Yes, You Deserve It!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! It’s the start of yet another year and I hope that you have almost finished setting your goals for 2010. 

Goal setting can be a daunting task, especially when you get to that point when you have to consider the amount of money that you need in order for you to do everything that you want. You may discover that you do not have enough money for everything that you want, nor do you have a way of making the difference over the year.

In this case the most logical thing for you to do is to cut back on your goals. This usually involves doing away with those goals that you think are “unnecessary and expensive.” Very often the “unnecessary and expensive” goals are goals that create you a better quality of life.

You may believe that it is okay for you to achieve a host of other things, like getting a university degree, paying all your bills on time, paying your children’s school fees and reading 100 self-help books, and not create a better quality of life for yourself.

It is unnecessary and it is too expensive you may reason with yourself.

Well, that the goals that create you a better quality of life are expensive may be true but that they are unnecessary may not be true.

Everybody deserves a better quality of life – and you are no exception.

Getting a university degree, paying all your bills on time, paying your children’s school fees and reading 100 self-help books are worthwhile goals and so is living a better quality of life.

Living a better quality of life is not the acquisition of knowledge about or that promises a better life, like getting a university degree. Rather, it is choosing a more luxurious lifestyle for yourself.

Creating a better quality of life for yourself will improve your self confidence, improve your standard of living and enable you to enjoy life more.

A better quality of life is also a demonstration of self-love to the world. Well, not in a bad sense but a good one. Jesus commanded us to love our neighbours as much as we love ourselves. You can only desire a better quality of life for others when you have a better quality of life. People have something to ask for from you when they see you living a better quality of life with time.

Pursue whatever goal you feel necessary for you to pursue in 2010, but not on the expense of a better quality of life. Achieving a better quality of life must be as important to you as achieving all these other things. You deserve it.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

It's New Year's Eve and there are a lot of words of encouragement that I could give you but I one thing that I would like to do is to thank you for all your support and encouragement over the past few years. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas holiday and that you will keep supporting me in 2010.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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Israel's deliverer

Who is this man?
Where does he come from?
That he dare challenge the one who sits on the throne
Who is this man?

Who is this man?
Who has caused the increase of our daily burdens
Our backs now throb from of our master's beatings
Who is this man?

Who is this man?
Who promised us redemption
But has only brought our disruption
Who is this man?

Who is this man?
Who cries for our release
But sees not our demise
Who is this man?

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Make the most of your opportunities this Christmas!

The next couple of weeks will be probably a restful period for many of us.  A lot us will be away from work and have the opportunity to spend time with loved ones, travel, catch up on life and simply rest!  All these activities are fine but we should bear in mind that the festive season offers us a far greater opportunity than just merriment – the opportunity to plan for the coming year!

I know I may sound a bit out of line but I seriously think that the coming festive season is the best time to start preparing for your success in 2010.

They say “Success happens when opportunity meets preparation.” Your success in 2010 depends on your preparation for the opportunities that you see yourself taking advantage of in 2010. What better time is there for you to start preparing for these opportunities than the Christmas break?

The Christmas break is a good time for you to sit back and reflect upon your achievements and failures this year.  From your achievements, see what you did right and pick up a few hints and tips on how you can increase your chances of success next year.  From your failures, see what you did not do right and pick a lesson or two on what you need to do to lessen your chances of failure next year.

The Christmas break is also a good time for you to set the goals of what you want to achieve in 2010.  Take time to articulate your dreams for 2010.  Do not just think about them: think about them, write them down and decide what you are going to do to turn your dreams into reality.  Above all, add a “to be done by” date on each one of them. Without a “to be done by” date you might as well not write down any of your goals as you most likely not create the time to pursue them.

It’s Christmas time. Take a break. Have fun. Relax. But also start preparing for your success in 2010.

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The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveller, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same, And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back. I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-- I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference ...Robert Frost

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A God-given is born, not borrowed

Last week we began to talk about the characteristics of a God-given dream. We said that a God-given dream has seven distinct characteristics.  The first of these being that a God-given dream will overwhelm you.
The second characteristics, which we are going to look at today, is that a God-given dream must be born, not borrowed.

A God-given dream is not a copied solution to problems or something that you conjured up in your mind.  It is something that comes from God. Joel writes in his book:

And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: [Joel 2:28]

A God-given dream is something that comes to you supernaturally – it is a divinely inspired solution to an existing or future problem.  You can ask God for it (the solution) or expected it from God but while you are still waiting for it you have no clue what it is until God shows it to you.

Be Inspired.

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What on Earth does A God-given Dream look like?

I have a dream and I am not really sure whether it is from God.

Have you ever come across such a question before? I'm sure you have… or, perhaps, you have asked someone such a question before? Maybe not in these exact words, but some others that mean the very same thing?

Well, today I want to start a series on the characteristics of a God-given dream.  There are seven characteristics and we are going to describe these characteristics over the next couple of weeks.  

Today we will describe the first one, which is that A God-given dream will overwhelm you.

A God-given is not usually something small, normal or safe.  God will give you a dream that is big, weird and scary; a dream that will take your breath away. The only thing that is instantly clear about any God-given dream is the final picture – what God wants you to do or what God wants you to become.  This picture may look a bit hazy at first but this is always the bit of the puzzle that you'll find easiest to solve.

 After seeing the final picture you then begin to ask yourself questions like How am I going to get there? What resources do I need to do this?  How long is it going to take? If this describes your reaction to your dream, then maybe it is a God-given dream.

Be Inspired.

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