed.

Because of what He did I prosper, and already am successful.

Because of what He did, I already have the solution to every problem, and the answer to every question.

Because of what He did, all joy is available to me.

Because of what He did, all abundance is available to me.

Because of what He did, I know without a doubt that I am loved in a way that I can never even imagine.

Because of what He did, I can be confident in every situation.

Because of what He did, I am completely free.

Because of what He did, I am extremely thankful for all of these things I’ve just mentioned.

Because of what He did, I am responsible to share this love, forgiveness, abundance, power, joy, and excellence with everyone I come in contact with. It’s the very least I can do in return for what this loving act on the cross has given me, even though He expects absolutely nothing in return.

This is just a short list of all we have been given as a result of the sacrifice on the cross. It’s a not a fair deal. He gets brutally beaten and crucified, and receives all of our punishment when He was completely innocent. In return, we get no punishment for our sins, and all of the benefits of the kingdom of heaven and all of the privileges of being sons of the king. However, He would still do it over and over again for us. If that’s not love, I don’t know what is. I challenge you to reflect on this sacrifice today and be thankful for what this day represents and for what you’ve been given. Enjoy the blessings 🙂

Does God Want You to Be Happy?

I was recently reading something that said it is God’s will that I experience happiness in my life. I took the time to reflect on that for a few minutes. I’ve been lucky that I’ve experienced mostly happiness over my lifetime, so this wasn’t too difficult to believe. However, one would think about this further and possibly question this statement. After all, there is so much unhappiness in this world. There is a global pandemic, crime and terror is on the increase, and generally, especially in the United States, people are more stressed and unhappy than ever before. So is this God’s way of showing who’s boss, and is this possibly His will instead of happiness?

Regardless of all the negativity we hear about, and some may experience, I strongly believe God wants us all to be happy. Here are some Bible quotes that back this up. Ecclestiastes 3:12-13 says, “so I concluded there is NLT. Psalm 35:27 says that the Lord delights and takes pleasure in the well-being, success, and prosperity of His servant.  Galatians 5:22-23 lists all of the fruits of the spirit. One of those is joy which is the root of happiness. Since God’s spirit lives in you, joy and happiness are an inherent part of your being! I don’t think God would include joy as one of those fruits if He didn’t want you to experience it.

I do understand that we all face situations and times in our lives that are not happy. However, God did say we would face trials. What some people miss when these occur is that God allows these trials to occur in order to help us grow. And I’ve learned that growth through these difficult and unhappy circumstances ultimately brings more happiness into my life!

To conclude, I will share what I Thessalonians 5:16-18 says to Rejoice always, pray continually, and be thankful in all circumstances, and that this is God’s will for you. When it says it’s God’s will that means it’s His intention. He created us with a happy, rewarding life in mind, even though He knew parts of this life would be difficult for us. The information I’m presenting here is a bit simplified. However, I believe some of you that read this may think that happiness is not what God intended for you in this life. I am hoping these verses prove that it is indeed His will that you ARE happy far more often than not. God is on your side, and your happiness brings Him happiness. And I can’t think of anything better than putting a smile on His face. Enjoy the blessings 🙂

Keep Your Vibration High by Taking Your Thoughts Captive

I’ve written often about the concept of vibration on this site. Basically, your vibration is the level of your emotional state. That makes a difference because your external circumstances reflect what your internal vibration is. When your vibration is high, with emotions like love, joy, gratitude, and peace, you experience joyful circumstances and are given more things to be thankful for. When your vibration is low, with emotions like doubt, fear, anger, etc., you are often faced with circumstances that bring about more of those negative emotions. I realize this truth more every day, as there are countless Bible verses to back this up, and I see it play out in my life experience.

It’s a simple formula. Instead of trying to control the circumstances in life (which is very difficult to do), we are solely responsible for controlling our inner state of being. I find this very comforting since I have full control of my inner state. I think you should find this very comforting too. The problem is that it is sometimes easier said than done. Many people have learned this same fact. Yet it is often difficult to control their emotions. As much as I’ve learned and shared about this regularly, I feel your pain and often have that same difficulty. Instead of trying to control my own state of being, I allow people or circumstances to dictate how I feel. It happens much less than it used to, but I am still learning in this area as well.

So how does one best control their emotional vibration and bring it to a level that will allow the manifestation of the ideal life? There are plenty of suggestions out there. One of the best I’ve been taught is from Esther Hicks. If you want to learn about the Law of Attraction and how to apply it, she would be one of my first recommendations. I have learned so much from her that has enhanced the quality of my life. She has a ton of videos on YouTube, as well as a couple of great books too. In one of those books, she shares the concept of the emotional guidance scale. At the top of the scale are the highest emotions, such as the ones I mentioned earlier. At the bottom of the scale are the lowest emotions, also mentioned above. She suggests using this scale as a guide. The recommendation is to have regular check-ins with yourself to see where you stand on the emotional scale. She then challenges you to deliberately think thoughts that bring you higher and higher on the scale until you are in the highest emotional state. One of the most important suggestions is to take things one step at a time, and not try to go from a lower emotional state immediately to the highest. That could be frustrating and end up defeating the whole process. For example, there are 22 emotions listed from lowest to highest. If I am at level 7 for example, which is contentment, instead of going directly to number 1, I should go to level 6 which is hopefulness, then to 5 which is optimism, and eventually work myself up to the highest emotions. Even if I am much lower on the scale, this is very helpful. For example, if I am feeling frustration/irritation which is level 10, it’s almost impossible to start feeling joy immediately. However, if I go up just one level, which is pessimism. Pessimism is still a negative emotion, but it’s better than being frustrated, so I am already feeling a little better than I was. Then I think thoughts that move me up to the next level which is boredom, and so on, until my emotional state has gone from bad to good, to awesome. Here is an excellent article I found that further explains and helps practice the process.

This process has been very helpful to me. However, like I mentioned before, it is sometimes more easily said than done. Sometimes, especially if I am lower on the emotional scale, it takes a long time to start feeling the higher emotions. That sometimes leads me to give up and I end up further down the list again by getting frustrated. Recently, I found other information that I believe is even more helpful than what I mentioned above. Now I am not going to argue with what Esther Hicks says. She is extremely successful, as she has used the Law of Attraction to bring major blessing into her life, and into the lives of millions of others. Her suggestion is excellent, and I know from experience that it works. However, what I am about to share has worked even better for me, and it has taken away the sometimes long and frustrating process of gradually working my way up the emotional scale.

The only problem with what I am about to share is that I don’t remember where I found this excellent information. I do so much reading and research on this topic, that I sometimes don’t save my sources. I cannot properly cite where I found this wonderful information. I can simply tell you that I can’t take credit for creating this idea myself. However, I can also tell that you that it is incredibly powerful, and it has really helped me increase my emotional state, and its resulting manifestations. Here it is… instead of starting from the emotion you are currently feeling and working your way up to the highest emotions, consider this… those highest emotions of love, joy, peace, and gratitude are your natural state! I recently wrote an article about that topic that you can check out here. Remember that the spirit of God lives in you. And the fruits of the spirit are those emotions I just mentioned. Love, joy, and peace are what you naturally are! The only reason you are not feeling that way all the time is because you allow other emotions to block those out. Here’s an illustration. I live outside of Buffalo, New York. This city is known for its snow (over 90 inches or about 250cm per year). From November to April we almost never see the sun. However, it doesn’t mean the sun is not there. The sun is still shining. We just don’t see it because there are clouds, and snowflakes that get in the way and prevent us from experiencing the light. (just for the record… from June through October the sun shines regularly here, and the weather is more beautiful than in many other places).  It’s the same with our emotions. The light of God is always there, right with us. If you are not seeing it and feeling negative emotions, it isn’t because that light of love and joy has disappeared. It’s just that the negative clouds and darkness are blocking the light and the corresponding positive emotions.

2 Corinthians 10:5 says that we “take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ.” That means we watch our thoughts to make sure they line up with the truth of what Jesus says. In fact, another version says that we take it a step further, and “We capture, like prisoners of war, every thought and insist that it bow in obedience to the Anointed One.” Here’s how I use this with what I was discussing earlier. I first reflect on who I am. I am a child of God, created in His image. I have all of His attributes. For that reason, I reflect on the fact that love, joy, peace, and gratitude (the highest emotional vibrations) are my natural state. In fact, I Thessalonians says they are God’s will for my life. In other words, God created me and you with the intention that we would live in love, joy, and peace, and have plenty of reasons to be thankful. When I get into this mode of thinking, I am starting off with a bright and clear sunny day. I am already feeling amazing! Now, I deliberately focus on my thoughts. If any clouds or raindrops come in, I cast them out. If they persist, I speak against them, reminding myself again that my natural state is love and joy.

I have found that this way of thinking and living is highly effective. As I start with my focus feeling and believing on the highest emotions, those positive manifestations begin to occur, and even begin to multiply! Then it gets even easier to stay in that high vibration. Instead of living in dark and cloudy Buffalo, I am living in bright and sunny Los Angeles! And even if there is some temporary smog that blocks the sun, if I continue to live in this state, it eventually burns off and becomes perfectly sunny and clear. I will say this though… the more you live in this higher vibration and continue to take your thoughts captive to maintain this high emotional level, the smog, clouds, and even storms tend to disappear. Even if they don’t completely go away (God says we will ultimately face trials in our lives) you can still deal with them on a much higher level and find positive solutions much quicker and easier.

Remember, you were created to live joyfully and lovingly. That is who you are. When you make the effort to control your thoughts and emotions to ensure you are thinking those kinds of thoughts, you will end up living those kinds of circumstances. The great thing about it is that it’s all in your control. So take that control and enjoy the blessings 🙂

A Quick and Easy Way to Increase Your Joy

If you haven’t already noticed, there seems to be a severe lack of joy in today’s world. In some ways, it’s understandable. There is a global pandemic going on that has really stood this world on its head. Jobs have been lost, as well as the ability to socialize and do things that we are so used to doing. I will say though, that this drought of joy has been happening since well before the pandemic. In many cases and many places, people just aren’t happy.

Why is this the case? And what can we do about it? I believe I have a fairly simple solution. You may even think I am oversimplifying this, but I don’t believe I am. Just hear (or should I say read) me out, and you may ultimately see that what I am saying makes sense. Hopefully, especially if you’ve been lacking joy in your life, you can see that it’s very easy to get it back.

The words I share with you are not my own. They come from the Bible, and Psalm 16:11. The verse says, “in your presence is fullness of joy.” One version says “your presence fills me with joy and brings me pleasure forever.” That’s it. What’s the way to true joy? Simply remaining in the presence of God.

As I reflected on this, I found several examples of its truth. First, it shows why meditation and prayer are so powerful. When you meditate, you are deliberately bringing yourself and keeping yourself in the presence of God. In prayer, you are actually communicating with that presence. I was also reminded of this by some powerful memories. When I was in my mid-20s, I was the co-leader of a youth group in my church. We often had retreat weekends. These times were amazing, and I experienced emotional highs that would carry over for days after these events were over. That’s because, for the entire weekend, myself and a group of about 40 people were all completely focused on the presence of God. When you have a group like that where everyone is completely focused on God, deep, positive emotions run even higher. After those retreats, I felt like I could accomplish anything because I was so aware and confident of God’s presence.

As I reflected on this, I was reminded that I don’t need a retreat weekend to experience this same joy that being in God’s presence creates. I can take the time at any part of the day just to reflect on God’s presence. The more I do this, the more comfort and joy I feel. The same is true for you. If you are lacking joy or looking for more of it in your life, simply seeking the presence of God as often as possible can enable you to experience that joy. I understand that even being close to God doesn’t guarantee all negative situations will magically disappear. Sometimes God brings trials and difficulty into our lives for a reason. However, I can tell you from experience that if you increase the amount of time you spend in God’s presence and deliberately focus on Him and His wonderful love and promises, you will also increase the amount of joy in your life. As I look back I see that the times of greatest joy throughout my life were also the times where I was closest to God and consistently focusing on and living in His presence.

The great thing about this is that, as your level of joy increases, it’s contagious! As your joy level and positive energy increases, it positively affects the energy around you. That means as you are more joyful, it automatically brings greater joy to those around you! You don’t have to say or do a thing. It just happens. I see it in my own life all the time. If I am down and in a negative mood, I seem to get the same negative emotions back from everyone. However, when my joy and overall vibration is positive, I receive so much positivity and joy from other people. They enjoy my company and want to be with me. They laugh at my stupid jokes. They are willing to go out of their way to do things for me. All kinds of positive things happen. And it’s simply because my level of joy is at a high level. And that is a result of quality time spent in the presence of God.

Yes, I believe it is that simple. Again, spending as much time as possible in God’s presence won’t automatically make all of your problems go away. However, it will bring your joy to such a high level that you will look at those problems differently. You will be much less likely to allow them to depress you and instead will help you find the solutions that will ultimately help them disappear much more easily. More importantly, you will enjoy the great things in life so much more, and add a great deal of joy that this world desperately needs. Enjoy the blessings 🙂

A Biblical Perspective on the Law of Attraction

One of my main goals in this space is to show how the ideas on Law of Attraction and those in the Bible go hand in hand. I firmly believe that the Law of Attraction, and dare I say many of the laws of science are Biblical.

In essence, the Law of Attraction says that what we receive in life is a direct reflection of the thoughts we think in our minds and the corresponding emotions we feel in our hearts. Basically, if we think and maintain positive thoughts, along with emotions such as love, joy, and gratitude, we will experience them in our lives.

I have studied this and lived it enough to know that it alone is totally true. As a Christian, I have found plenty of Bible verses to show that this is not just some modern-day thinkers trying to brainwash people into New Age philosophy. It is actual Biblical truth. It gets a bad name because many people use this law (which is as true a law as gravity, electricity, etc.) in a greedy fashion instead of using it for the greater good of humanity.

One key Bible verse that I’ve reflected on recently, is from Proverbs 4:23. The verse says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it”. An even simpler version says, “More than anything you guard, protect your mind, for life flows from it.” I also love the Expanded Bible version which says, “Be careful what you think [^LAbove all that you guard, protect your heart], because ·your thoughts run your life [^Llife flows from it].

In my opinion, it can’t be any more clear that there is a direct correlation between the thoughts we think, what we feel in our heart and the quality of our lives. As a Christian, I understand that God’s will is supreme. I know that life is not always great, and there are reasons (often unknown) for that. Overall though, it is a simple fact, and if you don’t want to believe in the Law of Attraction information that the world supplies, go with the Biblical information that God Himself provides for us.

I will say it again, and I believe it more firmly every day. If you want a high quality, joyful life, then think high-quality thoughts. Follow the Biblical advice of thinking on whatever is good, honorable, and worthy of praise. To experience full joy, start from within. Be grateful for the big things and even the little ones. Then you will experience situations in your life that will be joyful for you and for those around you. When you create positive emotions, you will be given life situations that will also create those positive emotions.

I can write books on this topic (I actually have), and I hate to limit it to a short space here. However, as I further reflected on this verse, I found other articles that communicate the same message. I share them with you here…..

How to Guard Your Heart

What Does Guard Your Heart Mean in the Bible?

Remember what the verse says…protect your heart because your life flows from it. Be sure to think beautiful, joyful thoughts. Then the Bible says the same type of life will follow. Enjoy the blessings 🙂

 

Joy is Your Natural State

It is very true that people are always looking for more joy in their lives. Millions of dollars are made on books and programs that show people how they can be happier and more joyful. In fact, we have our greatest desires not so we can feel more accomplished or successful. We have our greatest desires because we believe they will bring us greater joy and a more rewarding life experience.

The problem with this is that we are searching in all of the wrong places for our joy. I’m not saying it’s wrong to read books or do things that we believe will make us happier. Nor am I saying we shouldn’t have the dreams and desires that we do. What I am saying is that we don’t have to go looking on the outside for the joy we are so desperately craving. Instead, we need to realize that joy is at the essence of our being. It is one of the fruits of the spirit that we are all part of. Joy is not something we need to go out and find. If we can spend enough time to meditate on who we really are, and realize that love, joy, peace and the other fruits of the spirit are our true, intended states of being, then we won’t have to seek joy. It will automatically manifest because, again, joy is our natural state. Sadness, anger, and negative emotions are NOT natural. They are only emotional states that we bring upon ourselves.

I understand that things happen in our lives that make it difficult to experience joy. People or experiences hurt us, or we lose people in our lives because of disagreement, break-up, or death. I’m not at all saying that we shouldn’t feel sad in those circumstances or angry at an injustice. At the same time, I am saying that we shouldn’t let any circumstance determine the level of joy we experience in our lives.

The question that may be asked now is, “how do I allow this joy that is my natural state to manifest in my world?” There are several ways you can do this. These work for me, so I share them with you. First, as I mentioned earlier, take breaks throughout the day in meditation, reflection, prayer, or whatever you want to call it. Reflect upon the fact that the spirit of God lives in you. It is part of your essence. Remember again that joy is one of the fruits of that spirit. The Bible also says that when you seek that spirit first, above all else, you receive all else (all else shall be added onto you)! That includes joy.

Another helpful hint is to actually do things that make you feel joyful. Whenever you can find time during the day, do something that makes you happy. Listen to your favorite music. Take a nature walk. Play a game. Talk to a friend. Anything you can do that will increase your level of joy.

It is also said that emotions follow the action. That’s why I always recommend smiling as much as possible. When you carry a smile on your face, it automatically brings more joy. This never fails!! Even when I’ve been in the worst of moods, and I’m forcing the fake smile on my face, it always gets me out of the funk, and the smile becomes real, and the level of joy increases. Sticking with this theme, it’s also true that the more you focus on joy, the more reasons in life you will be given to be joyful.

Once again I will say it. Joy is your natural state. You don’t have to seek it anywhere else but inside of you. Make it a point to focus on the joy that is a part of you, and you will experience it.

It was certainly a joy to write this. I hope it is equally joyful for you to read it. Have an excellent day 🙂

How to Become a Millionaire Instantly

They say “Love is more precious than gold”
Can’t be bought and it can’t be sold
I got love enough to spare
That makes me a millionaire

Chris Stapleton

I heard this song the other day, as I have many other days. However, this was the first time where I truly listened to the lyrics and made the connection to the message of the song. It says that it’s not gold, silver, or dollars that really makes us millionaires. Instead, it’s an abundance of love and great relationships that really makes us rich.

We would all love to have more money in our lives. However, taking from the message of this song, let us not focus on how we can bring more currency into our lives. Let us focus instead on that abundant love of God that inhabits all people and things. Let us appreciate the good we have, and the good in others. That would make us true millionaires.

Now, I am writing a part 2 to this for anyone inquiring about the dollars and cents side of a million dollars. My mind reading skills are telling me some people are feeling like they’ve been ripped off by my title. So is it possible to be a millionaire instantly? I say yes, but please listen to my reasoning.

Just like the example above about being loving and thankful, I believe we can be millionaires without having a cent in our hands or in the bank. It’s a matter of simply playing the part. Think about this for a minute. If you actually had a million dollars in the bank, how would that make you feel? For me, I would feel free to do the things I want to do. I would feel more confident. I would feel far less stress. I would certainly be thankful and would have the desire to help as many people as I could.

The key is to focus on these feelings instead of your circumstances. For a moment at least, ignore the fact that you may not actually have a million dollars. Can you still be thankful for the things you have? Can you still have the freedom to do at least something that you want to do? Can you act more confidently and joyfully? I believe the answers to all of these questions is yes! And I believe further, that if you act as you would if you were truly a millionaire, then that puts you at the status of well…. a millionaire!!

When you do this, a funny thing happens….more money actually ends up at your disposal!! It may not actually add up to a million dollars, at least not yet. However, when you live as close as you can to the million dollar lifestyle, you’ll be amazed of how much this can start to be a reality.

I very much appreciate the excellent reminder I received yesterday. The true millionaire is not always the one with the big bucks in the bank. It is the one who fully demonstrates an attitude of love, joy, and simply being the best they can be, living life freely and abundantly. Isn’t that what you would hopefully be doing if you had the money in your pocket? I wish you the best, and hope you feel like a million dollars today 🙂

If You Are Struggling With God, Do This

Every once in a while, we struggle with what God is doing in our lives. Perhaps we believe He is not acting fast enough. Perhaps we believe He is angry with us. We may even believe He has abandoned us, wondering if He will ever come back for us.

I will start by saying that none of the above statements are true in God’s eyes. He acts on His own time, forgives every sin we ever commit, and absolutely never forsakes us. However, at some point we all feel those things are happening. If you’re there now, you can take comfort in knowing you’re not alone.

As I was doing my Bible reading today, I read about someone feeling the same way. It’s from the writer of Psalm 77. He had those same thoughts of God abandoning Him. What brought him back was the words in verses 11 and 12… But then I recall all you have done, O Lord; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago. They are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works.

What an excellent key to overcoming struggles with God! Even if you are not doubting God and his presence, this is excellent advice to add and maintain joy in your life. Take time each day throughout the day to meditate on what God has done in your life. Focus on the excellence you have seen and what He has done for you and others. Give thanks that He is always with you whether you realize it or not, and that He is working in your life, even if it’s not exactly the way you would think.

I notice that whenever I am thankful for the things in my life, I receive more to be thankful for. I notice that when I seek God, He always seems to show me things that acknowledge His presence. He will do the same for you. When you are having doubts, remember and ponder on the great things God has done for you and for all the earth. It will make a world of difference in your day. Enjoy the blessings!

Maintaining a High Vibration…What’s the Big Deal?

If you are familiar with the Law of Attraction, or those that often promote the benefits of positive thinking, you have heard them discuss the concept of vibration. What is exactly is vibration? It is basically an indicator of the level of positivity we are projecting. The theory is that, since we are all made of energy, the more positive our thoughts and emotions are, the more we project high energy positive thoughts, and create more positive situations in our lives. In essence, when we are at a high vibration, we are full of positive energy that will attract high quality and fulfilling circumstances in our lives.

What type of positive situations can this high vibration attract? Anything you desire, really. As long is it lines up with the will of God, you can “ask anything in my name and it will be given to you”. I wrote in a previous article, Is Vibration Biblical? that when you maintain a high vibration, you are in essence following the will of God in 1 Thessalonians 5 where we are instructed to pray constantly, be joyful always, and pray at all times. When we are at our highest vibration, we are joyful, full of gratitude, and in regular communication with God.

There are other benefits as well. I recently read an article called 12 Manifestations of a High Vibration. This article provides further information about vibration, and the benefits are what many people seek in their own lives. I’m sure you can find one or several that will resonate with you.

Many inspirational speakers say that if you focus on keeping your personal vibration and energy level high, you automatically open yourself up to an avalanche of blessings. Think about it… it’s the people that are most joyful, appreciative, and in constant contact with their Creator that get the most out of life. I recommend you check out the above article to get specifics. So seek God first, appreciate what little or lot of good you have in your life, and focus on remaining in a joyful state as often as possible. You will then experience the benefits that your high vibration offers. Enjoy the blessings 🙂

Love Your Life With These Powerful Affirmations

Those that know me well or even people who regularly read my articles know that I’m a sucker for positive messages, especially when they come in the form of music.

I was especially touched by a song that was played at my job today. It is from Robbie Williams, and it is called “I Love My Life”. It is an upbeat, positive song that can turn anyone’s sour day to a cheerful one. The chorus consists of a number of empowering positive affirmations. It goes like this…

I love my life
I am powerful
I am beautiful
I am free
I love my life
I am wonderful
I am magical
I am me
I love my life

If you were to repeat these affirmations throughout the day, it would be impossible to feel negative and powerless. On the contrary, you will feel positive and powerful.

I am so happy I even found this song, and I extremely grateful to our morning musical selector who chooses the music that starts our day. This one should be played until everyone believes it!

I challenge you to repeat these affirmations throughout the day. Then enjoy the added energy, power, and joy you feel wherever you are. And of course be willing to share it with all who you come in contact with. Enjoy the blessings 🙂