How Spicing Up Your Life Can Make You Happier!

October 10, 2011 by 17 Comments
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How Spicing Up Your Life Can Make You Happier!

by Olga Hermans

Happiness does not depend on your circumstances … it is a choice that you make. The first step is to make a conscious choice to boost your happiness; the bottom line is if you want to be happy, you need to make a decision to be happy right now.

An extraordinary number of people are asking questions about their own happiness on the internet, and many are not satisfied with the answers they often find. Why not? Don’t they want to make a choice? Happiness and other positive emotions play an even more important role in health than previously thought, according to a study published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine by Carnegie Mellon University Psychology Professor Sheldon Cohen.

If you want to spice up your life to be happier, you must develop a habit of happiness. You must learn to relax and go with the flow, instead of getting frustrated. You have to believe that God is in control, and that means you have no need to be stressed out or worried.

Moreover you need to be grateful for what you have, rather than complaining about what you don’t have. A habit of happiness boils down to staying on the positive side of life. Each day is full of surprises and inconveniences, so you must accept the fact that not everything is going to always go your way. Your plans are not always going to work out just as you scheduled them.

The Bible says, “Rejoice in the Lord always.” 1Thess. 5:16 The Msg. Bible says: “Be cheerful no matter what” Another translation simply says, “Be happy all the time.” That means no matter what comes your way; we can have smiles on our faces. We should get up each morning excited about that day.

I can tell you that this does not come naturally to me; I am a person that really has to work on this. I have a more serious and observant personality. Although I can really cheer up when circumstances are good and all that good stuff. So, if I want to spice up my life to be happy and I do, I have to cheer up a little.

I have learned the hard way to not be so rigid and be set in my ways. Life is too short to live it stressed out. Besides, prolonged stress can damage your health and significantly shorten your life. I don’t want to live with knots in my stomach because some person is not doing what I want them to do.

You and I can make a choice to be more flexible and have a more easygoing attitude. Think about it. Ten years from now, many of the things that we are allowing to create stress in our life won’t even matter. You and I won’t care that we were stuck in traffic or that Thanksgiving will be different that we had planned.

Make a decision that you’re going to be happy even if you get stuck in traffic, even if the waitress spills something on your new outfit, even if you have to wait in that long line.

God did not create you to be a negative-thinking person. He didn’t make any of us to live depressed, stressed out, worried, or frustrated. God intends for you to be happy, content and to enjoy your life.

Take an honest look at your life. Are you as happy as you know you should be deep down inside? Do you get up each day excited about your future? Are you enjoying your family? Enjoying your friends? If not, what is stealing your joy and causing you to get upset? Why are you worried?

It is a good thing to take inventory and then take it one step further. Begin renewing your mind in those areas. Many times, you can make a small change; a minor adjustment in your attitude, or a minor adjustment in how you treat people; a minor adjustment in how you respond to problems and it will make a huge difference in your life and in your level of joy. This definitely will spice up your life.

There is so much sadness in our world today. Many people are sick physically because they are living so stressed out, uptight and worried. The apostle Paul said, “I have learned how to be content no matter what state I am in.” In other words, “This doesn’t come automatically.”

We must do the same thing. Happiness is not going to fall on us. It is a choice we have to make. Being positive doesn’t necessarily come naturally. We have to make a decision daily. Our mind, left alone, will often drift toward the negative. If we don’t stay on the offensive, little by little we will grow more sullen. Soon, we’re not as much fun to be around.

We start to find fault. We get critical. Refusing to allow these negative habits take hold of us will spice up your life and can make you a much happier person. When you get out of bed in the morning and put a smile on your face, Set the tone right at the start of your day.

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What Does It Mean To Set Your Face Like Flint

September 29, 2011 by 25 Comments
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What Does It Mean To Set Your Face Like Flint

by Olga Hermans

… I set my face like flint, confident that I’ll never regret this. Isaiah 50:7
or I know that I will not be put to shame.

 

 

Have you ever heard that sentence? I heard it a couple of times this last weekend through people and then my pastor mentioned this very sentence on Sunday morning again. It was one of those sentences that stays longer with you than normal. I thought I’d dig in, do some research and write about it.

Setting your face like flint means determination. Do you know that you only can be as passionate as you are determined? When you are determined, you refuse to give up; you set your face like flint. People who have dreams overcome obstacles, because they want to see their dreams fulfilled. They did what they needed to do in order to enjoy what they like to enjoy.

God gave us the fruit of self-control and a free will, but we have to make a choice to use it. The less people use their will to make decisions they know they are right, the weaker they become. Setting your face like a flint and being determined is the decision to do whatever you need to do in order to have what you say you want to have.

We need to be diligent. Doing what is right one or two times or even a few times won’t always bring victory. Being diligent on a consistent basis and doing what you know you need to do over and over for a longer time, is the key.

You need a determined attitude, engage your will and be willing to do that particular thing forever if that is what you need to do. You won’t quit, you won’t stop, you set your face like flint and you are determined.

Real winners don’t put time limits on their commitments. They are committed with no conditions, and when they begin, they have made up their minds to finish.

The Bible says the diligent man will rule and he will be rich. Prov.10:4 and Prov.12:24

You cannot be diligent without being determined, just like you cannot be determined without being passionate. Determination is a mind-set and diligence is the effort that goes with it. You and I know people who decide to do something, but their decision is not a quality decision. They may pick up on something and do it for a little while, but when the first trouble appears, they’re gone and fall off to the wayside.

It is so easy for us to think we will do right than it is actually to do it. The doing makes the difference and it requires the diligence. The last part of our verse today says that God will never fail us if we do our part. God tells us what to do in order to have a good life and He gives us the grace to do it. However, we have to make the decision and realize that nobody can make it for us.

We all have to be willing to grow up spiritually, but we should also be determined not to give up during the maturing process. God tells us in Hebr.12 that when we are taught and corrected by God we should keep a good attitude and not give up. God has a plan for you, but He also must prepare you for the plan, and He will lead you as long as you keep your eyes on Him.

Most of us are determined until something happens that shatters our dream. What we do and how we respond to a crisis in life will make all the difference. Some people party and drink, or take drugs. In my FREE report I talk about the story of Joseph who had a dream of which he thought was shattered, but then he discovered that the very circumstances he thought were stealing his dream were leading him to it.

It is very important to remain positive and not start counteracting with lack of restraint. Some people eat excessively, others spend excessively, and others stop taking care of themselves and their household. A lifestyle of doing whatever you want to do is not going to eliminate your pain. The only thing that will eliminate it is setting your face like flint and being determined to have God’s will in your life and nothing else.

Remember to do all He has called you to do, not what He has called someone else to do. If you do what you are meant to do, you will be doing something that you enjoy and that really fits you.

Martin Luther King, Jr. said it this way: “if a man is called to be a streetsweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michael Angelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the host of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great streetsweeper who did his job well.”

Every success requires that you know that God is always on your side. You will be confident that you’ll never regret it and know that you will not be put to shame. Isaiah 50:7

Paul said that he was determined to know God. Phil.3:10 Don’t ever be satisfied to know about God, but get to know Him. Develop a deep, intimate relationship with Him for yourself and not through someone else. My background is the Catholic church where I only knew God through the priest. I wrote a book on prayer; check it out. You will learn keys and principles how to relate to God and hear His voice and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in your time of prayer.

Many of you just need a good dose of determination, a spark of passion that will ignite a steady stream of hope, enthusiasm, and commitment to keep going. That is the only thing standing between you and real victory. Make up your mind regarding what you believe, have God’s word to back it up, and don’t ever back down. Say daily, “I am determined to be all God wants me to be, do all He wants me to do, and have all He wants me to have.”

Will you set your face like flint from now on for the rest of your life, and never live one more day without determination and passion? Will you determine to be all you can be, and the best you can be? You have what it takes. You can do whatever you need to do though Christ, Who gives you strength.

Let us know what you are going after or what is that one thing that you think stands between you and your Destiny. Will you? It probably will help a lot of readers; thank you!!

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You Can Live the Satisfied Life

September 5, 2011 by 13 Comments
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Living the Satisfied Life

by Olga Hermans

 

Have you ever thought about what it is that brings true satisfaction and fulfillment in life? How you can find that contentment that will last longer this time? We clutter our life with so much meaningless work and activities that it is easy to lose sight of the way that God has meant your existence to be. He designed us and it is up to us to discover the life we were born to live.

Life is meant to be enjoyable, fulfilling, and satisfying; there is so much more to it than just existing or struggling or even surviving. I just have been watching a teaching from Dr. Don Colbert and he said that things/material possessions only produce 10% happiness. Personality makes up about 50% and 40% comes from how we think, our actions and reactions. I thought that was very interesting, because we think, in our way of living, that things bring us the satisfaction that we desire so much.

Truly happy people have found that fulfillment finds its source deep within and is largely unaffected by external surroundings or material possessions. The world however thinks totally different; the world is always pulling us to buy this and do that and most of the times, we fall into that trap.

Several years ago, a U.S. news magazine conducted a survey, questioning people in various income categories. People with an annual income of $25,000 were asked how much money it would take for them to live “the American Dream.” The average answer was $54,000 annually. The same question was asked of people making $100,000 annually; their average answer was $192,000.

What do the results of this survey tell us? Until we come to the understanding that living satisfied comes from our heart and the way we think; our mindset, we will always think that we need more things in our way of living to reach our goal in life. A very rich man once answered the question of how much it takes to be rich with “just a little more”. That is what most people think “just a little more.”

Benjamin Franklin said it his way, “To be content makes a poor man rich and discontent makes a rich man poor.” To really enjoy a life of fulfilment on a daily basis, we need to have our eyes on the right source.

To enjoy this kind of fulfilled life on a daily basis, it is important for us to look to the right source. People around us and even our best family and friends cannot give us what we truly crave. People will always disappoint us, because we humans are fickle. We should never seek approval of others, material possessions or status because they are not meant to be in our days to give us that kind of lasting satisfaction that we think we so desperately need.

Oh yes, there is that superficial sense of satisfaction that can come from all kinds of sources, but that is not the kind of satisfaction that you are looking for, because they are always unpredictable and short-lived.

To be “satisfied” can be defined as the sense of having enough or doing enough; to be content; or to experience fulfillment and gratification. The problem is though that the average person never thinks or feels like has really reached that point of having done enough. That is why we need to have a close look at our perspective in life and to get a grip on the source of real fulfillment and lasting satisfaction.

Can you imagine how fulfilled your life with Jesus can be? His love and joy and abundance are living on the inside of us. Jesus isn’t fickle or inconsistent; He is always the same. He is the only person that you really can depend on. When we put Him 1st place in our life and we center our lives in Him, we become happier and stronger and on top of that we become much healthier in all areas of our way of living.

We have a better outlook on our way of living and because we feel so much better and feel fulfilled, our relationships flourish. Everything gets better, because our focus is not on other people but on Jesus who always causes us to triumph in every situation.

That is the key, that for a lasting satisfied life of fulfillment we need to become deeply connected with an intimate relationship with God. The person who created us to love us no matter what; the person that has experienced that is truly satisfied in the Lord because he understands that God is the only reliable source in his way of living. The only source that of true fulfillment, abundant provision, and lasting security.

This is how The Apostle said it:way of living

    …For I have learned to be satisfied with what I have. I know what it is to be in need and what it is to have more than enough. I have learned this secret, so that anywhere, at any time, I am content, whether I am full or hungry, whether I have too much or too little. I have the strength to face all conditions by the power that Christ gives me. Phil. 4:11-13

Paul tells us that we need to learn to be satisfied and that it is an attitude that we need to practice. You know, look at the children; they are never content on their own. They always want something new. Marketers know this for a fact; they place the goodies for the children on a lower eye level just for them. We as mommies have to tell them that they cannot get everything they want, right? Children aren’t satisfied with what they have; they want what they don’t have.

Sadly enough many people are still the same when they grow up. Teenagers almost always give in on peer pressure; they want to have the latest thing in the store because “everyone has it.” Far too often, that same childish behaviour carries on into marriages. Some people will always live with that constant feeling of dissatisfaction because of the things they don’t have.

There are far too many people who want to “keep up with the Joneses” and want to have the latest fashion and the latest gadgets or the newest car even. This dissatisfaction robs people’s joy and clouds their lives with discontentment.

Paul talks about attitude of contentment in First Timothy 6:6 (AMP):

“[And it is, indeed, a source of immense profit, for] godliness accompanied with contentment (that contentment which is a sense of inward sufficiency) is great and abundant gain.” Paul describes contentment as a sense of inward sufficiency. It is to be our source of immense profit.

Read again what Paul says in Philippians 4:11: “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content.” This same idea is also found in Hebrews 13:5: “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’”

A satisfied life comes forth when we live from the inside out; when we can see it on the inside it will automatically show up on the outside.

When we center ourselves in Him, we discover the depth of Jesus’ love for us, and this brings the fulfillment we long for. It is from this point that we discover the power and security of living a contented way of living. As you become clearer about how you want your life to look like and about who you are in Christ, you will watch it come to pass in your own life and that is the true satisfied life.

The moment we are content and at peace with God, we can be at peace with ourselves. His peace brings confidence, no matter who we’re with or how intimidating someone may seem.

Question: What are the things in your life that keep you back from living your life with contentment and satisfaction? Please share with us and the other readers.

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You Can Start Over!

August 25, 2011 by 22 Comments
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You Can Start Over!      

by Olga Hermans

 

 

 

God Originated the “Starting Over” Principle

Has there ever been a time in your life that you wanted to start all over again? Well, I would say “join the club”. Of course you have and you have many chances to do that. There are many moments in our life that we don’t know what to do and feel like we should do something and then later on regret what we did.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all human beings were born with “manufacturer’s instructions” tied to their wrists, explaining who they are and how they work? (Of course, even if we did, most of us would probably skip the instructions and try to figure out life as we went along!)

So, there are times in our life that we really miss the mark so to speak. But God has put the principle of a “new start” in the entire universe. Everybody that reads the Bible knows that He worked for six days in Genesis chapter one, and then on the seventh day He rested. The week starts all over again on Sunday.

We thank God and worship Him as we go to church on Sundays, at least most of us do. Sunday is resurrection day; it is the day that Jesus arose from the dead. The early church began to worship on the first day of the week.

Look at how we celebrate a new day every day, because the earth rotates every twenty-four hours. It doesn’t matter how dark it gets during the night, morning will always be there on time. A new moon appears faithfully every month.

Every year, we experience a new beginning because the earth rotates around the sun during the 12 months of the year and then it starts all over again.

Then there are the seasons; after summer comes fall, then winter and the spring. God said. “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease” Gen. 8:22.

God is the one who has put the principle of “starting over” in the earth. The time that we were farmers in Alberta and had a bad crop in a particular year, we were looking forward to the time that we could start all over and plant a new crop for the next year! I remember that time so well and that each year brought a new harvest.

The Bible is filled with stories of people beginning again. God made a beautiful, perfect Garden and put Adam and Eve in it. In spite of its perfectness, they fell. The moment they fell, God initiated a new beginning. He said, “the seed of women is going to crush your head, devil. It’s going to destroy your power and take away what you’ve done” Gen. 3:15

When Jesus came to the earth; we started all over again with a new calendar. It changed from B.C. to A.D. It was a very significant moment when Jesus arrived in the earth; time started all over again and it was not a coincidence or an accident. No! Life begins not when you were born or when you turn 50, but with the moment that you receive Jesus into your heart as your Lord and Savior.

That is the new start in our life where we can make a choice to forget all those things of the past; the things which are behind. What are you waiting for? When you want to discover the life you were born to live and really, really want to pursue your destiny you have to leave everything from the past behind you.

When you want to feel in control and have faith for the things that you can’t control, you have to arise from your slumber. You know, as soon as you know what you want your life to look like; you are able to make important decisions and all your focus and everything else gets real clear.

The life you were born to live is one without regrets, one where you can learn from your mistakes and where you feel you are in control. See what Paul told us; read it very carefully:

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Phil. 3:13-14

Are there some things in your past that you’d like to forget? I do! We need the grace of God to forget. Grace is the power of God that enables us to do that. It is not something that we are able to do by ourselves, but it is by His gift of grace that we are able to leave the past behind and to let go of all the things that have happened.

We need to know that because Jesus shed His blood on the cross, the past is wiped out. God does not want to remind us of our past and He does not want to be reminded by us of our past. Such a good God.

People want to hold on to the past for more than one reason. They don’t realize that God originated the “Starting Over” Principle.

There are people who have had some great things happen to them in the past; they are very nostalgic, they love to experience it again and again in their mind. Then there are people who hold on to the past because it was so bad. These people are bitter and hold on through regret and sorrow, they like to go over it time after time.

Today is the day to choose to start all over again and to forget all those things of the past and lay those things “which are behind” aside. They keep you from moving forward; your future is much better than your past. There are so many things that you can look forward to.

Do you like salmon? The salmon is known as a fish with a fighting spirit. You might have seen a video of salmons where they fight the current because they want to go upstream and lay their eggs before they die.

Fighting to go upstream is not the only thing that they do; there are also bears on both sides of the stream that try to stop them from their most important accomplishment. It is amazing seeing how they challenge the rapids, rocks, and bears to reach their destiny.

Salmon have a remarkable sense of direction as some of them travel as far as 2,000 miles to find the exact stream in which they were born. Somehow, they know the exact destination they must go to lay their eggs. They must go up that particular stream to fulfill their destiny.

Their purpose – to lay eggs and fertilize them – will multiply their impact on the next generation. The bears would like to eat salmon and end their journey prematurely. The bears actually want the eggs the salmon are carrying. Many times they will rip open the fish, eat the eggs, and leave the carcass.

Do not be afraid to go upstream. God has an exact destiny or stream that you should go up to lay your eggs. Satan is not exactly just trying to stop you; he wants to get the eggs you are carrying. Satan knows that if you reach your destination and finish your course, you will lay some eggs that will bring multiplied blessing to your generation.

This might be a moment for you to make a choice to start all over again, to fight and go upstream. If that is what it takes, then just go and do it by all means. God is on your side; He watches over you all the time and you can do all things through Christ which strengthens you.
Please share with us you have been in that place where you started all over again or maybe you are in it right now. Thank you so much for doing that!

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7 Steps to Have Your Prayers Answered

August 11, 2011 by 12 Comments
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But The People Who Know Their God Shall Prove Themselves Strong and Shall Stand Firm and Do Exploits

 

7 Steps to Have Your Prayers Answered

by Olga Hermans

 

Prayer shouldn’t be a drag. It should be the highlight of your day, starting early in the morning and then keeping an ear to the Holy Spirit throughout the entire day. Effective prayer will cause you to soar like an eagle in God’s plans for you. It is the key to tapping into the wisdom of God, which will elevate you above mediocrity and perform the “greatest exploits” spoken of in Daniel 11:32

… but the people who know their God shall prove themselves strong and shall stand firm and do exploits [for God].
Daniel 11:32 Ampl

The next steps deal with fundamental aspects of praying that gets results; that is what we want right?  If you follow these steps you can be sure of prayers that get answered.

Step 1: Decide What You Want From God.

It is very important to make a solid decision James 1:6-8 says if a man wavers, if he cannot make up his mind, he is “unstable in all his ways” and he cannot expect to receive anything from God. There are different types of prayer; we worship and we have fellowship with God, but I like to talk to you right now about getting an answer to your prayer. Are you interested?

If we are not careful, our general type of praying will becomes habitual even when we need to be specific about a certain need. If you went to a grocery store and pushed the cart up and down the aisles without buying anything, people would think something was wrong with you.If you would send your child to buy certain items and he buys just those things, he is being definite.The same is true with prayer. It would be better to pray for 2 or 3 minutes and know what you are praying about than to pray aimlessly for 2 or 3 hours.

Decide what you want from God and be definite about it!

Step 2: Read the Scriptures That Promise the Answer You Need

As we feed on His Word, we build it into our consciousness. Jesus used the Word when satan came against Him in the wilderness. Jesus used the same weapon to defeat the devil that we all have today: the Word of God. When we pray for things that are specifically promised in the Word, we can have complete confidence that He will give us what we need.

The reason people are not confident and have no faith when they pray is because they don’t know the scriptures well enough to know if what they are praying for is God’s will.

Step 3: Ask God for the Things You Want

I know, we think and hope and it is true that He knows what we need Matth. 6:8, but He also tells us to ask Him for our needs and ask it with boldness in our hearts. Matth.7:7-8
God knows alright, but don’t forget that He wants us to bring our needs to Him and ask His help. Just do it!!

Step 4: Believe That You Receive

Truly I tell you, whoever says to this mountain, Be lifted up and thrown into the sea! and does not doubt at all in his heart but believes that what he says will take place, it will be done for him. For this reason I am telling you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe (trust and be confident) that it is granted to you, and you will [get it]. Mark 11:23-24

Everything is provided for us in the spiritual realm. Our needs have been provided for us in Jesus. We may not be able to see them, but they are there. We need to use our faith to receive it out of the spiritual realm; faith will grasp it and create the reality of it in our life. Develop a stubborn faith that refuses to look at circumstances, that is a faith that produces results.

Step 5: Refuse to Doubt

Let every thought and desire remind and affirm that you have what you ask. Keep speaking your desires, the things that you asked for. We should not permit any mental picture of failure to remain in our mind. Never doubt for one minute that you have the answer. Tell doubt to go and get your mind on the answer.

Wipe out every image, suggestion, feeling, or thought that does not add to your faith. People have experienced great miracles and breakthroughs by doing this.

My husband and I had asked the Lord for a trip to be able to go to a Christian conference last year; we had asked this around Christmas time and the conference would be in the 1st week of August. We had made a big deal of it, but when time went by and the summer came things were changing and the circumstance appeared that we had to move end of July.

I really felt impressed to pack already in June, didn’t think much about it; just did it. We hadn’t talked about the conference, but assuming that we wouldn’t go. Guess what? On the day of our moving; it was a very warm day two friends walked into the house.  Two friends that we hadn’t seen for a long time came and told us that the Lord had woken them up that night (two brothers) and had told them to pay for our trip to Dallas. They paid for the airfare, a 5 star hotel, a car, for the gas, for the food and some money to spend for a family of four. That is how good our God is!

That was something that we hadn’t experienced before. It was an awesome feeling to know that my prayers were answered. If I had not packed in June already, things would have been very unorganized, I can tell you that. So, these guys helped us move until late at night. The next morning they picked us up and brought us to the airport and off we went! I can tell you, that He is faithful and He comes through! It was a miracle! We had an incredible time in Dallas, met some friends and were so refreshed because of all the preaching that had been going on.

Step 6: Meditate on the Promises

Prov. 4:20-22 tells us to listen well to His words and to tune our ears to His voice and to keep His message in plain view at all times. Concentrate! Learn it by heart! Meditate on the promises on which you base your answer to prayer. See yourself as if you already have it and make plans as if it already were a reality. God will make His Word good if you will act on it.

If you are sick see yourself healed, if you are broke see yourself rich. Visualize yourself successful!
If you don’t stand by the Word, God can’t stand by you, even though He wants to. He moves in line with His Word.

Step 7: Give God the Praise

Phil 4:6 tells us to not fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting Him know your concerns. As long as we fret and are anxious, praying and fasting won’t do any good.

So do the opposite, start praising and thanking God. When you start thanking, you know in your heart that you truly believe and that you will receive it. This is the final step of prayer, that we lift our hearts up to Him in gratitude for what He has done and for what He is going to do for you now.

Andrew Murray said, “It is not good taste to ask God for the same thing over and over again”. I have to agree with him. If I kept asking my husband over and over for something that I really needed and he already promised to give it to me the first time; who would be the most disturbed about it do you think? Not I, because I really want to have it. He would be the one who would be most disturbed; because that would tell him that I don’t trust him. It would be better to be talking about it with excitement and thanking him for it and so on, right?

Question: Do you have a great testimony that you would love to share with us and our readers to give Glory to God? Let us know by leaving a comment. Thank you!

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Digital Travel Writer: Portable Lifestyle Made Easy by Wifi and Travel Apps

August 1, 2011 by 7 Comments
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Today you are in for a different treat again, because my good friend Claudia Looi is visiting us on The Choice Driven Life with a great subject:  our WiFi lifestyle – on the go with the necessary travel apps!

I know you will like it as much as I like her writings.  I met Claudia 6-7 weeks ago in Chicago at a conference with our coach Sandi Krakowski. She writes a great blog called The Travelpro and I visit it often to read her excellent and handy tips.

So, enjoy today’s article and let us know how much you enjoyed it.

 

 

Digital Travel Writer: Portable Lifestyle Made Easy by Wifi and Travel Apps

by Claudia Looi

 

One of the top treats of being a freelance writer is the ability to work in anywhere at anytime as long as you meet the deadline and produce the results needed. Last week I had the joy of just sitting in our local Barnes and Noble by their Starbucks Café…reading and drinking a less than $3 Grande Americano (I don’t drink sugared coffee). I got free Wi-Fi, a great cup of coffee, company of my son and people watching…that is part of my business model…people watch…I study human behavior as a copywriter.

While sipping coffee, researching and writing about geography and travels in Tanzania for my client in the UK…something clicked…I am a Digital Nomad. None of my clients live near me. They are all at least 1,000 miles away…. Wikipedia has the best description… A digital nomad is someone who uses technology and the internet to work remotely—from home, the coffee shop, internet cafe, or even to collaborate remotely with teams anywhere in the world.

These entrepreneurs & professionals frequently use new technologies like a smartphone, wifi, and web-based applications to develop location independence and earn an income wherever they live or travel. To me the most important aspect for any traveler or business person in this generation, even if you don’t work remotely, is the availability of wifi.

What if there were no wifi? What would you do? Clear 4G Take-it-with-you is a super fast internet connections you can bring with you wherever you go in about 80 cities in the United States. If you are an entrepreneur, traveler or an employee that travels for work in the United States, Clear could be a cheaper option compared to the fee that most hotel charge for room internet connections.

The last time I check in a hotel in Chicago, it was $9.99 per night. For unlimited internet access outside of the United States XComGlobal.com may be an alternative. They cover over 40 countries and you can select the mobile hotspot option or USB Modem option. It is cheaper to get a mobile hotspot in the country you are visiting.

Here is an example of one we used last year while traveling in Malaysia. DiGi has all the options for entrepreneurs and travelers to stay in touch. Other than wifi, travel apps do come in handy for a digital travel writer. What are these travel apps for? They are apps on smartphones or laptops that help assist with trip planning, free phone calls or cheaper phone calls, worldwide radios, track flights, hotel and restaurant reservation, language translation… to every type of games imaginable.

Here are 5 that I like:

1.   Skype is a free app and you can call for free from one Skype account to another. Or make cheaper phone calls from anywhere with your contacts who are not on Skype. You can also send instant messages.

2.   Tripit helps you organize your travel. You create your trip by entering the start and end dates, transportation details (flights, car rental etc), accommodation, restaurants and activities. After entering all the details you get your itinerary at your finger tips. What seems to be a tedious way of typing out and putting in order is now automated for you.

3.   Flight track help you track your flights on real time, including delays and gate numbers. It even comes with a map and the airplane you are tracking. They track worldwide flights and will give you updates on cancellations and find alternative flights. This app cost $4.99 from iTunes. Or track for free on your laptop or desktop.

4.   Oanda Currency Converter can convert over 190 currencies and 4 metals. Imagine… your silver coin can be converted too! This app is free. Get an idea of how much cash you need to have in hand when you travel. Shows you a typical rate charge for the currency you are exchanging.

5.   Google translate is able to translate up to 50 languages. You can even listen to your own spoken translations. This is just an entertainment while you wait for a flight or just filling in time. This is a free app.

If you find this information helpful, don’t forget to grab our free report on 5 Keys to planning a vacation of your dreams…do it today. This report may help you not to put off the trip of your dreams. If it is not now…when will your dream vacation be?

Claudia Looi is a freelance travel, content and copywriter. She is a mother of two teens and currently lives in Florida. A former travel professional with various tour operators, she has lived and worked in Kuala Lumpur, Auckland and New York. She currently writes for travel, hotels, real estate and wellness industries. Most of her writings are not in her name. They are featured in the United States, Malaysia, New Zealand and Belize. She has traveled to over 20 nations and some multiple times. You can find her at www.travelwritingpro.com. While you are there grab her Free Report 5 Keys to planning a vacation of your dreams.

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Know What Stands Between You and Your Destiny

July 28, 2011 by 12 Comments
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Know What Stands Between You and Your Destiny

by Olga Hermans

 

Are you in for a little challenge today? We’ve all had our share of adversities and we will continue to face hard times but harsh conditions have a way of bringing out the champion on the inside of us. Let’s have a look at our life experiences not in a self-pity manner or in a manner that brings disappointment or shame but from the standpoint of turning all our past experiences into hope for someone else.

If you would do that it would bring out your own uniqueness, your own message and you would move towards your destiny with great expectancy.

You might be going through something that somebody else is going through right now and they need your wisdom for that certain situation. They need to know what you know. Here is a very suitable quote form Myles Monroe: “Most people think the greatest tragedy in life is death. The greatest tragedy in life is to live and not know your purpose”.

Having lived your whole life and never really having that assurance of know what you have accomplished what you were meant to do is a very discouraging thought. So, if you are saying that you don’t have any dreams or you don’t have any goals, you definitely need to spend more time with God. Because God has a destiny for everybody on this planet and that includes you!

Sandi Krakowski

Some of us are called to be entrepreneurs and to be successful, like my coach, Sandi Krakowski. She went through a lot of trauma as a young girl; even gang raped in her 20s. She is a true survivor turned thriver – $500K debt – given a year to live – to creating and owning one of the fastest growing online business-coaching and information publishing companies in North America. Today she is totally debt free for the past 5 years and medically completely healthy and she gives God all the credit for it.

Others are called to be a mother of 12. Yeah, my friend Charlotte Siems is a pastor’s wife and she has 12 children.

Or my friend Denny Hagel who has a passion to help parents raise their children and is doing this already for over 25 years and is very succesfull.

It doesn’t matter what you do as a career or calling, God wants to use you and impact people around you. He wants you as you are, as He designed you to be; nothing less and nothing more. Here is another great quote from Mike Murdoch: “Your life’s assignment is not your decision but your discovery”.

Of course there are some decisions that you have to make to make it all happen. I remember the moment that my husband and I decided to go to VBI-Tulsa; that was a major decision for us and one of the best decisions we have ever made. But it wasn’t easy; our children were 13 and 11. We moved from overseas; they had to learn English, leave their friends behind and make new friends. But our lives have never been the same since.

Decisions are like falling dominoes in a line, each one toppling one irreversible consequence against another. After that we went back to The Netherlands to start a bibleschool, which also was a big decision that we did not regret. Life is too short for regrets. That’s why it is soo important for you to know who you are, what is important to you and what you want to do with your life.

God orders our steps; that means that He is always endeavouring to maneuver you towards your destiny. If you will listen to Him, then you will always be in the right place at the right time with the right people. That’s the reason you need to be sensitive to His leadership.

I believe that God has some extremely exciting things on the horizon for you. No matter how miserable your life may be at this very moment, God has a plan and God’s plan is to turn your life around. Make a choice to not run from Him, when you are distressed and unhappy, then He will and He can turn your situation around. He always knows what to do; He knows exactly what it takes to turn your life around.

What stands between you and your destiny? God’s will for you is always triumph! ALWAYS! 2Cor.2:14. That means that God always wants the very best for your life, no matter how impossible your circumstances look at this very moment. If you stumble and fall seven times, get up again ad go again. Remember, your hard times make you strong!

Satan will come between you and your destiny. He’ll create barriers. He’ll create obstacles, tests and trials because he knows more than you do that God has a powerful plan for your life. He will stand between you and your destiny. He will come up with the most ridiculous situations so that you will be discouraged and want to quit, and never fulfill what God has planned for you.

Let me remind that the difficulties that you are facing today, the thing that is trying to keep you from your destiny today, could become that stepping stone to your greatest victory! Don’t let the devil steal your destiny. God is always there to help you; He will change your whole life. Just as He did with my coach Sandi Krakowski; she is a great example to many.

Never get the idea that your life is no good because you weren’t on drugs or because you hadn’t made a terrible mess of your life. I know people think they don’t have a good testimony because they didn’t experience a whole lot of things. I think that, that is a wonderful testimony and there are people who want to hear it. People are looking for evidence; they are looking for what you have on the inside of you.

If this article is talking to you, it may be time to reexamine what you are doing. You are not meant to live an unfulfilled life. Make sure that you are doing THAT particular thing that is part of your destiny. Don’t spend years and years in a meaningless existence, doing something you dislike, staying there simply because it is convenient and you don’t want to rock the boat. Let me help you to step into your divine destiny; I wrote this book especially for you.

There are many people who have no clue what they are supposed to do in life, don’t let this  be you!
Go and get my book NOW by clicking here!

 

What Did You Think?

Please take a quick moment and leave your comments below.  Thank you!

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Simple Steps to Pay Yourself First

July 25, 2011 by 13 Comments
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Many of our readers that completed our survey told us that they would love to read more on money issues. I am pleased to tell you that my friend Beau Henderson with whom I did The RichLife Fast Track 30 Day Coaching Program, as some of you will remember, was more than willing to be  our guest today at The Choice Driven Life.

I have learned a lot of things from him lately all around making the right choices for our financial life as well. One choice that we should make and that would give our fnances a boost, you will learn from him today.

I am so glad to introduce Beau to you our valuable readers. I am very blessed to know Beau and even more honored when he said yes when I asked him to be our guest on the blog today.

You will learn a principle that is definitely going to change your life, if you apply it.

Enjoy today’s article by Beau Henderson!!

 

 

You are the most important asset that you have. Take care of yourself.

 

Simple Steps to Pay Yourself First

by Beau Henderson

 

Are you saving regularly?

Many people never save because they think it is too complicated, but the concept of saving is really quite simple.  Developing the discipline of saving is what takes a little work.

The three reasons I hear most for not being able to save are: I don’t make enough, I’ll save what’s left, and I have too much debt.
Do you relate to any of these reasons for not saving?

Let’s examine these excuses together, one at a time, and find out how you can start to pay yourself first.  The good news is that You can begin to save now, today, because paying yourself first is a mindset and a habit that has nothing to do with the size of your paycheck.

Reason #1: I don’t make enough money…

There are two kinds of people – those who save now and those who wait. The employee who makes $2,000 a month and gets in the habit of putting $50 of it away will have $600 saved by the end of the year. The same employee who waits until they can “save more” will have $0. And after 10 years, they still won’t have anything saved, and will still be waiting to have enough to save.
Are You Playing the “When I/Then I” Game?

It goes something like this… “When I can save $200 a month, then I will start to put away money for the future”.  The problem with this game is that it rarely, if ever works and our nature is to always create the next “When I/Then I” scenario instead of developing the habit needed to be successful with money.
Get into the habit of setting aside a portion of what you make now.

It doesn’t matter how little, it can be $5 or $5000. The important thing is to get in the habit. If you can bump up that amount annually by at least 3% or $25 a check as your pay increases, and in ten years, you’ll be saving at least $250 a paycheck. But it will never add up like that unless you get started.

Reason #2 I’ll save what’s left…

And typically what’s left is nothing. It happens to everyone. Saving won’t happen if you approach it this way. It is human nature to spend what is there, so don’t even give yourself the option. Take out the amount first, before you’ve even see it. Have it automatically deducted if you can, and put it into a separate account. Once you get in the habit of doing this, you won’t even miss it.
Put it on Auto Pilot For Success

To be successful at paying yourself first make savings automatic.  Your company’s 401k, 403b, SEP, or other retirement plan can deduct a percentage of your income pre-tax from your paycheck.  You can set up an automatic draft to fund after tax savings like ROTH IRAs, brokerage accounts, and savings accounts.  You have to plan for real life  and can set up automatic drafts to fill up separate buckets for emergency savings, car fund, house maintenance.
Reward Yourself to Stay on Track

All of this automatic saving is great, but if you want to stay on track you have to build in some rewards for all of your disciplined hard work.  Most successful clients build in buckets or automatic accounts to fill up for things like a road trip to see the grandkids, an annual trip to Vegas, or a deep sea fishing trip with the guys.

Remember, financial success is about living well.  These memorable experiences are priceless and need to be planned and saved for or else we are right back to playing the “When I/Then I” game in this area as well.

Reason #3 I have too much debt…

The truth is those that have the discipline to pay themselves first get out of debt faster.

Debt won’t go away unless you pay it off and nothing will get saved unless you start now. So split the difference. Come up with a formula that works for you.   People that have a succesful relationship with money create a formula using these 4 components:

Example:

1.      An amount you can live off – 70%

2.      An amount to save – 10%

3.      An amount to go towards debt – 10%

4.      An amount to give away – 10%

If you need every penny, the breakdown can be 97%, 1%, 1%, 1%.

What happens when the debt is gone?  You’ll be able to increase your savings without having to change your lifestyle or spend a penny more.

Paying yourself first puts the focus where it should be – on the person whom the money was meant to serve. In my experience, it is never the behavior of the investment that makes the difference so much as the behavior of the investor.

You are the most important asset that you have. Take care of yourself. It might be hard at first, but getting into the habit now will result in easier saving tomorrow. This is one of the core principals necessary to building a RichLife. It is my most sincere hope that you achieve yours.

What is your biggest obstacle when it comes to paying yourself first?

 

Beau Henderson is a financial advisor, author, coach, radio personality, and CEO of RichLife Advisors. He has helped over 3,000 clients to not just improve their relationship with money, but to live the life of their dreams.  For more tips on how you can apply the principal of wise stewardship to your everyday life, get a copy of Beau’s newest book, The RichLife – 10 Investments for True Wealth.

 

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How to Have a Thought-Life You Can Be Proud Of

July 21, 2011 by 9 Comments
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Our Mind Can Be Like Those Old Typewriters


How to Have a Thought-life You Can Be Proud Of

by Olga Hermans

 

In Deut 30:19, God says, “I have set before you life and death, blessing and curses; therefore choose life.” He gives us an option, but He wants us to do the choosing.  A choice often means we can go the easy way or the hard way.  We can go the way we feel like going or we can go the way we know is right. To make a right and wise choice means we will probably have to discipline ourselves to do something we don’t feel like doing, but know is best.

As the Bible tells us, discipline doesn’t bring immediate joy, but it does bring lasting joy later on. The enemy is always out to destroy us and he often tries to do that by influencing us to make bad choices – to choose to do what feels good or is easy now, instead of what will be beneficial in the long run.

These choices may temporarily satisfy the flesh, but they don’t please God or satisfy us permanently. We should discipline ourselves to make good choices that honor God and His Word. God encourages His children to walk in the Spirit and the way we do that is by choosing to take time to listen to the Holy Spirit and do what we know is right even if it doesn’t feel good.

We’ve all known or know a time when we were in a disagreement with somebody and the air was filled with tension. You can choose to apologize and do what will restore peace or you can choose to stay angry and wait for the other to apologize; we have all been there.

So, what is more important? To be right or to choose for peace? The answer is that it is the right thing to make peace and if we don’t, we are sinning. God is our vindicator and if we need to be shown to be in the right, He will take care of that, but our part is to honor Him by doing what we know is right according to His Word. God can always work out the details but we need to make that quality choice to keep the peace.

You have to realize now more than anything that making right choices is the key to a happy life, and keeping our minds on right things is another one. Don’t let your mind wander around and do whatever it pleases. We have been given the spirit of discipline and self-control. You have been given a sound mind.

I love to sit beside my husband when we are riding down the road; I like to look out of the passenger side window while my husband is driving. He would give a smile if he would be reading this :), but my mind can go off on a drift or wander off onto something that is totally worthless and will not produce anything good in my life.

That doesn’t make me a bad person; it just means I have a choice to make. Will I be lazy and let it “drift”, or will I once again discipline myself to stop thinking that wrong thought and find something good and noble to think about?

I once heard an analogy that someone made; she said our mind can be like those old typewriters. We are focussing on something and our mind starts to wander away from us just like that handle on the typerwriter. I know this typewriter probably tells you my age more than anything else, but, when you start typing, that handle would go all the way to the right and you had to push it back to start e new line.

That is how our mind works, we are in a conversation or something, or reading a book or whatever we do and our mind wanders off…outside the window and we have to push it back just like that old typewriter. Do you get the picture?

My mind can drift when I am in a conversation with my husband, but it also happens when others are speaking and what they are saying really isn’t that interesting to me. It seems to be important to them, but it isn’t to me. My mind starts to drift to thoughts like: “I really have some more important things to do. Or, this is boring… or this goes way too far, I cannot believe this.” Things like that? Oh, you ever thought those things?

Then suddenly a message from my pastor or somebody comes up that we have to treat other people the way we like to be treated. Ouch!! We need to make the other person feel valuable, because they are. So, I am faced with a choice: do I walk in love and show respect for the person talking to me, or do I just pretend that I am listening while I have these wandering thoughts?

Are you surprised that these thoughts happen to me? Let me tell you a secret: they happen to everyone. We are not bad people because bad thoughts come to us but if we don’t resist them, we can become whatever we choose to focus our thoughts on.

The Bible tells us to seek good (1Thess 5:15). Seek means to make an attempt. We all have to seek to think right thoughts. It takes discipline and training, but we can do it. Determine today to set your mind on right things and discipline yourself to keep it set on them and you will enjoy the great and powerful life God has in mind for you.

When you find yourself stuck in a”wandering away” thought that is detrimental to you and you have a hard time staying focussed; get busy doing something good to bless someone. One thing you should not do is stay passive and merely wish you could get it off your mind. Be aggressive and refuse to lend your mind to the devil for his activity.

Remember that bad thoughts lead to bad moods and bad decisions, so don’t waste your time on anything that doesn’t add to the quality of your life. Think on that typewriter, I have to do that many times. 😉

You know, if we are deciding on what we think on or decide where our thoughts go; it all comes down to making decisions. We have to make a choice to activate our will to stay focused. Learn How to Make Decisions Like an Expert in 7 Easy Steps by reading our FREE Report.
Click here to receive it.

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How to Manage Your Happiness by Keeping Yourself Sane

July 18, 2011 by 9 Comments
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God Does Not Want You To Sacrifice Your Happiness To Keep Somebody Else Happy

 

How to Manage Your Happiness by Keeping Yourself

By Olga Hermans

 

Oh, how important it is to keep yourself happy and not be living to please everybody else. How easy we can get in that habit of taking on a false sense of responsibility, thinking that it is our job to keep everybody happy. Of course, it is always good to reach out to others and to try to help as many people as possible.

Do you sense the “but” coming? Too often, though, we get out of balance. We’re doing everything for everybody else, but we’re not taking the time to keep ourselves healthy and happy. God does not want you to sacrifice your happiness to keep somebody else happy.

Your first priority is to take care of yourself. I don’t mean to the extent of being selfish and only me, me, me. That is not what I am saying, but I am saying that you cannot be responsible for someone else’s poor choices. If you do, before long, that person will be controlling you and manipulating you.

I think we all know how that feels. God has not called you to be unhappy simply to keep somebody else happy. Truth is, some people don’t want to be helped; they don’t want to change. They just like the attention. Sometimes, the best thing you can do for somebody like that is not to help them.

I remember the time with my oldest sister, who lives in The Netherlands and is mentally ill. I don’t know how she did it, but she could make me feel so guilty if I wouldn’t do that particular thing that pleased her. A few years ago there was a time that I called her every day at the same time and spoke scriptures into her mind. She so enjoyed it and it looked like she was doing so much better.

Anyway, my husband and I were going to a conference in Dallas. She told me how afraid she was to not have me call her and this and that. So, ok I told her I would call every day. I think the 2nd or 3rd time I called her at our agreed time to hear from the front desk that she had gone to a movie. That was the moment that I started to realize I had to do things differently although she was mentally ill.

Life is too short to go through it being controlled and manipulated by people who refuse to make good choices on their own. You are not responsible for everybody else’s happiness. If people are controlling you, it’s not their fault; it’s your fault. You must learn to set some boundaries. Quit allowing them to call you at all hours of the day and night to dump their problems on you.

Many people are all upset, frustrated and discouraged because they’ve made a wrong choice of taking on way too much responsibility for somebody close to them who won’t do what is right. They carry a heavy load, trying to keep someone else happy.

You can be free from all that if you will just give those people to God. Quit trying to be the keeper of the universe. That is not your job. Of course, is not easy at first. My decision towards my sister was very hard on me, but I had to do it. I am not talking about selfish or self-centeredness. We should be givers and care for each other. But there is a big difference between giving and allowing somebody to control you and make you feel guilty until you do what they want.

To reduce stress, be aware of high-maintenance people in your life. Some people are almost impossible to keep happy. Maybe this is a turning point for you. If you have been living to please everybody else, or constantly trying to fix everything, rid yourself of that false sense of responsibility. Yes, be kind and compassionate and yes you should reach out to others. It’s like the saying that says: “you can’t help anybody who won’t help themselves”.

You gotta run your race and not let people control you and manipulate you; you will not only have less stress and more time and energy, but I also believe you will be much happier, and you will be free to fulfill the best plan that God has for you.

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