Tag Archives: faith

Achieve Your Dreams Through Faith and Commitment

17 Jul

The process to success begins with a dream, a vision, a destination. It encompasses desire, commitment, and tenacity. Fulfilling you most desired ambition in life will require the use of the most powerful force and that is spiritual force. Spiritual force entails faith, belief, positive thinking, faith in life, faith in other people, faith in oneself, and faith in God. The word of God teaches us that, “If thou canst believe, all things are possible…” This centers around expecting the best instead of the worst. Which means that you put all of you, your whole heart into what you truly want to accomplish.

Norman Vincent Peele in his book, “The Power of Positive Thinking” said, “…whatever you are doing, give it all you’ve got. Give every bit of yourself. Hold nothing back. Life cannot deny itself to the person who gives life his all.”

Jim Rohn said, “If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary.”

Another quote by Norman Vincent Peele said, “Throw your heart over the bar and your body will follow.”

John Maxwell said, “If you don’t change the direction you are going, then you’re likely to end up where you’re heading.”

Helen Keller said, “Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement; nothing can be done without hope and confidence.”

Did you know that the word hope means having a confident expectation of a positive outcome. It’s more than a mere wish, it involves faith and faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.

Once you’ve settled in your heart your dream, vision, and destination for your life, put faith into action. Believe that all things are possible, believe in people, yourself, life, and positive thinking. Get the ball rolling, invest in yourself (body, soul, and spirit) by reading good books, and education like seminars, podcast, ted talks, anything that will help you develop into the person that will fulfill your greatest dream!

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Revive Your Dreams: The Key to Future Success

16 Jul

The power of a dream… Many have forgotten how to dream. Growing up through adolescence as children we all had powerful imaginations. We all would dream of someday being a doctor, lawyer, policeman, fireman, soldier, etc. We would dream of having more and being more. Maybe of being the wealthiest person in the world. But no matter, we all dreamed of something or becoming someone. The reality of those dreams seamed to fade as we got older. Some dreams were stolen by others, circumstances, or maybe unbelief. But no matter, a dream can become renewed, it can become ignited again, or it can be a brand-new dream. What’s important is that we dream again!

Below are a few quotes that hopefully create in all of us the will to dream again. For without a dream, a vision of what we desire in life, we will remain stagnant. But having a dream starts the engine that could lead us to what our imaginations have wanted for us all along. Having a dream is where it all begins and is most powerful.

“Your dream is the preview of life’s coming attractions.” Albert Einstein

“Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-down horse ridden into the ground.” Langston Hughes

“The best way to predict the future is to create it.” Abraham Lincoln

“Shoot for the sky, because even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” Les Brown

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer.” Harriet Tubman

“If you can imagine it, you can achieve it. If you can achieve it, you can become it.” William Arthur Ward

“Dare to dream.” unknown

Hopefully these quotes encourage us all to believe in our dreams, pursue them with courage, and then turn our dreams into reality through action. For our dreams are powerful and are the launch pad for our future success!

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Finding Love Beyond Religion: A Bigger Truth

13 Jul

Mention RELIGION as a means to an end and people lose their minds. The reason is quite simple because RELIGION cannot solve mankind’s problems. RELIGION is man’s attempt to control another. It’s also man’s attempt to reach a Holy God through one’s behavior and neither end well.

There are around 4200 different religions in the world today. Amazing as that is, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Roman Catholicism and Judaism make the world news more than any others. But there is a commonality amongst all religions and that is behavior modification, control, a belief in a higher power, stories, teachings, and moral and ethical instructions, and some form of worship. It all sounds pretty good, but its man’s attempt to control another and or anyone who differs with them, along with being good enough to be excepted by the Higher Power into the afterlife.

Now, is religion a good thing? It depends on one’s perspective. Within the confines of each religion the answer would be yes because it gives a society a guide on how people should live and get along within the religion. However, when one religion attempts to impose their religious views on another, angst takes root with the fallout leading to fundamental disagreements, and even volatility.

So, is there truly an answer to man’s dilemma? Sure, there is! Let’s just look at the dilemma from the premise of 4200 different god’s over 4200 different religions. What a mess! Each god vying for position to be the number one God of all religions. There would be so much confusion and debate. All these religions believe they’re the answer to the world. But the answer is not found in a religion, for all religion is based on one’s self-righteousness. The do good, get good premise. Religion in and of itself is man controlling another man through rules and vain philosophies, which takes people captive, steals, kills and eventually destroys them.

Think about your own religion for a moment. I mean really and honestly think! Does the god of your religion love you unconditionally? Does he offer you a permanent solution for your bad behavior, other than some form of punishment or even death? Is he kind, full of mercy and forgiveness? Is he compassionate? Can you say, “my god really loves me”? He loves me so much that he would give his own life for me? Would my god adopt me as one of his own and call me his child and his friend? I’m sure you could think of many more questions and if so, ask them and think on them. Then ask yourself, is there truly a god of love, is he even real? Then ask the God of Love to reveal himself to you, if and only if you are looking for truth! For you see, the God of Love is longing for you to call on Him. He wants you to know the Truth so you can be set free from religion, and He is not a God who lies!

He is a God who loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son, (Jesus Christ), that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). Jesus, himself said, “I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly”. He also said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no man cometh unto the Father (God) but through me”.

If you would like to have a personal relationship with the God of Love, you must first understand that everyone who has ever lived has been separated from him because of sin and the consequence of sin is death. However, Jesus, God’s son, died on the cross for us taking the penalty and punishment for our sin. He was then raised from the grave, from death itself on the third day, after paying our debt for our sin, so that anyone who repented of their sin and believed in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. For whosever calls upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For by grace are you save through faith, it is a gift of God lest any man should boast.

Receive God’s gift of everlasting life and become a child of His, inheriting the salvation He offers and promised!

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3 Essential Responsibilities of Effective Leadership

27 Feb

If you’re in leadership in any way, shape or form, regardless of position, be it CEO, midlevel manager, overseer of a project, or parent. You will want to reread, review, and meditate on what you are about to read. It’s my humble opinion from holding numerous and various leadership roles and positions there are three core responsibilities of any leadership role.

Leadership is defined as an action of leading a group of people. In writing about this subject or topic, the information could go on for pages. But my intent is to drill down to what really matters, the core responsibilities of leadership and what leaders need to know and to put into practice to be highly successful in their leadership role. There are three areas, once mastered that will create winning teams, develop other leaders along the way, build a culture of integrity, and create an incredible environment for continued success. However, you must remember as a leader being anything other than an exemplary example to the people you lead in these three areas is non-negotiable.

I’m going to take for granted that as a leader the end goal has already been created either for you or by you and thus, you are at a point of implementation or maybe somewhere in between the beginning or the end. No matter, these three areas of the core responsibilities are but a framework to be studied in more detail and expanded upon at your leisure. The more of an understanding you have of each will lead to greater success. Let’s get started!

First, understand that in order to be effective in leading, you must know and I mean know the people you are leading. Their strengths, weaknesses, personalities, hopes, dreams, hardships at home and in life, children, etc. Knowing the people you lead thoroughly really matters and being fair and just with each will create loyalty, trust, and a culture of caring for one another. This and this alone will lay the foundation for all things related to the success.

To begin with you must create belief in what you and your team are pursuing. If a positive expectation of a desired outcome is not encapsulated in belief, struggle and frustration are imminent. To be clear, creating belief can be challenging especially with the different personalities you are leading, so preparation is a must, which includes:

  1. The motivation for the goal… the team or company must understand the why. Why the goal and what will it mean for them, the target objective, and the future upon completion.
  2. Information and evidence that the goal matters.
  3. The goal resonates with those involved. There should be evidence presented arousing curiosity and belief.
  4. Overcoming and acknowledging the skepticism. Challenge the doubt. Address the issues with solution and answers that promote success.
  5. Creating a culture of belief by reinforcing your belief.

Next, there must be a confident expectation of a positive outcome. This expectation must consistently be feed to build confidence through:

  1. Stories… like the great adage says, “Facts tell but stories sale”. Always be prepared with stories that motivate, inspire, are positive, overcome doubts, are easily remembered, and that assurances a positive outcome.
  2. Goals that are realistic but challenging
  3. Managing the difficulties that arise, step by step, minus the trepidation.
  4. Celebrating the small victories along the way.
  5. WORDS… WORDS MATTER! There’s an old proverb that says, “Life and death are in the power of the tongue”. So, watch what is being said, from your mouth and the mouth of others. Words can either build up or tear down. If the words being spoken are not reenforcing a confident expectation of a positive outcome, you’re hindering your possibilities for success. ALWAYS be positive in your words, the stories told, and the difficulties that may arise.

Last and the final core responsibility, A FLURISHING CULTURE, which is consistent reveals itself through:

  1. Transparency… nothing should be kept from the team or group. To do so would create a negative environment. One of gossip, innuendos, weak relationships, and reduced trust. There must be transparency to build trust, relationships, and improve all aspects of the culture.
  2. Patience in reaching the intended goal, and with one another.
  3. Kindness toward one another.
  4. Not demanding its own way.
  5. Not letting jealousy, boastfulness, pride, or being rude dominate.
  6. Never giving up, losing belief, or sight of the confident expectation of a positive outcome.
  7. Enduring to the end, no matter the circumstances encountered.

A Leader that incorporates these three core responsibilities into their style of leadership. Along with complete preparation for each of these responsibilities and the actions required, will increase their opportunities for success. When implemented, a confident expectation of a positive outcome is assured.

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Overcoming Disability: A Journey of Faith

12 Dec

Did you know there is a wonderful story of a woman in the middle east who had struggled with a physical disability for 18 years. The disability may have been a severe case of scoliosis, an abnormally curved spine. There is no way to know the correct diagnosis because the story does not give us one. The description is only that she was bent over and could not raise herself up. The description, however, does give us enough information to scoliosis.

Can you sense the pain this woman must have endured for 18 years. Not only the physical pain but the difficulty in getting a good deep breath. How about the emotional and mental pain. Just trying to imagine her dilemma would be hard for most of us, but there are those who can. Like those who suffer in their own disability, whether physically, emotionally, or mentally. Many of these disabilities are invisible, yet people are suffering. You might be asking, how this woman’s story has anything to do with those suffering with disabilities today? Maybe, just maybe finding or renewing their hope.

As the story goes, during the time of this woman’s life there was a man who traveled throughout the region in which she lived healing every kind of disease and illness, even those who were demon possessed, epileptic, or paralyzed. He healed them all. What’s interesting about this story is the cause of her disability. You see, this man happened to be teaching in the city she lived and saw her. He couldn’t help but notice her disability or sickness and called her over to himself. Once she made her way to him, he had compassion for her and told her she was healed of her sickness. He then touched her and instantly she could stand straight. He told those who questioned him about her healing, that she had been held in bondage by Satan for 18 years and that it was right for him to release her.

Wow, what a story! A story of healing and deliverance. And what’s even more exciting is that this same man lives today, being the same as he was then, today, and forever. Let’s dive a little deeper into this man. You see, this man’s coming was foretold years before by another. He described his appearance as nothing beautiful or majestic, nothing to attract us to him. He was despised and rejected, a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. A man people would turn their backs on and look the other way, not even caring. Yet this man carried our weaknesses. Our sorrows weighed him down. He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins, beaten so we could be whole, and whipped so we could be healed. Yet we ignore this back story. We’re blinded to the truth about this man. This man is Jesus, the son of God. God himself who came in the flesh. Who loved us and gave himself for us, so we could be made right with him.

This man, Jesus read from the scroll of Isaiah about himself, when he said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that the captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come” (Luke 4:18,19). You see, Jesus is the answer to our deepest need. The need for our sins to be forgiven, our lives to be made whole, and the healing of our body, soul, and spirit. Jesus also said, the thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. But his purpose is to give us a rich and satisfying life, an abundant life (see John 10:10).

Jesus is calling us all to himself as he did the woman in this story. He says, “Come to me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for you souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

The story of the woman with the disability can be found in Luke 13:11-33. Its truth will resonate with hope and an expectation of the possibilities of healing and deliverance for anyone who comes to Jesus, the Son of God!

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