Thought for the Day

What you say about yourself and what you say about your future is very important, because you'll never go beyond what you believe about yourself - Joyce Myer

Thought for the Day

If something works, do it more. If it doesn't work, do something different.

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day: "The doctors told me I would never walk, but my mother told me I would, so I believed my mother." Track Star Walma Rudolph

THE LAW OF ATTRACTION - GOD'S WAY

THE SECRET - GOD'S WAY

Part I - The Law of Attraction

Principles: Your dominant thoughts produce your life; like attracts like

Scriptures: Proverbs 23:7 - As a man thinks, so is he.

Galatians 6:7-8 - Don't be deceived; God is not mocked. A man reaps what he sows.

Do we really live out this principle in our daily lives? Let's discuss it. First of all, another principle from the psychological world says, "what you focus on gets bigger." Therefore, when your life revolves around problems, past or present - or even worries about future problems -- they loom larger and larger until they take over. It seems to be a part of our human nature to focus on things that are wrong, feeling by doing so we can fix them. However, what happens? The more we think about, talk about, worry about, analyze and discuss the problems the more they stick around. This is the Law of Attraction at work in a most negative way. (We'll be talking more about this in Part 2)

Example - A man I'll call Joe saw himself as a "jerk magnet." He worked for bosses who were jerks, had customers who were jerks and everywhere he went, it seemed, he kept running into jerks. This phenomenon was so well known that a friend even told him, "man, if there's a jerk within 100 miles, he'll find you!" They did. His co-workers even had a cake made for him that said, "Happy Birthday, Jerk Magnet."

I see the same thing occur in women who've been abused - they'll get away from one abusive relationship, but then even though they'll be confident this new guy is different, they wind up getting abused again - maybe physically, sexually or emotionally. But they seem to keep attracting the abusers.

Three things come into play here - Joe came to believe he'd always run into jerks. Then he just began to expect it (this always happens to me). Finally, he got what he expected. The abused women? They experience the same distressing experience; they believe it, then begin to expect it, then they get it.

The good news? When Joe began to change what he believed about himself (I don't deserve to work for jerks), began to stand up for himself (you will not treat me this way), the attraction left. He began to think differently, have a different atttitude, began to expect that people should treat him well, and that he deserved respect. They did. He got what he expected. "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he."

I encourage you to begin to sow different seeds in your mind. Do a Biblical search about how God thinks of you and how He wants you to see yourself. Then begin to repeat these scriptures on a daily basis. We may not feel we're capable of being different, but through God's spirit, we are mighty in battle, as the scripture says. And for some people, this is, indeed, a battle.

Look for my next blog when I'll be discussing Principle 2 - What you resists, persists

His Brain, Her Brain - What a difference!

Recent technology reveals fascinating ways men & women's brains are different.

Men: Blood flow to one side of the brain at a time. (So they do 1 thing at a time)
Women: 40% more connective tissue between both sides of the brain (so they do many things at
once)

How might this present a problem between them?

Scenario: Man is watching game on TV
Woman comes in - says "don't forget - we're going to the Smiths' on Friday."
Man grunts, or maybe even says "ok"
Friday: Woman: "Remember, we're going to the Smiths tonight."
Man: No one told me!
Argument then ensues about who is right. ("Did too!" "Did not!" "You never listen!" This can go on and on)

Scenario 2: Man and woman in vehicle discussing issue
Man drives right by exit to their home
Woman - "Are you stupid? That's our exit where we've gotten off for 10 years!"
Man - "Well, if you would shut up and let me drive, I'd get off there!"

All because man is using only one side of his brain at a time and woman is expecting him to use his brain just like she uses hers.

Men: Work in most efficient, logical manner focused in straight line to accomplish task
Women: Have 50% more memory capacity, work with more details and talk in circular fashion
about several related things at same time.

Men: Want to avoid stressful situations & conversations as this causes them more stress.
Women: Want to talk and talk about stressful things so they can feel better.

See any potential problems with this? I see it all the time.

There's much more that can be discussed about this subject; however, a good starting point is understanding. Then we can begin to work on positive things which help, such as:

Tip for women: Instead of always nagging, complaining and criticizing, a woman should say what's on her mind, discuss the possibility of a solution and then move on.

Tip for men: Instead of getting angry and defensive, men need to practice not taking a woman's comments and fears personally. He needs to just let her talk, realioze her way of dealing with her fears is to talk about them.

After each person has given the other what they need, then each can ask for what he/she needs.

BR

SPAM - A surprising way to achieve your goals

Tired of making New Year's Resolutions (or the like), then giving up after you blow it (in 3 hours, 3 days, 3 weeks?)

I've been there -- done that. I've said, I'm going to lose weight, quit eating sweets, exercise regularly, etc. etc. etc, a lot of familiar ones, all to wind up with the same result -- I'd give up and say "I obviously can't do this!"

Then I decided to try something one of my grad school professors taught us: Use SPAM. So get out a can of SPAM, put it on the counter, but don't open it. Use it as follows to set a new goal or change in your life:

S = Small and specific (daily or weekly)

P = Practical (who, what, where, when how)

A = Achieveable (is it realistic knowing you the way you do?)

M = Measurable (Progress you can measure)

Here's an example: Years ago, when the dentist told me I had to floss my teeth every day for the rest of my life (or risk losing my teeth) I really wanted to do that. Alas! I knew my tendency to get enthusiastic about something, then stop after a while.

Now flossing doesn't sound like such a big deal, but to me that statement, "every day for the rest of your life" sounded like a jail term! Knowing me, I needed to try something very different -- SPAM to the rescue!

S = Small & specific - I'd treat this like a job - floss on weekdays, brush on weekends.

P = Practical - Who? Me

What? Flossing

When? In the mornings (I'm a morning person, not a nighty)

Where? Bathroom

How? I could do my devotions & floss at the same time

(2 for 1 - my desire for efficiency was met!)

A = Achievable I think so

M = Measurable Try it for a week or so; I could always do 3 times a

week at first.

Results? I've been flossing my teeth regularly every weekday morning for many, many years and I still have 'em! My SPAM goal worked!

You can try it too.

A Gift - God's Way

Living a happier, more fulfilled life is possible when you apply the four steps of the GIFT:

The GIFT stands for:

G = Gratitude & Generosity
I = Intention (What do you want)
F = Faith (Fake it 'til you make it!)
T = Train your Brain & the power of your thoughts & tongue

Gratitude - start with what you already have to be grateful for, from small things like enjoying flowers, to larger things like your family, your job, etc. We often begin to take such things for granted, but I've discovered that as soon as you start to feel grateful for what you already have, God blesses you with more good things.

Psalms 118:24, 1 Thessalonians 5:16, Philippians 2:14-16 and Proverbs 15:15 are just a few of the Biblical passages which instruct us to be grateful

Generosity - When you give, you are not only following God's command, but you begin to feel the difference inside you; you become more grateful, generous and as you do, watch how your world view shifts. Often, when I take time to really be grateful, to consciously give more, I weep with appreciation and thankfulness for all God gives and also how He uses me to give.

Intention - When we focus on what we want - 1 Chroniclews 4:10 depicts the life of Jabez who asked not only to be blessed but for his territory to be enlarged. Philippians 4:6, Matthew 7:7-11 and 1 Kings 3:5 all speak to the importance of stating our intention; asking what we want. This, of course, is very different from complaining about what we don't like or don't want and expecting those things to change. I like to divide things into what I want to be, what I want to do and what I want to have. Then be very specific about each of those categories.

F - Faith - Basically acting as if what you want is already true. Focus on progress being made toward intention. Feel what it will feel like to be where you want to go. Attend to problems, but focus on your goal. Matthew, Mark and Luke are all books replete with examples of acting on faith. And of course Hebrews 11, the faith chapter, tells us to step out, begin to expect great things.

T - Train your brain: Since our brain makes neuropathways that become very well defined (like ruts on a country road) we need to retrain our brain. An example might be to make a list of small steps to take; i.e., set aside a time to state out loud these 4 parts. Romans 12:12 tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds; Proverbs 23:7 declares that as a man thinks in his heart, so is he. An important scripture to remember is Philippians 4:7, that we focus on the good things in our lives vs. the disturbing reports from our world.

Tongue - When the Bible talks about the power of our tongue, we can see the results every day once we start to pay attention. Make sure you are saying aloud positive things commensurate with what you want.

Thoughts - Surround & immerse yourself in where you're heading, not fears of what may not happen, etc.

Interesting note: A cub reporter was once told that if a dog bites a dog, that's not news. However, if the dog bites the boy, that's news and should be reported! How often do we hear about the small percentage of "news" that keeps us fearful, anxious and defeated.

I encourage you to take a few minutes each day to be grateful, intentional, act in faith and start training your brain to become who God has made you to be.