True beauty in a Woman is reflected in her soul. Beauty Gods Way #BGW is a forum for Girls & Women that focuses on (1 Peter 3:3-4) Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. 4 Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. beautygodsway.blogspot.com
Friday
Thursday
The (KASH) KNOWLEDGE ATTITUDE SKILLS and HABITS needed to persevere
The (KASH) KNOWLEDGE ATTITUDE SKILLS and HABITS needed to persevere
Knowledge
English word perseverance and the biblical word perseverance are very similar in meaning. Webster's Dictionary defines it this way: "To persist in a state, enterprise or undertaking in spite of counter influence, opposition or discouragement."
From the definition we can see that perseverance involves more than persistence.
ATTITUDE
A person perseveres when they stick to something in spite of opposition or counter influences.
I once heard the following statement: "You don't determine a person's greatness by what they do or have done, but by what it takes to stop them." This saying should inspire us to persevere.
Do we want to be remembered as someone who quit over this or that small matter? We persevere when we keep picking up one foot and putting it down in front of the other one. We must keep moving forward despite difficulties.
Now, let us look at perseverance as a personal trait. Just what is a "trait?" It is a distinguishing quality or personal characteristic.
Do you possess perseverance?
SKILLS
The Apostle Peter said we should "Make every effort to add to our faith goodness, and to goodness, knowledge, and to knowledge, self control, and to self control, perseverance …" (2 Peter 1:5-6) Remember that the apostle went on to say (v. 8) that we should not only have these qualities but possess them "in increasing measure" so we can be "effective" and "productive" Christians.
Well how do I develop perseverance?
HABITS
I'm glad you asked. I have some good and bad news.
The Bible tells us how we can grow in this virtue but you are probably not going to like what the Scriptures says:
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
(James 1:2-4) "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him."
(James 1:12) "As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about.
The Lord is full of compassion and mercy." (James 5:11) The Apostle Paul tells us something very similar in the Book of Romans (see 5: 2-4). The point made by these Biblical texts are proven in life. We experience the most personal growth during difficult and hard times. No one ever grew when they were on "easy street."
Why do You need to implement The (KASH) KNOWLEDGE ATTITUDE SKILLS and HABITS needed to persevere?
Because we need perseverance in life!
I once noticed a motivational poster in the guidance counselor's office.
It stated, "perseverance propels you over the finish line."
There are many goals and objectives to be achieved during the course of our lives. WE NEED PERSEVERANCE. To help us "keep on keeping on,"
remember this verse: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off every thing that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." (Hebrews 12:1) The messenger said of the Christians in the Church at Ephesus, "I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be Apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary." (Revelation 2:2-3; see also 2 Thess. 3:5 and Rev. 2:19)
Perseverance will carry us through life and will enable us to complete God's will for our lives. The writer of Hebrews said, "You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised." (Hebrews 10:36) Paul wrote this to Timothy, "Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and hearers." (1 Tim. 4:16; also see 2 Tim 4: 7-8)
Why I think you should set a goal.
Though I have had many areas of opportunity in my life the more frustrating area of my life has been my career.
While it appeared that there were tremendous career opportunities within reach, there was an invisible barrier that I just could not seem to get past.
After spending year after year trying and failing, I began to lose hope.
What was so frustrating to me was that I knew I had certain giftings and skill sets, but in the job I had, they were completely unnecessary and even looked down upon.
Looking back on the whole experience, it is clear to me that God actually spared me – because had I gotten one of the promotions there that I wanted, I likely wouldn’t have had the motivation to take the leap to start my own business.
It was the desperation and the thought of having to spend another 20-30 years in a job I hated that made it pretty easy to embrace the “risk” of starting my own business.
So after listening to many audio recordings "at work" by Earl Nightingale, Will Smith TD Jakes, then as I searched for more audios to listen to I found "normal people" were repeating these words and achieving results. If They Could do it I KNEW I COULD. SO I just aksed myself, What do I Want?
I had thought about a lot of things Ididn’t want in life. A job I hated, a dead-end career path were all at the top of my list, but I hadn’t really spent much time thinking about things I wanted.
Once I was able to decide on specific things that I wanted in life (particularly in the next 5 years), I wrote them down.
This list is what became my 5-year goals.
At the time of writing them, I knew that God could do anything. I mean, looking at the transformation that took place in Joseph’s life, I knew that God could cause me to reach those goals but it seemed like it would be the same caliber of miracle as it was for Joseph.
It is a weird feeling writing down goals that you have no possible idea of how they could ever manifest in your life.
Part of the challenge for me was my fear of failure. It was easier for me NOT to set a goal because that way I would avoid any failures.
I knew this wasn’t the way I should be living my life, but I was doing it anyway. Looking back I realize that I was kind of living the opposite of a life of faith – if I couldn’t see it or at least figure out how it was possible, I didn’t truly believe that it was possible.
One early Morning God, I swear I heard the voice of God asking me, Why are living like you are scared?
I had these goals and God was working on them on my behalf but my faith was shhhhort. However 3 years later it dawned on me that almost all of the goals I had written down had come to pass – and I had lots of reasons to believe that all of them would come to pass by the 5 year mark.
Remembering what I was thinking at the time is what amazes me about this. From my vantage point, the goals I wrote seemed equally as unlikely as if I had written that I wanted to walk on Mars or become the president of the U.S..
Where Is God In All This?
Looking back, I know without a shadow of doubt that it was the Lord. I expended all of my energy and know-how trying to reach some of these goals on my own, to no avail.
While I had a part in all of this, by being diligent, working hard, etc, I could have never reached these goals on my own.
For most of my Christian life, I was somewhat hesitant about goal-setting because I didn’t want to get caught up in “my plans” rather than God’s plans.
I always want to do His will over my own and never want to get caught up in just doing a bunch of “works” for God that weren’t what He had in mind for me.
But what I think happened was that even though I was writing those goals from my own interests and desires, they were actually God’s plans for me. John 15:7 says,
“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”
Looking at that verse, we can see that this whole writing-goals-down thing isn’t a formula that we can use to manipulate God. It starts with us abiding in Him and getting in the Bible so that our wills better align with His. And apparently, as that happens, the natural result is that the things we ask have a better chance of being in line with His will.
Even still, I don’t make the assumption that any goals I set are automatically God’s will, but now when I set goals, I prayerfully seek after them submitting to whatever God has in mind.
The Role Of Faith
Hebrews 11:6 says that without faith it is impossible to please God. That is a big and bold statement.
I interpret it like this: if I want to please God, I need to believe in something that I can’t figure out how it will happen.
Like I mentioned before, when I was writing that original set of goals, I knew that I could not reach them on my own. I had tried and failed. Again and again.
I knew that the only way they would be reached was if God was at work behind the scenes. Personally, I didn’t at all feel like I had the faith to believe that they could come to pass.
But it seems to me that the act of just writing the goals down and opening up to the possibility of failure was a huge step of faith – perhaps just a mustard-seed sized amount – but faith nonetheless, that God honored.
If You Haven’t Already, Give It A Try
I have a feeling that God has some awesome things He wants to do in our lives that He is just waiting for us to believe are possible. If you have some desires, dreams, or things that you are longing to see changed in your life or in the world around you, I encourage you to write them down.
Make a list of how you would like your world to be different 5 years from now. Don’t worry about the “how”. Our job isn’t to figure out how everything will happen, rather to trust that God knows how to make it happen.
Once you have your list, don’t stop there. Put it on your desk, fridge, or by your bed. Pray about the things listed and be honest with God. Look at it often and think about the things on your list.
When our minds are confronted with a question, they seek to find an answer.
Ask yourself how you can take the first step towards reaching the goal. What is one single thing I can do today (no matter how small) to reach this goal?
Continue to keep the goals in the forefront of your mind and if you are anything like me, you might just be surprised to see where you are in a few years.
Disclosure of Material Connection: In order for me to maintain this content , some of the links in the post above may be affiliate links. Regardless, we only recommend products or services we use personally and/or believe will add value to readers.
Sunday
Let Go and Let GOD!
Let go and let God’ is an oft-repeated phrase. What does it mean? It refers to the abandonment of the self. When you decide to hold on to your beliefs and continue through the paths of this world without discernment and without even questioning why you do what you do, you will continue being tied to the partiality of your viewpoint. There comes a time when if you truly desire to rise beyond the person you are today, you will have to abandon many things.
“This idea has caused lots of confusion to many for so long. Some among you have left behind your material goods to live a life of misery without making any significant improvement. Others have abandoned their families and loved ones to embark on useless adventures — basically searching outside for that which can only be found within their own hearts.
“The things that need to be abandoned are always personal and depend on the person’s situation. You must abandon everything that distracts you and represents an obstacle to a more intimate relationship with your Divine Spark. For some it may be money, for others it may be intolerance, fanaticism or even some long-desired goals. This is truly a victory of faith when you finally dare to say ‘Father, show me the way because you know what is truly best for me’. It is not letting your Father take control because you will forever be in charge of your own destiny. Instead it is just learning to listen to the advice and the guidance of your Inner Master to provide information for your decisions.
“You are the clay by which your Father intends to create a magnificent work of art, but you are also the artist creating artwork with His help. Let the masks you must show to your siblings fall one by one so everyone can appreciate the beauty of your true face — the one that reflects the light that shines within. Give priority tobeing instead of doing.
“How many times have you ignored the gifts from above with your insistence on following your own agenda? With time you will notice that on those occasions in which you let go, you will discover many things that life offers — those opportunities that the Father puts in your path every day to help you along the way toward achieving your true goal: to be the best you can be, to strive for perfection and achieve the likeness of God.”
Wednesday
The Power of Rehearsal
"Everyone loves to win - but how many love to train?"
Mark Spitz - 1972 Olympic Gold Medallist Swimmer
When I was little, I wanted to be a singer. I loved the idea of entertaining people with rythum melody and harmony. I listened to records and learned songs and even put on shows performing with the handle of the vacuum cleaner.
The magic fraternity has a number of rules. The most important one is that you must never reveal the secret of a trick (so don’t ask me!) But one of the rules that I learned that has been useful in my real experiences as a singer speaker and trainer is that you must practice and practice – and then practice some more. And only when you are thoroughly rehearsed do you perform the trick in public.
Practice and rehearsal also make a huge improvement to the delivery of presentations and speeches.
Here’s what happens to an unrehearsed speaker:
They "um" and "ah"They can’t remember what comes next. They get sidetracked and waffle. They go over time or run out of time.They read their presentation and put the audience to sleep.They lack confidence, control and credibility.
This list of problems is bad enough. But the real problem is that your audience doesn’t say to themselves "this speaker hasn’t rehearsed" – no, they say to themselves "this person and their company, product and service are incompetent." They don’t make allowances – and why should they?
Take on board that you have not finished preparing when your notes are written and your PowerPoint is on a drive. You need to practise your talk out loud from beginning to end. And the more often you rehearse it the better.
Learn your opening – know your first line in your sleep so that "starters nerves" won’t stop you from remembering or delivering your opening words with energy and confidenceKnow your closing – for maximum impact you want to be able to deliver it directly to the audience without any notes and without PowerPointPractise with any props and visual aids – especially PowerPoint. Get the timing of your slides right and be thoroughly familiar with their content.
I learned the discipline and the benefits of rehearsal from my childhood poetry contest daye. And it is a discipline because it is time consuming and repetitive and you often don’t feel as if it’s really contributing to your performance. But I can guarantee that it does.
The popular Polish pianist and composer Ignace Paderewski was once asked to explain why, after so many years, he still practiced every day. His response?
"If I miss one day's practice I notice it. If I miss two days, the critics notice it. If I miss three days, the audience notices."
Monday
Sunday
Authority has been given to "Them who believe"
A solid understanding of spiritual authority is vital to build your faith when casting out demons, healing the sick, and exercising your authority over the powers of darkness.
When we have been given authority to cast out demons, but instead we pray that God brings the demon out instead, we are basically asking God to do something that He gave US the tools to do ourselves! Jesus told US to cast out demons! Nowhere in the Bible does it tell us to ask God to cast out demons!
Mark 13:34, "For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch."
How authority works
Authority doesn't beg; authority doesn't ask; authority commands! We are not told to ask God to cast out demons, we are told to do it ourselves! We are not told to beg demons to come out, we are told to CAST them out!
Matthew 8:8-9, 13, "The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it... And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour."
Authority is exercised through our spoken word. The power of life and death are in the spoken word: Proverbs 18:21, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof."
Jesus' own authority
One thing that made it clear that Jesus was the son of God, is because He exercised authority that nobody else had access to in history!
He cast out demons using His authority: Mark 1:27, "And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him."
He cast out demons with His spoken word: Matthew 8:16, "When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word..."
He healed the sick with His spoken word: Luke 7:7, "Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed." Also John 5:8, "Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk."
Jesus has been given authority over everything: Matthew 28:18, "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth."
Authority to heal
Jesus said to, "Heal the sick"! Matthew 10:8, "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give." I think it's interesting how Jesus didn't tell us to pray and ask God to heal the sick, He told US to heal the sick!
I have never seen where Jesus prayed, "Father, please heal this person!" Instead, we see that Jesus healed people with His spoken Word! In John 5:8, Jesus told the man to, "...Rise, take up thy bed, and walk."
The early church healed people in this same manner. In Acts 3:6, "...Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk."
Notice in Luke 9:1 that He not only gave His disciples authority over all devils, but also to cure diseases: "Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases."
Authority is exercised when there is a RIGHT to exercise it. They weren't praying and asking God to heal people, they had the authority to heal, and they were exercising it with a spoken word, just as Jesus did!
I want to clarify that I'm not saying that prayer can't heal people... because it can (James 5:14-15)... I'm just saying that we are taught to heal the sick using the authority that Jesus gave us! I have seen and heard of many healings that took place through prayer, so I'm not saying not to pray, or that prayer doesn't work. I'm simply saying that we have authority over sickness, and therefore we can exercise our authority to bring about healing in another person's life!
I also think it's interesting how Mark 16:17-18 tells us that healing can come through the laying on of hands: "And these signs shall follow them that believe... they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." The laying on of hands can encourage the transferring of power from us into the person and heal them, just like the woman who felt power flow from Jesus when she touched the hem of His garment (Mark 5:30)! Jesus said that those who believe will have the Holy Ghost flowing out of their innermost being (John 7:38-39), and even Peter's shadow healed people (Acts 5:15)!
Authority to cast out demons
Notice that we are never told to beg or coax the demons to come out, neither are we told to pray and ask God to remove them, but we ARE told to cast them out! Matthew 10:8, "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give." And also look at Mark 16:17, "And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils..."
Luke 9:1, "Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils..."
Luke 10:17, "And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name."
Jesus distributes His authority
Mark 13:34, "For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch."
Jesus is given authority: Matthew 28:18, "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth."
Authority given to Jesus' 12 disciples: Luke 9:1, "Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases."
Authority given to Jesus' 70 disciples: Luke 10:17, "And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name."
Through Jesus' name
Notice that the authority Jesus gives His people is not to be used in their name, but Jesus' name:
Luke 10:17, "And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name."
Mark 16:17, "And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils..."
Acts 3:6, "...Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk."
To use somebody's authority through their name is quite an honor! It's like being able to go to the bank and draw out a million dollars on behalf of a wealthy businessman!
Authority has been given to "Them who believe"
Jesus gave His disciples authority to carry out His will here on earth, but they weren't the only ones. He also gave ALL believers authority to heal the sick and cast out devils as well! (Mark 16:17-18)
Authority to cast out demons: Mark 16:17, "And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils..."
Authority to heal the sick: Mark 16:17-18, "And these signs shall follow them that believe...they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."
Mark 13:34, "For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch."
Authority is accessed through faith
It is also helpful to point out that our spiritual authority is accessed by faith. There is a lot to be learned from the story told in Mark 9:17-29 about how faith allows us to access our authority. When the disciples came across an unusually strong demon that wouldn't budge (verse 18), Jesus made it clear that they lacked faith by calling them faithless (verse 19). He also made it clear that some demons are so strong that a higher than usual level of faith is required to cast them out (verses 28 and 29), and that we can gain that higher level of faith through prayer and fasting (verse 29).
Matthew 17:20, "And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you."
How I Changed My Life, In Four Lines
One of my favorites from the Zen Habits archives:
'What saves a man is to take a step. Then another step.' ~C. S. Lewis
By Leo Babauta
Changing your life can seem an incredibly tough and complicated thing, especially if you've failed a great number of times (like I did), found it too hard, and resigned yourself to not changing.
But I found a way to change.
And I'm not any better than anyone else, not more disciplined, not more motivated. I just learned a few simple principles that changed my life.
I've written about them many times, but realized they're spread out all over the site.
Here is how I changed my life, in a nutshell.
tl;dr The four lines you're looking for are at the bottom.
How I Started Running
In 2005 I was sedentary, and couldn't for the life of me figure out how to make exercise a regular habit. At the end of 2006, not only was I running very regularly, I finished my first marathon. These days I can run a half marathon race at the drop of a hat, have run several marathons.
How did I do it? I started with just 10 minutes of running a day. I focused not on how hard it was, but how much I enjoyed the movement and the outdoors. I increased slowly, until I could run 15 minutes, then 20, and later a couple hours. I was grateful for every run I was able to take.
I got healthier, fitter, slimmer, happier.
How I Started Eating Healthier
In 2005 I was overweight, and addicted to junk food. I ate fast food, chips and cookies, fried meats, anything fatty or sweet or salty … and I had no idea how to change. Today, I am 70 lbs. lighter, I eat almost all whole, real foods (almost nothing processed), I eat a sweet treat now and then but am happier eating healthy food.
How did I change? I started with small changes like drinking more water, eating more fruits and veggies, cooking at home more and preparing my lunches for work. One at a time. I gradually improved my diet, eventually cleared my fridge and pantry of junk, and stopped going to fast food places. I found healthy foods I really loved. I was grateful for every delicious healthy meal I ate.
I felt better about myself, trimmed down, and feel great every single day.
How I Got Out of Debt
In 2005, I was way over my head in debt — it was so bad, I had creditors calling me, and I would ignore my phone calls. I struggled to make it paycheck to paycheck, and sometimes didn't even make it — I had to borrow money from friends and family. It was one of the most stressful times of my life. At the end of 2007, I celebrated with my wife Eva when we paid off our last debt and were free!
How did I do it? I started one little change at a time: I started cutting back on expenses a little, saving a little at a time, paying off the little debts and then the bigger debts, found some breathing room, and saw the light at the end of the tunnel. I gradually changed my financial habits and got into better shape. I was grateful for every debt paid off, every dollar saved, every inch of breathing room.
I'm debt free and will never go back. It's the most liberating thing ever.
And On and On
I was planning on writing the same capsules for how I decluttered and simplified my possessesions, how I started focusing and accomplishing more, how I turned my passion into a living, and so on … but the truth is, the story starts to repeat itself.
I used the same principles, over and over. More on that in the nutshell below.
And Then I Gave Up Goals
About two years ago, I started to give up goals. Just as an experiment.
It turns out, I could still accomplish the same kinds of things, but I just didn't plan it out. Instead, I just followed the same principles (more on those below). They still work, even without goals.
People say I can give up goals because I've already accomplished a lot … but the truth is, I can give up goals because I have learned a few things that work, and realized they work with or without goals. And if you follow these things, you can change your life, with or without goals.
The Nutshell Principles
So what are the principles that changed my life, repeatedly?
If you read the brief stories above, you already know:
1. Start very small.
2. Do only one change at a time.
3. Be present and enjoy the activity (don't focus on results).
4. Be grateful for every step you take.
In programming, this is called an algorithm. It's a series of steps that you can apply to make any change, no matter what your situation.
It works. This is the Zen Habits method, the Change Your Life App, in four lines. I hope it helps.
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