Why you should never steal

A few months ago we hired a very trustworthy worker to do some work for our office.   We know him and his work ethics very well, and did not doubt when he brought along a helper, which is reasonable and understandable.

Because of the type of work being accomplished, our main worker was not always present, so we would continue to use his helper for various other jobs around the property. We found out much later that he was stealing from us, which left us and our friend very saddened and hurt.

Stealing is not worth it.  It brings a curse upon yourself.

There are many things one can steal when left unattended, but did you know you can steal from yourself?

How can I steal from myself? You may ask.

By not improving yourself in the areas you are weak in, and not recognizing you need help.

The longer we steal from ourselves, the longer it takes for us to reach our dreams and true potential and we become frustrated with ourselves and life.

• We fail to  learn
• we fail to  grow
• We fail to accomplish things that matter in life.
• We do not reach our full potential
• Opportunities are lost

This type of theft keeps you in poverty.

I love learning, and I have just recently learned how to set goals and how to achieve them. I have decided  I will no longer steal from myself, but invest in myself.

If you are like me, college is out of the question because of age and cost. Today´s learning is very accessible via online.  These two websites are offering sales for the New Year.

• Udemy
• Creativelive

I have learned to write down my goals for the year, and I have them in front of me as I sit at my desk.  Research shows when one writes down their goals, they are more likely to accomplish them.  I am excited about how I will finish 2017

What did we learn from the theft a few months ago?  Do not trust others and keep guard on our belongings.  That includes your spiritual, mental, emotional and personal belongings.

We had to forgive and release him to the Lord, and not hold any bitterness or resentment.  By doing so, we free ourselves and we move on, and we become the wiser.

God sent His son to the earth to give, the enemy comes to steal.  May we be in the spirit of giving,  not holding any of our gifts or talents back to those that can benefit from what you have to offer.

In giving, God deposits more into you so that you can give it away again.  It never runs dry.

Try giving something away, an advice, a prayer, an encouragement.  God will only bless you with more.

 

 

 

 

Do you see your life in cycles?

Life is about cycles.

When my mother passed away more than 20 years ago, it was a shock to all of us. It was discovered during her operation, cancer had spread to the liver, and there was nothing the doctors could do.

She was sent home to die, and she did a few weeks later.

We  went back to our lives with work, family, and home. My father understandably had a void in his life that took a time to heal.

Four years after my mother’s death, he remarried and lived ten years in his new marriage until his death.

We  enjoyed seeing a new adventurous side of my father and witnessed him  do and try new things.

In all of this, I observed  doing and learning new things has no age limit.

Life has cycles. There is death,  life, we mature,  grow, we fail and  learn and  continue.

Sadly, there are those that choose to stay stagnant. It could be fear of the unknown and not seeing fit to leave their comfort zone.

They miss out on the excitement the school of life has in store for them.

I have also found  what was important to me a few years ago, is no longer important today.

Why? because of the change that has occurred within me.

I have also learned when life gets tough and discouragement sets in, handing things over to God is essential. Not only for myself but for the  good of my family.

Then, you pick yourself up and keep pressing forward.

We should always try something new, even when we fail. No one can take away what was learned  in the process.

January is around the corner, and instead of the same new year’s resolution that never gets fulfilled, why not put on your list something different.

Some ideas:

• Learn a new skill
• Make new friends
• Read a book out of your normal reading genre
• Eat different foods
• Study a new topic
• Visit a new place

They key is, don´t stay still, keep moving.

Are you willing to try something new?  If so, what will that be?  I would love to hear your thoughts in the comment below.

 

Are you easily discouraged?

I remember a few years ago during a weekend getaway, we decided to go for a morning hike to reach the signal towers for the local television channel.

It did not take long for me to realize the hike would be a challenge.

As I continued with the trek, I made a few stops to rest as I was growing tired.

In one of those rest, I hear a buzzing sound and discover a swarm of bumblebees on the path, directly in front of me.

My husband now at the top of the hill waves and informs me he can see the towers.

What do I do? Should I go in the opposite direction of the swarm, get off the trail, hide or go back down?

I decided to pull the jacket I was wearing over my head and continue the trail to the top of the hill,  walking through the swarm and leaving the bumblebees behind.

I made it to the top of the mountain.

How often do you find yourself ready to give up, because of a distraction that showed up right before you completed your goal?

It has been noted that some  people do give up just before reaching their mark. If only they push through the swarm, they will make it.

Discouragement comes in many varieties, and it happens before, during and after you reach your goal. Discouragement wants you to turn around and go back down the mountain.

Discouragement will say what you are doing is a struggle.

What it will not say is who you become during the process.

If you tire with your hike, it is perfectly fine to take a rest.

Don´t stay there for very long.

What is more important is for you to stay on track and not lose sight of the plans, goals, and dreams that you have set before you.

What are your goals, dreams, visions, and plans? Has discouragement crept in, telling you it´s not worth it, it´s too difficult, you will never make, why try?

You may need to put your jacket over your head to block those distractions, and focus on the mountain peak in front of you.

Don´t give up.

When you block them out, you will find yourself on top of that mountain, ready to tackle your next goal.

The benefits of delayed gratification

I recently read an article regarding delayed gratification. While this term is not new to me, I never really paid much attention to it, much less meditate on the phrase.

As I continued reading the article, this person delayed signing a book contract until he felt he could get a better offer.

It worked.

What is delayed gratification?

It  refers to the ability to put off something mildly fun or pleasurable now, in order to gain something that is more fun, pleasurable, or rewarding later.

I have six brothers and sisters.  My father worked the night shift at a factory, and my mother stayed home raising us kids.  I am sure  by reading this  you could guess  we did not have  extras. We had the basics, and we all turned out just fine.

I remember the trips to the grocery store in  the station wagon. As soon as the groceries were  out of the car and in the kitchen, we would begin eating our ¨extras.¨  We could never save a twinkie for tomorrow, as it would be gone.

I carried this habit into my adult life.  I felt  I needed to have things right away, or else they would be gone, for good.

I associated delayed gratification with poverty and going without, when in reality it is a way for you to receive the best.

Not having and waiting to have the better for your life are two very different things.

I  realized what I believed was a misconception.

Now that I have  a full understanding of this phrase, what are the benefits?

Delayed gratification produces:

• Patience
• Causes maturity
• You will not be impulsive

Moreover,

• You will  choose to invest  in yourself, and forgo the extras that come your way.
• You can do without the goodies  that are purchased at the grocery store or the mall.
• You can  say no to a phone call in order to listen to a webinar, read a book, or study the Bible more.
• Your goal will be achieved quicker.
• You will receive the better.

The best part  is  who you become in the process that is worth gold.

I am very blessed as I have an advantage. My husband supports me in my full-time ministry and in my studies, and I am very grateful to him and to God.

I trust one day  make him and my family proud, and to receive the better at the end.

What you should do while waiting

Upon arrival at the dentist, I was told to wait as the doctor was running behind with a patient.  The receptionist would  often say, ¨The doctor will see you soon.¨

The word  soon turned into an hour.

Time is precious, especially when one is busy.

I was prepared with kindle in purse and read for an hour.

In life, we wait for something  such as:

• To be married
• To have kids
• Our big break
• Our ministry to take off
• To be noticed
• Plans and projects to go through
• and more

What about Jesus?

Jesus knew who he was, and yet He did not start his ministry until he reached the age of 30.  I think He waited  a long time to begin healing the sick, casting out demons,   and raising the dead.

Jesus did not step out of his appointed time.

Many times we want to rush into things, but there are other times where a waiting period is essential.

It´s called preparation, and key for our success.

We prepare our entire lives to begin our craft, our dream, our desire, and when we step out the first time, we fail.

Failure is essential for our  growth and learning, even though it hurts.

We get up and try again, and fail less each time.

With each failure, we learn, mature,  and gain insight into who we are and what we are made of.

We step out  yet again even if no one knows we exist.

The goal is to start and go from there.

• In doing, we become successful.
• In doing, we become proficient
• In doing, we become experts
• In doing, we find joy

Can we start and do something new and different?

Yes.  It is never too late to start pursuing your dreams.

It´s important to come to a place where you can pursue your passion, whatever that may be.  If  you start at a later time in your life  you have an advantage:  many years of preparation and life lessons which cannot be taken away from you.

While Jesus was waiting to begin His ministry, He was not wasting His time, and neither should we.

Spend your time wisely, not letting it slip out of your hands, so when the time come for you to go public, failure will be minimized and you will be noticed.

You are who you think you are

Have you ever met someone who’s manner of speech is negative?  I know a few,  and it’s frustrating to be around them.  These folks do not receive encouragement or help, and others around them avoid them at all cost.

Speaking negative causes one to be depressed, anguished and stunts any type of creativity.

The enemy’s main attack is in our mind with thoughts and lies, hence the battlefield really  is in the mind.

He likes to whisper lies  telling us we are not worthy, not good or smart enough, not qualified, and before we know it, we begin to believe it and worse yet, act upon it.

These lies affect our emotions, way of life and cause bad habits.  It’s a chain reaction.

The enemy and his minions are trying to discourage and stunt our growth and much more.    His desire is to steal, kill and destroy anything of value to us.

Don’t believe the lie

Who do YOU think you are?

• Do you think you will be speaking in front of a group or people, sharing your message?
• Do you think you can start your business?
• Do you think you can write that book?
• Do you think you can minister effectively in wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him?
• Do you think you can run that marathon?
• Most of all, do you believe you can fulfill your hearts’ desire?

I trust you answered yes to at least one of these.

If you have a burning desire inside of you to fulfill your dream and calling, and nothing is happening, there may be a big hurdle to overcome.

Yourself

Perhaps you have believed the lie  you can’t,  but God says you can. He has the final say. Allow Him to surprise you.

It’s time to reverse the damage, and begin believing that you are great and you can. You are valuable to the kingdom of God, and it’s time to prove it.

Practical exercise

Take some time out and write on a piece of paper our desires, your secrets.  Remember, they will say positive things about you.      Not only write it out, but begin to say it out loud, and believe it.   As you begin proclaiming these truths, something will happen inside of you.  The programming will begin to reverse, and you will set in motion the accomplished, successful person you were meant to be.

Start casting off the negative thoughts that oppose you, and begin to fill your mind  with positive faith filled words.

Declare your own truth:  running a marathon, being an excellent father or mother, having your business, great inventor, actor, athlete.  It really is right there, in the power of your words.

How long should you do this?

Until you believe and no longer doubt that you are great and awesome.

There is great power is speaking positive affirmations over yourself.

[tweetthis display_mode=”box”]God cannot afford to have you discouraged, you are valuable to Him and to the Kingdom of God.[/tweetthis]
A change will not happen overnight.  If you continue speaking positive and begin believing,  it will happen.

Being persistent will pay off  in more ways than one. Allow yourself to dream and be great.

What have you let go because of believing the lies?  It’s time to reclaim it, and take what is rightfully yours.

Are you setting your goals?

My husband was working on an excel spreadsheet for a project he was in charge of.  When I asked what he was working on, he replied, “The Critical Path.”

I did not understand what this meant.  He explained the project has many particulars, and the spreadsheet helped him plan the path needed to take care of those details.
He was organizing steps required to achieve a goal in a timely and orderly fashion. He could not miss anything critical, hence the name, Critical Path.

The spreadsheet came before he started the project.

How many times have you started something without knowing what steps were needed to achieve your goal and failed?  I have many times.

While you may not use the term, Critical Path, the concept is the same.  Planning and goal setting.

What goals and plans do you have?  How are you going to accomplish those goals, and most importantly, what steps and sacrifice are you willing to make to achieve those goals?

My mindset of housewife, mother, and duty to my family began to change.  For many years I denied myself the ability to dream, and sadly I did not believe that I was worthy of anything great.

You can say I am a very late bloomer, but I bloomed! I grew up with my parents telling all six of us to finish high school, get a job and get married. In that order.

The dream of a higher education, travel and dreams were not spoken of growing up.

Then a desire began to burn inside of me I cannot shake.  I began to have goals, aspirations, a longing to travel and a hunger for reading and learning.

Goal setting, planning, and sacrifice are needed to accomplish any dream.

What are my dreams?

• Continue with my spiritual growth.  This will never stop, as God always surprises me with something new and exciting.
• Prayer life to grow and continue to develop.
• A writing career.  Like my spiritual growth, this will continue to develop and grow.
• Travel.  There are many areas of the world that I desire to visit.

I want to encourage you that it is never too late to dream. With God, nothing is impossible and yes, your goals and aspirations can be achieved.

With Jesus, our path is not critical, but a blessing. Let him guide and fill out your spreadsheet, and enjoy receiving His surprises for you.

Are you committed to growth?

I remember a challenging phrase I came across that read, “Is your writing an interest or is it a commitment?”  This quote jumped off the page and stayed with me.

I have been writing on and off for years, and when I tried to get back into it fully, I was stuck. I had this deep desire to write, but nothing was happening.  I knew something was off, and I was committed to finding out what was wrong.  In my search, I broke through.

I have started back up and am energized.

Being committed can apply to many areas of our lives.  If you are committed to Christ and to growing, there are a number of things you can do.  The main thing is prayer, read His word and spend time in His presence.  Also being faithful in your home church and joining cell groups is valuable.

Are you committed to your marriage?  How about  your personal life, to continue learning and growing in areas that may be new to you?

With writing, I am enthusiastic to pursue this walk, career and life journey. It won’t be easy, but I am willing to pay the price.

It’s the same with my relationships, specifically Jesus.   I give credit to Him as the desire to write came from the Lord.
[tweetthis display_mode=”box”]When we hit the roadblocks of life, we need to be the wiser to reach our goal.[/tweetthis]
I continue to learn, grow and change.  A friend once said to me, “The day I stop learning, helping and growing, is the day I’m dead.”

Is there an area in your life that needs to be recommitted, grow, change and learn?

Perhaps it’s a calling you left by the wayside, something you wanted to pursue but allowed fear in, or you just don’t  know how or where  to begin.

Where do you begin?

I challenge you to start right where you are.  Do something to start your journey to success. Take hold of your future,  and soon the pieces to the puzzle will fit and before you know it, you will be on your way.

Some ideas to consider:

• Read books from those that have gone before you
• There are a number of online courses that are available for your growth
• The information you seek is only a click away
• Change your habits, say no to distractions  (television is a great example)
• Set boundaries on yourself, learn when to say yes, and when to say no

As the puzzle  begin to take shape, you will be motivated  and encouraged as you see yourself progressing towards your goal.

Go ahead, just start.  What do you have to lose?