When you are going in the right direction, there's no choice to go but up! ~TNGSuccess Principles~Success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal.~Do NOT conform to what everybody else is doing.~Success is a predetermined job that you want to do deliberately.~People usually succeed because they know where they are going.~You are guided by your mind.~Believe and you will succeed!~You become what you think about that is why it is important to control your thinking.On Saturday, I had the opportunity to meet three inspiring and motivating females. They are all fulfilling their dreams and doing what they love to do. Because I am an Internet junkie, I ran across this event for Authors and writers and said to myself: I must attend this event! I was provided knowledge and guidance by individuals who have already accomplished one of the goals on my To-Do list of life. Know what you want to do, hold the thought firmly and do everyday what should be done, and every sunset will see you that much nearer the goal.~Elbert HubbardStephanie L. Joneswww.stephanieljones.comAn entrepreneurial spirit and passion to serve others has guided Stephanie L. Jones through an extensive background in sales, public relations, and community service.In 2005, Jones opted out of the corporate business world in favor of an opportunity to pursue her entrepreneurial goals as a freelance publicist. She successfully designed and coordinated marketing campaigns for organizations, several best selling book authors, and for a nationally distributed women's magazine.Although highly successful in her endeavors, Jones soon took another bold step, this time to fulfill her destiny. She became an advocate for individuals suffering from the effects of child sexual abuse. Jones, author of The Enemy Between My Legs, unashamedly shares her story with audiences around the world on how she was able to overcome the effects of over seven years of child sexual abuse, which began at age five. She is known for her honest approach in dealing with sexual abuse, a subject that few people will openly discuss. She has the ability to understand and connect with abuse victims, especially teenagers and young adults. This has made her a highly sought after speaker for schools, churches, and major organizations.Natasha Munsonhttp://www.sisterlessons.com/http://natashamunson.blogspot.com/http://www.bemagic.org/Originally from New Jersey, Natasha Munson never intended to write a series of books. Instead, her primary goal was to save her teenage cousin from making some of the same choices that had led Natasha to living a life she hated. She wanted to find a way to reach her heart without preaching or yelling at her. So, Natasha began writing down all the lessons she had learned in life. She wrote about everything she had endured, including every piece of wisdom she wished someone had shared with her about life, love, money and relationships.Then she realized that these lessons could help other women as well. “My goal is to empower women by helping them live lives in which they smile in their sleep, love as though they have never been hurt and create lives they love!” says Natasha. "My mission is to empower the community one spirit at a time."Lorraine Sanabria Robertsonwww.Askwifey.comhttp://askwifey.blogspot.com/about Wifey from HusbandShe’s a writer. She’s written a book, Help! I’m a Newlywed… What Do I Do Now? Wife-Saving Advice Every New Bride Must Know to Survive the First Year of Marriage. She’s also written all kinds of articles — entertainment, marriage, parenting, health-related — for national magazines like Upscale, Teen People and Heart & Soul.She’s a successful public relations executive. As the former director of publicity for LaFace Records she’s contributed to the success of several superstar artists like Usher, OutKast, Toni Braxton and TLC. She also worked in higher education for the premiere women’s college for African-American women — Spelman College.She’s a mom. Her son, Miles, is seven and daughter, Milan, is five going on fifteen.She’s a daughter, a friend, a personal trainer, a chocolate lover, a runner, a movie-watcher, a reader, a NBA fanatic… and, most importantly to me, she’s a wife. My wife of nine long, loving, sometimes challenging, but awesome years (our life-changing wedding was featured on The Learning Chanel’s “A Wedding Story”). I wouldn’t trade her for anything. Anything except 50 yard-line seats to see the San Francisco 49ers win the Super Bowl… or Sade. Not really, but if you know someone who can make it happen…Everyone has talent, what is rare is the courage to follow that talent to dark place where it leads. ~Erica JongI have a "Blog spot" where I place informational, factual, and sometimes opinionated-based theories. I know for a fact you could be uplifted through the positive and motivational messages I convey. Excerpts from my book CORPORATE Chics are there as well..when you get a chance check it out!Check some of my work out on http://corporatechic1.blogspot.com/You can also see what I am up to on:http://www.linkedin.com/in/NecoleClouthttp://sistapreneurs.ning.com/profile/CorporateChichttp://twitter.com/buzineswomanhttp://www.necole.worldventures.bizhttp://necole.rovia.com/Home.aspx
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Marriage – The First MinistryStatistics reveal that about 45 – 50 percent of all marriages will eventually end in divorce. These numbers are staggering to say the least. These numbers include Christian marriages as well.Why are these numbers so high? The answer: marriages have stopped being a priority in the lives of many busy couples.Work, children, and social activities have been substituted for the number one ministry between a man and a woman - that is the ministry of marriage.What is ministry? Ministry is from the Greek word "diakoneo", meaning "to serve" or "douleuo", meaning "to serve as a slave". In the New Testament, ministry is seen as a service to God and to other people in His name. Jesus provided the blueprint for the pattern of Christian ministry – He came, not to receive service, but to give service (Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45; John 13:1-17)In marriage, couples are to minister by meeting the other's needs with love and humility on Christ's behalf (Matthew 20:26; Mark 10:43; John 2:5,9; Acts 6:3; Romans 1:1; Galatians 1:10; Colossians 4:12).When we think of ministry, we think of the minister or the pastor of a church or the different functioning organizations within the church. As married couples, it is our obligation to be the minister in our spouse's life.Counseling and Life Coaching are wonderful tools to assist couples and individuals who are in desperate need of these services and are very much necessary for the help they provide. If couples would not only think of themselves as just husbands and wives but think of themselves as ministers to their spouses, the counseling load would not be as great. Ministering to your spouse can and should include ministering to the physical, emotional, mental, vocational, and financial needs of the other.Marriages today have become self-centered when the marriage is no longer two people being one, but two people remaining as two. My money, your money, my car, your car – couples are living more separate and divided lives within the same home. Today solid and happy homes are becoming a thing of the past. There are no more Ozzie and Harriet's, Leave It to Beaver's or Father Knows Best households. In these homes husbands and wives were both in the home, fathers took the roles of headship, provider, mentor and the disciplinarian in the home, and fathers were looked up to as the children's hero, not an action figure on television. Wives could be at home to raise the children and not rely on daycare to nurture and care for the family. In these homes, husbands and wives were the staple of the family and took active roles in the lives of their children and their communities. Times have changed so drastically. Today there are one parent households, children being raised by television, the drop out rate for high school students is at an all time high, and a major part of the criminal activities in our society are committed by our youth.The Cosby Show tried to depict a solid family image to American families and some did not buy this as reality, especially for the African American community.I can think of couples who were happily married five years ago, who today are no longer married or are now living emotionally divorced and living separated lives within the home. Marriage is the foundation to a great family life and God's greatest tool for ministry.Great marriages with their priorities in order depend on these elements to remain fortified: honesty, communication, commitment, and sacrifice. Placing our spouse as our first priority will produce true prosperity in our homes. There will be nothing missing, nothing lacking and nothing broken.The Bible speaks of several action verbs in Genesis 2:24 which models some priorities in marriage. The first verb is to "leave". Man is to leave his mother and father and to establish a new beginning with his wife. The second verb is to "cleave". Man is to leave his mother and father and to cleave to his wife. Cleave means to weld together or stick to like glue.Marriage is not only a priority- it is preeminent. It is superior to, and surpassing above all other human relationships. Husband and wife are to be bound together and should not be cut apart. The third verb in this passage of scripture is the verb "be". First, man is to leave then to cleave and to be one flesh. Becoming one is more than being physically one, but also psychologically one which is communication.Most marriages break down for a lack of communication with their spouse. The lack of attention and communication will eventually result in both parties involved to struggle, which will finally cause a break down in the home. Couples must stay committed to the vows they took on their wedding day before the Lord, to be committed "for better or for worse". There will be difficult times in the marriage and that is not the opportunity for the husband or the wife to bail out of the marriage. We are to stick it out and give that situation over to God. Be committed in "for richer or poorer". In these tough economic times that we are facing, when some are just getting by, when the prices are high and the paychecks are low, commitment is essential. Lastly, be committed in "sickness and in health". We do not know what challenges or sickness either spouse may face in the life of the marriage. We are to continue to love and to cherish our mate til death does part us.Ministry can and should be carried out daily in our lives with our spouses. God set the example of how much He loved us that He gave His only begotten Son to come to earth and die on a cross for us. It was God's priority to send us a Savior. We in turn, are to love and meet the needs of our spouse as a priority, setting the example in our marriages and sharing our love just as God has done for us.by Glyniel GarnerGlyniel Garner is a Professional Certified Life Coach, Board Certified Biblical Counselor and Certified Marriage Mentor. She is the founder of New Horizon Coaching Associates in Ocala, Florida. Glyniel can be reached at www.ourchurch.com/member/n/nhca www.myspace.com/newhorizoncoaching
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Wearing the Whole Armor of God in Marriage(Being Fully Dressed and Armed for War)Marriages are under attack inundated by a spiritual battle perpetrated by the evil one himself, Satan, the father of lies and deception. In His Infinite Wisdom, God instructed us through the Apostle Paul in his Epistle to the Ephesians where he said, "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Folks, there is a war going on- not the war in Afghanistan, not the war in Iraq, but the war against marriages. Since the garden, war has been declared against the institution and ministry of marriage. The enemy works hard daily in an effort to bring marriages to turmoil and strife, in hopes that we will be able to cause these sacred unions to an end. Many of the scriptures were provided to give us spiritual direction and insight from our Creator who foreknew the obstacles we would face with an enemy at large. Sure, we know who wins in the end, but while Satan is on the loose, he is wreaking havoc when ever and where ever He can find an open door, thus the warning: "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour, I Peter 5:8. Yes, there is a war going on, however, this war does not involve traditional weapons and tactics such as guided missiles, tanks, fighter jets, and the like. This is a spiritual warfare that is fought by unconventional means, more of a means to defend ourselves because the actual battle is the Lord's. We are further instructed: "Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." When we put on the whole armor of God, we become clothed in two types of armor, one type that is defensive armor for our protection, the other type is to conquer or gain victory over. The whole armor makes us invulnerable and Victorians. When we are fully clothed in the armor of God, we are ready for battle. We are told "Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth." So what is the truth? God was the Truth from the beginning because the Truth is the Word of God. We come under the Word of God when we have our loins girded about with truth. Under the obedience of the truth of God's Word, we will walk in light and not in darkness and it is a know fact that where light is present darkness has to flees. In addition we are told, "and hovering on the breastplate of righteousness," this armor protects the heart which represents the spirit of man, and also protects other vital organs, As a believer faithfully lives in obedience to and in and in communion with Jesus Christ, His righteousness produces in us the practical daily righteousness that becomes our spiritual breastplate, "And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; "Our feet should be shod, or bound up, with the prepared foundation, which is Jesus Christ, who keeps the believer standing firm in the midst of spiritual warfare. The gospel of peace pertains to the Good News that through Christ, believers are at peace with God and we know that He is on our side. "Above all, taking the shield of faith, were with ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked." The shield of faith is a shield and a weapon. If and when you are at war, something is coming at you. We are not trying to take the enemy down; he's already down, he's already been defeated . In this war, all we have to do is endure to the end. We are to have faith in what we've heard (the Word of God). Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God, faith will protect us on this walk with God. "And take the helmet of salvation." The helmet of salvation shields our head from the fiery darts that come against us by way of the enemy. We will not be able to have good thoughts without the helmet of salvation in place. Taking on the helmet of salvation is taking on Christ Himself, "and the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God." As the sword was the soldiers only weapon, so is God's Word the only weapon needed which is more powerful then any of Satan's weapons. This is the only weapon used both defensively and offensively- Defensively to fend off the attacks of the enemy's strategies. The Sword of the Spirit is quick, living, and powerful. "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints." Praying always is the frequency or how often to pray; all prayer and supplication focuses on the variety or pattern of prayer; in the Spirit focuses on the submission as we line up with the will of God; watching thereunto is the manner in which we pray; with all perseverance is the persistence of our prayer; for all saints is who we are to pray for. Prayer is the key part to this Divine armor. Prayer is the primary means by which we engage in the battle, the purpose for which we are armed. This armor of God is for battle. During the battle itself, praying God's Word becomes our chief offensive weapon deployed against Satan during our struggles. If there is one thing you should always remember when the devil plots ways to interject his devious ways into your marriage is the enormous differences in the attributes of God versus those of Satan. God said, "Behold I will do a new thing," but Satan is limited to his same old tricks through lies and deceptions and a purpose to steal, kill, and to destroy. God through Jesus said, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. John 10:10Keep your marriage secure and strong-Put on the whole armor of God and be fully dressed and armed for war. As the slogan for the American Express goes…Don't leave home without it!by Erroll & Glyniel GarnerAll scriptures referenced are from the KJV
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The Armor of God – Stand Up & Dig InEphesians 6:10-15 KJVScripture Text: Eph 6:15October 13, 2005Ephesians was written around 60 A.D. by the Apostle Paul while imprisoned for his faith. It was address to the people who lived in Ephesus & was a letter of encouragement to a group, rather than one person. The last part of Ephesians focuses more on the church & how it can function best.vs. 10 "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord,…"This is a call to Christians (my brethren) to stand firm against the devil. Paul stated "Finally." We can only walk in the glory of Eph 1- 3 & live in the integrity of Eph 4 – 6 by doing everything in God's strength.vs. 10 "and in the power of His might."Having might is a divine enablement or endowment. An anointing with the ability to do anything. Phil 4:13 states, "I can do all things through Christ which strengthened me." We can do everything with the help of Christ who gives us the strength we need to fulfill whatever task is at hand.vs. 11 "Put on the whole armor of God…" Paul tells us to put on by faith God's armor. In the O.T., it is the Lord who wears the armor.Isa 59:16-17 This armor is of God, both in the sense that it is His actual armor. He now shares that armor with us. We are also instructed here by Paul to wear the whole armor, so that no part is exposed to the enemy.vs. 11 "that ye may be able to stand against the commitment & determination. We have to be ever ready to stand & fight with strength & power. We express the strength we have in God by standing against the strategies & tricks of the devil. This means we must be able to hold out & overcome all the devil's assaults.Vs. 13 "Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, (having overcome all) to stand,… To withstand- we must not yield to the devil's allurements & assaults, but to oppose them. We must resolve, by God's grace, not to yield to Satan, but stand our ground."I Chron 21:1 (NLT) Here Satan (adversary-one who opposes) stood up against Israel & he provoked David to do a census of Israel & God was displeased with this thing (I Chron 21:7) Here in I Chron 21, Satan stood up against Israel. When Satan stands up against us, we MUST stand up against him. Satan's kingdom is the kingdom of sin. To stand against Satan, is for us to strive against sin.Eph 6 vs.14 "Stand therefore,…" We can only stand against spiritual attack of the enemy, when we are "equipped" with the armor. Paul wrote this while in the custody of Roman soldiers, so it was easy for him to look at the equipment of the guards & see how God has equipped the believer. The order in which the pieces of amour are described is the order in which the soldiers would put them on.Eph 6 vs. 15 "And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;"Combat FootingThere are many types of shoes: dress shoes, casual shoes, steel toed boots for construction jobs, garden shoes, sandals, moccasins, slippers etc. Each of these has its purpose & specific benefits for the wearer. The Roman soldiers wore nail studded or spiked sandals to grip the ground in combat. They were designed to anticipate the various attacks which an enemy might employ to inhibit or stop their advance or to dislodge their footing when in combat.Eph 6 vs. The term "shod" is the Greek word (Hu-po-de-o) which means to bind on, to bind under one's feet. This is also suggestive of authority & power.Eph 6 vs. 15 "And your feet shod with the preparation…"preparation is a word meaning "a prepared foundation." Who or what is the prepared foundation?Isa 28:16, Matt 16:18, Eph 2:20, I Cor 3:10-11 (NLT) Here scripture shows that Jesus Christ is the prepared foundation or the preparation as noted here in Eph 6:15.Eph 6 vs.15 "And your feet shod with the preparation of gospel of peace;"- gospel of peace is the Good News of the Kingdom of God & salvation through Jesus Christ. The death, burial & resurrection of Christ is the foundation of the gospel.The gospel of peace pertains to the good news that, believers are at peace with God. It is that confidence of divine support which allows the believer to stand firm, knowing that we are at peace with God and God is our strength. The believer's stability from the gospel gives us peace so we can stand while in the battle.Taking vs.15 and substituting the definitions within this verse you have: "And your feet binded with the prepared foundation (which is Christ, who keeps us firmly planted) of the Good News of the prince of peace."Anyone in battle must have surefootedness otherwise they will fall to the ground. Anyone can walk on level ground, but our surefootedness is tested in struggles in life such as: conflict in relationships, financial pressures illnesses, job loss or even death of a loved one.Our surefootedness is tested also in the mountains, in water, in fire, on ice, on sharp rocks, in wind etc.Unfortunately, because we have a spiritual enemy, life is not about level ground: but about keeping our faith in the midst of the battle, regardless of the terrain, or circumstances we are presented with.Isa 43:1,2 (NLT) God preserved Israel during her time of disobedience & wickness & she could find comfort in knowing that no one or nothing can destroy her.God will be with us in our greatest difficulties, dangers, test & battles.Isa 43 vs.2 (KJV) "When thou passest through…" the hebrew word for passest is (A-Var) which means to go through, to crossover, to pass over. This verse tells up "When" you pass through" not "If" you pass through." There is a confidence & a promise that when we go through & get to the other side, God will be withus. God promised in Herews 13:5, " I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."Trials are varied & we experience them in different degrees. Sometimes, we will face the water which can represent afflictions as shown in Isa 43:2. (already read)Waters can represent instability in our lives Gen 49:4 states "Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy Father's bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch." Here Israel (Jacob) was blessing all of his sons before he died & he tells Reuben, his eldest son since he was "unstable like water" & he slept with one of Israel's wives & loses his position as the first born & the blessings that comes with it.We can go through the waters of persecution Ps 18:16 states, " He reached down from heaven & rescued me; he drew me out of deep waters." Ps 144:7 says, "Reach down from heaven & rescue me; deliver me from deep waters, from the power of my enemies."God will be with us through the rivers, with is another form of Affliction. None of these circumstances shall overflow, over whelm or get the best of us. God will even be with us in & through the fire & testing.Dan 3:19-27(NLT) These three Hebrew boys were cast in the Babylonian furnace because they would not bow down to an idol. God's presence & protection was in the fire (trail). They were also preserved in the fire, as they were walking in the midst of the fire as stated in Daniel 3:25. Walking is a pace which you are not in a hurry, not concerned, not burdened, not anxious then we walk. We can walk in the midst of our trails because He will protect & preserve us as we walk through the fire!We should have the stability & readiness to climb every mountain & every obstacle that comes up before us. The Bible says in 2 Sam 22:34, Ps 18:33, Hab 3:19 that "He maketh my feet like hinds' feet, and setteth me upon my high places."Having our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace will keep us stabled & balanced. If the enemy of trail can hurt your foot, you will be an unbalanced Christian. We must keep our feet shodded with the gospel of peace in that whatever we face, we have peace with God & peace in the storm.Mark 4:35-41 (NLT) So sometimes when we are in a storm, Jesus seems as if he were asleep, unconcerned in the troubles that we are facing. Jesus will still the "noises" of our winds & waves in our lives. Be the storm of trouble ever so loud, ever so strong, Jesus can make it be still.In the game of football, there are two teams, the offense & the defense. The offense is the team with the ball trying to advance to score a touchdown. The defense is the team that tries to stop the offense from advancing forward to score a touchdown. Well, in the spiritual realm, there are two teams, the offense (the Kingdom of darkness) & Satan is the head coach. There is the defensive team (the Kingdom of Light) & Christ is the head coach. The offensive team has the ball (whatever Satan has stolen from you) The believers, defensive team, Kingdom of Light must stand up & dig in our spiritual cleats into the ground to not let Satan team out run us or advance forward to score a touchdown with our stuff!In every trail, every obstacle, every circumstance & in every storm, we must stand up & dig in our spiritually cleats to be able to keep our footing, not to be knocked off our feet & to keep the enemy from advancing & scoring our territory.So…When financial troubles come your way…Stand up & dig in !When marital conflict arises…Stand & dig in !When children seem to have lost their minds…Stand up & dig in !When sickness hits your body…Stand up & dig in !When waiting on God to answer prayer…Don't waver…Stand up & dig in !Learn & study the game plays of your opponent. What are their weaknesses? They make the same moves most of the time but may attack a different person on the Kingdom of Light team.Get a spiritual interception, get the ball, take back what the devil stole from you. The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.In closing, we must be strong in the Lord & in the power of His might. We must put on the whole armor of God, that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. And having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, with your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, to have peace with God & with all men.May we stand firm in the Good News of the gospel so our peace will shine through us & we will be a light to all that we may encounter.
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Posted by Narda Goodson on February 9, 2009 at 8:44pm
Discouragement and desperation are tools that the enemy uses to keep us from reaching our goal in Christ. From the beginning of time many have given up their dreams and hopes due to the incessant assaults from the enemy. This is why we are admonished in 2 Corinthians 10:5 to cast down every imagination and thought that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.There are times we will feel like we want to concede defeat. The pressures of life dig at you without mercy. The relentless stress, anxiety, and demands of your problems increase as you find your ability to cope decreasing. You begin to lose your grip in life and eventually, you breakdown in despair.The word discourage in its verb form means oppose, hinder, inhibit, prevent, stop, and suppress. It also means dishearten, cast down, and depress. When you have been beat down by ‘discourage’, you fall into a state of discouragement.Discouragement is a saddened and cast down feeling we experience when we disallow the Word of God to have absolute dominion over our thought life. It is a deterrent, whose ultimate goal is to lead you away from God. Once discouragement has settled and permeated your heart, its doppelganger, desperation kicks in.Desperation is the state of extreme anxiety. At this stage, you encounter the brutal assaults of distraction, misery, harassment, and nervousness from “the thing” that initially came against you. The continual onslaughts of “the thing” that opposes and suppresses you have brought you to this gloomy place called desperation.When we are desperate, we become forgetful and apprehensive. We do not function at our best because we focus more on “the thing” rather than staying committed and steadfast to what the Word of God has said about the situation. While it is the enemy’s assignment to pursue and hassle you to the point of taking you off course, your job is to keep your guard at all times. 2 Timothy 2:3 says that we are to endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.There are many who are being “opposed” by the enemy. This word is a reminder that you are to take your position in your opposition, for the battle belongs to the Lord. The Bible declares that He that has begun the good work in you will complete it (Phil. 1:6).God’s grace is more than enough to get you through the storms of life. By refueling your spiritual gas tank with the Word of God, your enemy will not be able to wear you down. Determine that you will finish what God has started. Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. Destroy the spirit of a quitter!Tilt your heart towards the SON!Pastor Narda GoodsonFirst Lady of Whitewright, TexasOfficial Website: http://anointedarrowsproductions.org\Social Network: http://christianwomenpredestinedbygod.ning.com/Copyright 2008 Gospel "PiLLs". All Rights ReservedRead more…
