Your Season Can Shift With One CHOICE

 

 

 

 

Your Season Can Shift With One CHOICE

by Olga Hermans

Sometimes it feels like we need a shift in our life, we are in the middle of the wilderness, that there are no roads or even signs that lead anywhere. Even if you would have a choice, you are not expecting anything good; nothing exciting at all. I’d like to share a few things with you that might change your way of thinking; a powerful insight about understanding your own times and seasons.

We all know that God loves us and that He wants the very best for us no matter what. His desire for us is that we prosper in every area of our life. We want His will to come into our life because that is the very best for us. He created us and placed our gifts and talents on the inside of us and in a way that makes us dependable upon God. By the way, God likes that and it helps us if we like that.

God is all-powerful and unstoppable and holds our times and seasons in His hands. But the thing is that many people relegate the season they are in to God’s sovereignty. Oops! Big mistake! They give everything into God’s hands as if He made us a robot. They leave the breakthrough in their life, or getting their life to a better place up to God. It’s all up to God to heal them whenever He wants it to happen and then they wait for it. They think God wants to teach them a lesson.

Others have said concerning the call that’s on their lives, “When God wants to open a door for me or use me in a certain way, it will just happen.” And they sit and wait and wait and wait.

We are more involved in our destiny and the season and times that we are living in than we realize. You remember when Jesus came to the well and met the Samaritan woman “by accident”? Her life was all messed up and bound in immorality; she knew no way out any more. Here she was, just going about doing her daily tasks like any other day. Here she is at the well and meets this man who knew everything about her life and still wants to talk to her. That was very rare for her. From that day forward her whole life was changed around.

You see, this woman was open to a change in her life and seized the moment so to speak. Her messed-up circumstances made her desperate and longing for a change. Her eyes were opened to who Jesus was and went and told it to everyone in her town. Her season was shifted in one single moment.

There are so many stories and situations in the Bible that show us that when Jesus shows up, things drastically change. I remember in my own life when my husband and I went through a very difficult time in our marriage and we thought that the only way out was a divorce. We were meant for each other, but circumstances and family situations had brought too many hardships, and we just wanted to give up.

But Jesus showed up at a moment we didn’t even know Him yet, but He turned the whole situation around in 1 moment on 1 day. After that, the word “divorce” went out the window which was the best decision we ever made.

Your season can shift with one CHOICE! You see, sometimes we need another person to speak into our life for our life will move forward. But WE have to be willing and we have to be open!

In order to make the right decision that can change your entire life and launch you into your new season, you have to have faith that is produced by clarity of vision. Every fear, every doubt and every distraction must be thrown out of your heart. You must learn to trust yourself and gain confidence and the way you do that is by living out of your spirit, not your soul.

Our emotions, our will and our mind make up our soul; our emotions can drive us away from the path that we need to go. Our thoughts can keep us captive in fear and doubt. Our will can be so passive that we don’t even want to make a choice. That is a bad situation waiting for a disaster to happen. You need to be able to take your will and change gears and tell yourself to get up and create a change in your life.

Engage your will in what YOU want to do and bring all your feelings and stinky thoughts under submission to your will and if you have your will submitted to the will of God; good things are going to happen. God WANTS you to prosper, so whatever you are confident in doing, start doing it! Our will is a powerful thing. If we don’t want to yield to the will of God, nothing is going to happen.

So many people are soul-driven, while God is calling us to be Spirit-led. God speaks into our spirit; He gives us ideas and witty inventions to create wealth. He has empowered us to create wealth. So, let’s engage our will and step up to the plate and do it! Will you do that?

You can subscribe to The Daily Choice which brings an encouraging message 5 days a week to your inbox by clicking here

 

When Life Throws You A Curveball

 

When Life Throws You A Curve Ball

by Olga Hermans

You know a curve ball starts one way and then goes another. A well-thrown fast ball is predictable – you know where it is going – and because of that, it is fairly easy to hit. But a curve ball is different. The pitcher makes the ball curve by pulling down on it with his fingers as he releases it. The ball spins diagonally and then curves.

When I say a curve ball, I am referring to an unexpected problem, a surprise obstacle or a twist in the way you thought things were going to happen. For example, you thought your marriage was going to be everything you hoped for and you thought you were going to live happily ever after. Then you found out that it wasn’t the way you thought it would be.

Maybe you were hired for a new job and you thought it was going to be a certain way, but you found out you had a boss or an employee that was a real pain in the neck. That was a curve ball. You did not see it coming. It started out the way you thought it would, but suddenly there was a change.

Sometimes you get those balls that are thrown at you that are just crazy and you don’t know what to do with it. You’re thinking: “how in the world am I going to hit that one?”
I think about what happened to the disciples; they weren’t counting on Jesus dying. Jesus was their savior; He was their King and all of a sudden He is hanging on the cross and they are hoping that He will have a comeback and then he gets buried.

That was curve ball for them, they weren’t ready for that and they didn’t know how to hit that kind of a ball.

Have you ever had a curve ball in your life? Something happened unexpectedly, something you didn’t plan on. Maybe somebody in your family died or maybe your parents got a divorce.
Maybe something happened that you didn’t see coming and you had no clue whatsoever to do with the situation?  The disciples had to make a choice; was their faith going to be based on the circumstances around them or continue to carry on what Jesus told them to do?

When I was 18, my father died unexpectedly. I remember the day that my mom and dad were going to a birthday party of a friend. They were dressed up and I remember my father making really nice compliments to my mom, how good looking she was and all that. All 5 of us always enjoyed it so much when he was “dating” my mom.

Anyway, off they went. At the party while he was dancing, he fell on the floor and had a heart attack; he never stood up again. It was devastating to my mom and all of us; she was speechless, she just couldn’t get her mind around the fact that he was gone. It was a very, very tragic moment for all of us; our life was never the same thereafter.

There are many times that people are not correctly handling problems and obstacles in their lives because they have failed to make an adjustment in their timing. The point is this: Most of us are accustomed to handling things straight on, so it can be very difficult when we get a curve ball thrown at us.

There are situations in our life where we feel we are totally undone because of something unexpected and unwanted came into our life. You have to make choice. You can be destroyed and fall apart or you can bounce back and hit that ball!

You can look at it this way: in the ocean there are sharks, but in the boat there is safety. You can stay in the boat (Jesus) and cross the ocean (go through life in this world) and the sharks will not get to you. In Christ there is victory, joy and peace. In the world, there is tribulation, but in Christ, you can go through the world overcoming every circumstance and situation. It doesn’t change the things that are in the world; it just changes your ability to overcome the world.

You can subscribe to The Daily Choice which brings an encouraging message 5 days a week to your inbox by clicking here

Iron Sharpens Iron

 

 

   

Iron Sharpens Iron

by Olga Hermans

Have you ever thought about who you want to hang out with? I want to be around people who are hungry for God. They have a sense of direction in life, but they also have this hunger for God and in this hunger for God they want to please God with their lives. I love it when people know where they are going and know what they want to do.

I love to be with them and let it rub off on me. I listen to them and ask them how they got where they are now from where they were. What was the most important choice that they made in their life and what was the worst. How do they make tough choices? What motivates them and so forth.

It is very important to know to whom people listen to. I think that, that is very important to know because you want to have the same source of influence in your life. Sometimes people are in church with great issues in their lives, they try to fight great temptations, but they are scared to go to somebody and be open about their life. So, they keep it to themselves and keep it as a secret. We need accountability in our life.

You know, when iron sharpens iron, sparks are going to fly! One person is chasing after God and the other person is not chasing after God, so when you confront a person on issues that are ungodly, sparks are going to fly.When there are no sparks flying then it is probably not a relationship where iron sharpens iron. But we need someone who is going to confront us on pride, selfishness and lust.

What about personal greed and jealousy? You want to be with people who are going to challenge you to take you forward in your walk with God and in your walk in life.You know, friends that you are able to bounce things off on and when they are able to put you in check; you are going to put them in check as well.

You actually need three types of people in your life:

1. Somebody who pours into you, somebody that you gain knowledge from; the ins and outs of life. Someone who helps you to stay focused on your vision that you so desperately like to accomplish.

2. Somebody that you can bounce things off on; somebody that can challenge you and build you up if necessary.

3. Somebody that you can pour into, all the knowledge that you gained can now flow into the life of somebody else.

Col 1:3-5 says: The Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us.

We need that, don’t we? We need comfort, but then there are times that there are other people that God calls us to bless in a relationship. They need what we have to speak into their lives. Most importantly we can have relationships where we can confess our faults one to another so that we can be healed.

And at the same time, we can affirm each other; “I believe in you, I know that God has great things in store for your future, this is not the end; things like that seem to encourage us in a great way. Prov 27:17 “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.” Ecc 4:9-10 “Two people are better than one because together they have a good reward for their hard work. If one falls, the other can help his friend get up. But how tragic it is for the one who is all alone when he falls. There is no one to help him get up.”

Two heads are better than one.
~John Heywood

Walking with a friend in the dark is
better than walking alone in the light.
~Helen Keller

A true friend never gets in your way
unless you happen to be going down.
~Arnold H. Glasow

You weren’t meant to go through life alone. God created you for a relationship. Relationships that will encourage you and strengthen you and challenge you. But more than anything, God wants a relationship with you Himself. God wanted a family from the very start; He wants you as a part of His family.

You can make a choice today to surrender your life to Him. He is a very good iron sharpener 🙂 Most important is that He loves you no matter what.

You can subscribe to The Daily Choice which brings an encouraging message 5 days a week to your inbox by clicking here

How to Simplify Complicated Lifestyle Choices

Learn to Make Good Choices

 

How to Simplify Complicated Lifestyle Choices

by Olga Hermans

 

We can make life so complicated that we try to learn how to deal with the complexities of life, but don’t realize that our life is getting really cluttered.We get stressed because of it, don’t know why and don’t see the answers that we need for the issues that come up. I personally don’t think that, that is the will of God for our lives. God wants us to come to Him for answers and when life is too tough for us to handle.

Everything you could ever want or need can be found in the presence of the Lord. God has a benefit plan for us that is greater than any plan offered by any organization in the world. The God of the universe, Who spoke the world into existence, is giving you the opportunity to walk boldly into His throneroom to fellowship with Him at any given time. Every good thing you could possibly desire is waiting for you in His presence, everything you need to know is right there.

It is so simple. Yet so many believers miss this powerful truth. Think about it. Each day believers say no to God; He is waiting on us to come to Him to have a good time with Him and have all our questions answered. Instead they choose to spend their time filling their minds with garbage on television, with gossip or just mindless things.

Let’s have a look at a passage where we can see how 2 sisters handled this in their own life.

As they (Jesus and the disciples) continued their travel, Jesus entered a village. A woman by the name of Martha welcomed him and made him feel quite at home.  She had a sister, Mary, who sat before the Master, hanging on every word he said. But Martha was pulled away by all she had to do in the kitchen. Later, she stepped in, interrupting them. “Master, don’t you care that my sister has abandoned the kitchen to me? Tell her to lend me a hand.” The Master said, “Martha, dear Martha, you’re fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it–it’s the main course, and won’t be taken from her.” Luk 10:38-42 Msg

This passage reveals a lot about how complex our life can be some time. If you think about it, how many people had the opportunity to sit at the feet of Jesus and learn from Him directly? Not many, but Martha had that chance, and yet she didn’t take that opportunity.

Things are much the same for us today. Many people work hard, are dedicated, and are committed servers in church. They receive the Lord, they love Him and they serve Him, but they don’t experience the benefit of being in His presence.

Those things were all true for Martha; she obviously loved Jesus, eager to serve Him all the way and she was in His presence, right? But there is something else that was true for her that is also true for many of us today. The bible calls it being cumbered, being distracted, being upset or like the Msg. Translation says being pulled away.

In other words, Martha made things so complicated in her life that she couldn’t get to the feet of Jesus to hear His Word. Martha was a servant in the presence of the Lord, but she wasn’t choosing the best thing in life. She wasn’t being changed by the presence of the Lord.

When we want to be changed and experience the transforming power of Jesus, we have to be able to put things aside, even though they may be good things. If we want to experience His presence and His power, we must simplify our lives and come to that place of stillness and choose needful things.

Mary did that, instead of simply doing what would seem good or right to the natural mind; she took the time to be with Jesus to listen and receive answers for her own life directly from Him, how cool is that? When we choose to complicate our life by doing a lot of things that don’t make any sense, there will always be cares and anxiety in your life. Luke 10:41

Actually almost always when you start to be bothered, fretful, uneasy, worried or fearful about the very thing that you are doing, that may be the very sign that you are doing something that is not needful. The things that we do, don’t have to be necessarily bad; they can be very good things, but they are able to complicate our life.

There is another thing that when we choose something that is not needful, we become critical. You can see how Martha complained to Jesus. Luke 10:40.

Those that are distracted by life’s complications have a tendency to get critical towards others.

Martha loved Jesus, but she started to complain to Him about Mary. Here you can see the proof what a complicated lifestyle does. Getting critical towards others is a warning sign to us; it’s a red light that goes off.

The very fact that a critical spirit began to rise up in her against her sister was a warning sign that there were too many complications in her life. When there is criticism along with anxiety in your life, you should get on the alert to simplify your life.

The moment we recognize these signs of a complicated life, we have to turn our heart back to the Lord and find that place of stillness and begin to simplify our life. When you do that, then and only then will you find the answers and solutions you are looking for. It is then that you will begin to enjoy the benefits of God’s presence.

Obviously we have responsibilities we can’t ignore. Getting in that secret place with the Lord, where we get still before Him will simplify our life but that doesn’t mean that we lay down our responsibilities at work.

And of course, we do have our responsibilities as a spouse or a parent. In fact, we shouldn’t make any drastic changes out of the blue. When we seek the Lord for direction, He will show us how to make changes in our behaviour that will set us on the course to simplify our life.

“Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:42). Jesus indicates that although Martha’s choices were okay, they weren’t the best. She could have made better choices that would have benefited her more and simplified her life. But notice, Jesus didn’t make her choose differently.

Nobody can override your choices. Neither God nor satan will make you choose something. You are responsible to choose things for yourself.

Since you have the responsibility for choosing, how do you choose the good part? The best way to make good choices is to measure your options against what God created you to be. Make choices that will help you fulfill your purpose and reject those choices that would encumber you and hinder you from reaching your destiny.

Post/Tweet this: Nobody can override your choices. Neither God nor satan will make you choose something. You are responsible to choose things for yourself.

You can subscribe to The Daily Choice which brings an encouraging message 5 days a week to your inbox.

 

Celebrating July 1st and July 4th

Canada Is Americans’ Favorite Foreign Nation According To A Recent Gallup Poll and Canadians Consider The US as Favorite


Celebrating July 1st and July 4th

By Olga Hermans

 

It is that time of year again to celebrate our beautiful nation’s freedom. I am so sure that God has great plans for Canada and  the United States, it doesn’t really matter what some people believe or say. It matters what you beleive and I hope I can give you just a little snippet of what I believe of these two great nations.

I hope you have a wonderful and safe Dominion Day as we used to say here in Canada and a Happy Independence Day in the US as you might be reading this post today. Take some time to remember the foundational truths of your nation. Let’s keep praying for our leaders and all others that govern our nations.

I believe very strongly that everything is going to be ALL-right for those that believe and that God speaks life and prosperity for these great countries and so should we. That the heavens are raining down righteousness and that the earth is springing up righteousness and salvation. Pray for all that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

I am so proud of our Prime Minister Harper who makes a strong stand with Israel; Canada is known all over the world for its strong conviction to be a friend to Israel no matter what happens. This is what he said: “There are, after all, a lot more votes, a lot more, in being anti-Israeli than in taking a stand. But, as long as I am Prime Minister, whether it is at the UN or the Francophonie or anywhere else, Canada will take that stand, whatever the cost. And friends, I say this not just because it is the right thing to do, but because history shows us, and the ideology of the anti-Israeli mob tells us all too well if we listen to it, that those who threaten the existence of the Jewish people are a threat to all of us.”

Support of Israel is based on the Genesis 12:3 principle, ‘I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse.’The bible confirms that God blesses the Gentiles through the Jewish people. The Jewish people gave to Christianity the Word of God, the patriarchs – Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – and the prophets. Not to mention that Mary, Joseph, Jesus, the 12 disciples and Paul were all Jewish! Take away the Jewish contribution to Christianity and there is no Christianity. “Judaism does not need Christianity to explain its existence, but Christianity cannot explain its existence without Judaism.”

It might not be coincidence that Canada Day and Independence Day are that close together. Did you know that Canada and the

The Peace Arch Was Dedicated In 1921 To Celebrate The Existing Century Of Peace Between Two Great Nation, The United States and Canada.

United States are currently the world’s largest trading partners, share the world’s longest border and have significant interoperability within their defense sphere. There are close cultural ties between modern day Canada and the United States, advanced in large part because both nations predominately speak English. Canada’s population and economy are roughly one tenth that of the United States. The international perception is that Americans and Canadians are virtually identical. Canada is Americans’ favorite foreign nation according to a recent Gallup poll and Canadians consider the US as favorite.

The Peace Arch, the only international gateway ever erected in the interest of peace among nations, The Peace Arch was dedicated in 1921 to celebrate the existing century of peace between two great nation, the United States and Canada.

Do you remember that Glenn Beck started the 912 Project? 9 Principles and 12 Values. The 12 values are: Honesty, Reverence, Hope, Thrift, Humility, Charity, Sincerity, Moderation, Hard Work, Courage, Personal Responsibility and Gratitude.

I like to expand on 2 of these 12 values, because they bring home to us what we can do personally: honesty and personal responsibility.

1. Honesty. “Lies will get any man into trouble, but honesty is its own defence.” Prov.12:13

Honesty is the core value of a character. It is the stabilizer or governor of the soul. We cannot separate truth and honesty from God. Honesty is more than truth; it deals with motives and intents. It is a voice on the inside of us that suggests truth before we lie.

The founders of our country understood this when they formed the constitution. Swearing under oath meant to “tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. They knew that honesty as more than truth; it meant the whole truth of the matter.

Isn’t it interesting that we can put a man on the moon and win world wars, but we can’t stop dishonesty? In order to create a honest society we must start at home, teaching our children to be honest and to respect law and authority. Honesty is of God; it is the right way to build a righteous and fair society.

Ask yourself this question: what can you personally do to help your community the value of honesty?

2. Personal Responsibility. “A faithful employee is as refreshing as a cool day in the hot summer time.” Prov.25:13

To be responsible is to give account or to be dependable and can be trusted. These kind of people are hard to find, but we come in contact with we will notice that they have a different motivation than the average person

Being responsible is more than making a commitment. People who live with this value in their life do things for the sake of getting them done or they enjoy seeing it get done. Jesus was a true servant. He was truly and purely motivated from within. He saw what we were, and took the responsibility of making sure we got the opportunity of being what we could be.

It cost Him something, but He now has earned the greatest name ever in the history of mankind, and also in the world to come.

Ask yourself this question: do you consider yourself a responsible person? If yes, why?

Remember this as you celebrate today! The American/Canadian flag does not fly because the wind moves past it.
The American/Canadian flag flies from the last breath of each military member who has died protecting it.
Our Soldiers don’t fight because they hate what’s in front of them..they fight because they love what’s behind them.
Thank you to our troops for fighting for our freedom.

 

 

Let’s Celebrate the Freedom
We Enjoy in Our Countries!!


I hope you’re having a great and fun weekend, celebrating freedom – whether you’re a Canadian or live in the US or abroad. As a Dutch born neutralized Canadian living in Vancouver BC, I just love to celebrate freedom in many, many ways. Freedom of choice, free enterprise, and spiritual freedom. How about you? How are you celebrating independence and what does true freedom mean to you?

You can subscribe to The Daily Choice which brings an encouraging message 5 days a week to your inbox.

If you are looking for some new friends and would like to be with like-minded people, come on over to our Facebook Page! We’d love to meet you!

What it Means to Be a Father

We Live In An Hour When Godly Men, Husbands, and Fathers Must Take A Stand For Truth And Righteousness

What it Means to Be a Father

by Olga Hermans

 

The first Father’s Day was celebrated more than 100 years ago on June, 1910. The idea originated from a Spokane, Washington resident named Sonora Dodd who was inspired by a church sermon about Mother’s Day (created in 1907). Ms.Dodd wanted to create a special to honor her father, William Jackson Smart, a Civil Wat veteran who raised 6 children alone. Father’s Day is now celebrated in June because it was the birth month of William Smart. While a presidential proclamation in 1966 by President Lyndon B.Johnson honored fathers on the third Sunday of June, it was President Richard Nixon who signed the public law in 1972 that made Father’s Day a permanent holiday.

Men should take the spiritual leadership in the home

We live in an hour when godly men, husbands and fathers must take a stand for truth and righteousness. When men have a relationship with Jesus, that is vibrant and alive, they will rise up to be the spiritual leaders in their homes. They will have the spiritual strength they need.

Whether the family goes to church or not shouldn’t be the wife’s decision. I love it when my husband takes that role seriously. He is very serious in setting the example of what is important in our family.

Both of us weren’t raised in a Christian family; we never saw our parents reading the bible or pray for us. Men should set the example in bible reading in the home and not only at Christmas time. Thank God it is done then, but it needs to happen more than once a year.

I would like to challenge men to spend as much time reading the bible in the family as they watch the news. People often say, “We don’t have time.” Here is an interesting research stat: “If the father is the first to become a Christian in a household, there is a 93% probability that everyone in the household will follow. If the mother is the first to become a Christian in a household, there is a 17% probability that everyone in the household will follow”.

It is all a matter of priority. It’s the family who prays together who stays together. It is very humbling for men to say, “Let’s pray together.” It’s good for the ego! I love it when my husband calls us together to have our devotions and to pray for each other.

Most of the problems we are facing in the Western world go back to a default by Christian parents in raising their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. When parents don’t train their children in the way they should go, in the next generation there’s even more secularism and godlessness.

Men should also be the ones to see that goals are established for the family. Businessmen can chart what they are targeting for in the future. Likewise, they should chart to target to see their children serving God 25 years from now.

What Dads Love To Do With Their Kids

Dads and their Babies

  • Have you seen these daddies who hold their babies close to them to make them feel loved and secure?
  • They let babies touch their face as they make funny faces. Babies like faces that show lots of expression.

Dads and their Toddlers
(2- to 3-Year-Olds)

  • Dads love to provide safe places where their toddler can play and run — inside and outside.
  • They play ball with their toddler. Teach them to catch, throw and kick a ball in age-appropriate ways.

Dads and their 4- to 6 Year-Olds

  • During meals, ask your child what the best thing about his day was. Answer the question yourself in return.
  • Talk to your child about his or her dreams and share your own dreams. Children also like to hear what dreams their parents had when they were children (“I wanted to grow up and become a….”).

Dads and their 7- to 12-Year-Olds

  • Play board games with your child.
  • Be physically active with your child. Go for a walk together or play basketball or catch.

Dads and their Teenagers (13- to 18-Year-Olds)

  • Attend your teenager’s extracurricular activities (sports, plays, club activities, etc.). If you can’t be physically present at the event, give your teenager a call before or after the event to show your support.
  • One of the most important choices dads make is making the decision on Driver’s Education for their son or daughter. This can be a very stressful task; here is where you can turn. Driver’s Ed in a Box has a proven track record of producing collision-free drivers. They guarantee it!
    And, you can do it on your schedule – during your free time

Fun Facts about Father’s Day

The Breadwinner:

  • 10% of working dads had a spouse/significant other become unemployed in the last 12 months
  • 42% of dads are sole Providers in their households
  • 1 out of 10 working dads have taken a 2nd job in the last 12 months
  • 63% of dads work over 40 hours each week.
  • 3 out of 10 working dads have to take work home more than 5 days a week.
  • 30% of dads bring work home on the weekends
  • 37% of dads spend 2 hours or less a day with their children
  • 35% of dads say they’ve missed 2 or more significant events in ther child’s life.

Man of the House: Married Fathers:

  • In 2010, 25,3 Million Fathers were part of married couple families with children under 18 years old
  • 22% were raising 3 or more children under 18 years old in their household
  • 3% were raising 3 or more children under 18 years old in someone else’s home.
  • In 2010 there were 287.000 children with married stay-at-home dads.
  • 154.000 of the children were under 15 years old

Single Fathers

  • In 2010 there were 1.8 Million Single Fathers.
  • 15% of single parents were men
  • 9% were raising 3 or more children under 18 years of age
  • 46% divorced, 30% never married, 19% seperated, 6% widowed, 1% other
  • 61% had a family income of less then $50.000,-

Enjoy this hysterical Father’s Day parody tribute to dads!
Share this with your favorite dad today!
Video done by Church On The Move.

10 Facts about Money

10 Facts about Money

by Olga Hermans

 

These 10 facts about money will hopefully help you understand that our God is a good God; He loves us no matter what we do and where we are in life. But, you gotta know that if there are areas in our life where don’t apply His truth, He cannot bless us the way He wants to bless us. He always acts on our behalf when we apply HIS truth to our circumstances; He cannot act on what we think is right because that wouldn’t make Him a trustworthy God. One day He would agree with what you believe and on another day He would agree with what I believe. That would make it all very complicated wouldn’t it? No, His truth stands for today and forever.

1.Finances are important

If something is important to God, don’t you think it should be important to you? It should be firmly rooted into your spirit that God does desire good things for you. Not only does He want you to be spiritually strong and prosperous, He also desires you to be prosperous in the material area of your life and your family. He wants you to have food, clothing, housing, finances and yes, even everything that pertains to the “good life.”

2. Money is NOT evil

One of the biggest mistakes about money comes from a misunderstanding of 1Tim. 6:10: for the love of money is the root of all evil… People act upon what they think the verse says: “for the love of money is the root of all evil.” That is not what this verse says at all!

You have to see clearly that this verse does not say that money is evil! It clearly states that the love of money is the root of all evil. Nothing at all is said about money itself in verse 10: all it says is that the love of money is at the root of all evil.

3. Improper attitudes toward money can harm you

Money can harm you, because it is very powerful. Money magnifies what is already on the inside of you. It can harm you, for example, if you use it for dark and sinful purposes. It can harm you if you use it to buy drugs or narcotics. You are in real danger of your money hurting you whenever it begins to rule you, instead of you ruling it.

4. Money doesn’t guarantee happiness

Many of the things which make us unhappy can be “cured” by money. For example, a father who is unhappy because he does not have the money to provide food for his family will be happy when his paycheck comes. But, money itself never guarantees happiness.

If money guaranteed happiness, then all the rich folks would be marvellously happy and all the poor folks would be miserable sad. We all know that, that is not true.

5. People are not destined to be poor

Have you ever heard people say, “I guess I’m just not meant to be rich. I must be destined to be poor, so I suppose it’s time I accept my lot in life.” May people believe this way. They believe God has somehow ordained a select people to have all the wealth and the rest to struggle in poverty all of their lives.

The law of poverty says: if you are lazy and do not work, you will not receive provision. Prov.24:33-34

The law of prosperity says: if you are not lazy, if you will work without constant supervision, if you are liberal in your giving and put Jesus first in our finances, then you will be prosperous. Prov.6:6-8 and Prov.11:24-25

6. God wants you to be prosperous

Many Christians honestly believe that poverty is godly. It is time to start believing God’s Word instead of their own ideas. God’s Word does not teach poverty! There is nothing spiritual in poverty, nothing blessed in not being able to pay your bills and nothing sacred about tattered clothes.

7. You can increase your finances

God wants us to live in abundance, and He has given us specific instructions for increasing our finances. 3John 2. God has given us spiritual laws to apply to our life, especially by giving our tithes and offering cheerfully, planting seeds liberally, eliminating our debts, no impulsive buying and investing wisely especially in the spreading of the gospel.

8. God cares how much you give

If God didn’t care how much or how often you give, he would not have included so many instructions in the bible concerning the methods, the time and the proper attitudes for giving. When Jesus walked on the earth, He watched the people giving their offerings in the temple. Mark 12:41

Jesus was very moved by the widow’s giving. If we only tip God, we probably hope He doesn’t notice, but when we get serious about giving and give a substantial portion of our income to the Lord, it is comforting to know that He takes notice and that proper giving is seen by Him.

9. Money is a spiritual subject

If money is not a spiritual subject, then why is so much said about it in the Bible? Prov.10:22 and Psalm 35:27; the bible tells us even how to increase our funds: Luke 6:38. Mal.3:10 tells that when we give money, it is an act of worship. Satan has lied to us and convinced many of us that money is evil or at least definitely unspiritual; that’s a lie!

Money is your life. Each week when you are paid, the paycheck you receive is the company’s way of reimbursing you for the part of your life you spent in service to the company. When you give a part of your life each week to your employer, then the money he gives you in exchange for your life is money that represents a portion of your total life.

10. Give and expect to receive

This is shocking for most Christians; they sincerely feel they should not expect anything back for what they have given. Listen, when you give and expect nothing back, that is well and good and noble, and God will honor your heart, but that is not giving the biblical way. The godly way to give is: Give, expecting to receive!

Stop saying that you do not expect anything back from God when you give. That is simply not a biblical statement. Give, expecting to receive, so you can turn around and be a good steward by giving even more to God’s Kingdom work next time.

Once you and I understand that God intends for us to be prosperous, and once we learn how to apply His principles in our life, there should be a change of finances. These were not a “pie in the sky” promises, this is God’s Word to you. Nothing will more dramatically change your financial circumstances than renewing your mind to these truths and then by applying them to your life.

Post/Tweet this: The law of prosperity says: if you are liberal in your giving and put Jesus 1st in your finances, then you will be prosperous #TheDailyChoice

You can subscribe to The Daily Choice which brings an encouraging message 5 days a week in your inbox.

 

 

How Do You Know You Are Ready for Marriage?

How Do You Know You Are Ready for Marriage?

by Olga Hermans

 

 

 

 

You are ready for marriage when you choose to understand God’s plans and purposes for marriage. Many people aren’t ready for marriage, because they’ve never understood God’s plans and purposes. It definitely is a choice to be willing to understand and gain knowledge or to just ignore the things that you need to know before you get married. How can you help me make the right choice in marriage partner is very often a question that singles ask. What they are saying is that they desire to have God’s choice marriage for their life. Life is about choices and making decisons that matter.

You’re ready for marriage when you’re mature enough and willing to assume the responsibilities of being a husband, a wife, a father, or a mother.

You’re  ready to get married when you’re ready to settle down with one person for the rest of your life. You should think in terms of a 75-year contract. When you’re ready to sign in blood with your life, you’re ready for marriage.

You’re ready for marriage when you’re no longer depending upon your family or relatives to support you. Thank God for support that may come, but you shouldn’t depend on it when you’re going into a marriage union. You need to fly with your own wings. Many people want to get married, but they set themselves up for difficulties by their financial circumstances.

You are ready to get married when you are ready to give love and to be loved. Many couples get married in lust and the husband and wife have never learned to really love one another. When they say, “I don’t love you anymore,” what they are really saying is, “I don’t lust after you anymore.” The lust is gone, so there is no reason to stay in the relationship. But when that love is self-giving, kind, and tenderhearted, then you’re ready for marriage, because regardless of circumstances, you’ll keep on loving.

If you’re married and you’ve missed some of these foundational stones, you must work at it. You must desire to the point that your desire is translated into effort to rebuild the foundations in your marriage, but they don’t translate the desire into effort.

My husband and I weren’t raised in a Christian family, as of now we are still the only Christians on both sides. Because of our past and our different backgrounds we went through some very rough place in our marriage. All thanks to God, we came out on top and were able to raise our children with Christian values and principles.

You need to take time to talk about ways to improve and strengthen your home. Learn to ask: “How can I help you? What can I do?” Open yourself up to listen, talk, and communicate. You can get more knowledge, although I don’t think it’s always the issue of getting more information. I think people have enough information in many cases if they’ll only would communicate it with each other.

To be ready for marriage, you need to be healed of past hurts. You cannot carry grudges into a marriage and family relationship and expect the family to keep growing. If you’re bitter at your children, the children are bitter at the parents, or the husband and wife are bitter at each other, you need to forgive and release one another. If you don’t, when an argument or strife comes and your blood pressure goes up, you’ll pull out your list and go through all the things that have happened in the last 20 years or so!

You need to have a list-burning ceremony! Send the offenses up in smoke! Burn them and determine, “I am going to forgive myself, forgive my mate, and forgive my children.

There is a NEW Beginning.

When two born-again believers come together in marriage before God, in His eyes, they are cleansed. They are as clean before the Lord as Adam and Eve were in the Garden before they sinned, no matter what their past has been.

Maybe you’ve had a broken marriage and you’ve remarried. There’s cleansing and forgiveness for failures that have been committed in the past, whether you have deliberately and unknowingly failed in marriage God can give you knowledge and understanding. He can give you a marriage in wholeness and bring into your marriage the power that He plans.

You can make a choice to start over today right where you are with a fresh mental and spiritual attitude, by forgetting those things which are behind.

You can start by obeying 2 Chon.7:14: Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.

This means, for a fresh start and for healing in your marriage and family, you need to:

  1. Humble yourself
  2. Pray and seek God’s face.
  3. Turn from your wicked ways.

Then God will hear you, He will forgive your sin, and He will heal your marriage and family.

To be completely sure about the new beginning, obey the command of Isaiah 60:1 (Amp): ARISE [from the depression and prostration in which circumstances have kept you–rise to a new life]! Shine (be radiant with the glory of the Lord), for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you!

Arise from the circumstances in which you find yourself. You can rise above them, and God will meet your every need. He wants your marriage healed. It’s not too late for your marriage. It’s never too late. God’s Word is the same yesterday, today and forever. Hebr.13:8

Post/Tweet this: You are ready to get married when you are ready to give love and to be loved #TheDailyChoice

You can subscribe to The Daily Choice which brings an encouraging message 5 days a week in your inbox.

 

Top 10 Parenting Choices

Succesful Marriages Are Made Up Of Successful Individuals Who Get Together

 

Is there something like the 10 commandments for parents? YES! And if you apply them to your life, that means if they are obeyed, they will improve your relationship with your children.

We can improve our relationship with our children by blessing them and by setting standards, rules and values for them. When was the last time you took a little child in your arms and blessed them just as Jesus took them in His arms and blessed them?

1. You gotta start with yourself

As a parent, you need to be an example to your children; they need something they want to follow. If you make rules and regulations that you don’t follow yourself, you are a bad example to them. Be a good example for them and they will follow you.

 

2.Your relationship with your children should be more important than the rules.

Jesus said He didn’t come to do away with the law, but He came to fulfill the law (Matt.5:17), so don’t do away with the boundaries, rules and regulations, because they’re necessary. But your priority should be to love your children all the way and build a relationship with them.

3. Teach your children to live by faith.

Impart faith into them. Deut 6:5-9 talks about how we should talk about the Word with our children in everything that we do; when we sit down, when we go for a walk and as we do things and go around the house and do the normal everyday things. They get so used to hearing the Word for every situation that they don’t know any better than knowing that the Word has a solution to everything and that is how it should be.

4. You need to learn to listen to them.

Most parents have to learn this, because the conversation is on a totally different level, but it is one of those necessary things if you want to build a relationship with your children. James 1:19 says … let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. It takes effort to listen to children and teenagers, to get down on their level, to be able to relate to them and really listen to what is really going on in their life.

5. Spend time with you children, they love you for it!

It is not lost time when we spend time with our children, although it can feel that way at times. When you spend time wuth your children, you are investing time and it is quality time. I remember those times when our children were toddlers  and that I thought it was not that important. I always thought there were so many other important things to do; I am glad that I came to the realization that playing with them on their level was as important as having a good conversation with a friend.

Sometimes parents think they’re spending time with the children when they go home and turn on the TV. That’s not quality time.  Quality time is when you pay individual attention to your children, sharing with them and listening to them.

If you will build a relationship with them when they are small, when they get older, they’ll want to have time with you; you can become best friends if you really want to work on it.

How do we save people from getting on drugs and alcohol?  If the deepest need of their life is met, especially when they are small, they won’t have these needs. They won’t be vulnerable to those things. When basic needs are not met, people search in every avenue they can.

In a study that took place on the West Coast with prostitutes, it was discovered that over 95% of them came from families where there was no positive father image. What were they seeking in prostitution? A craving for what they never received at home.

Where there has been a void, there’s a greater tendency to become involved in homosexuality. For the greatest percentage of the young boys involved in homosexuality, either there was an absentee father or a father who lacked spiritual fortitude.

The sins of the fathers, the Bible says, will be visited to the third and fourth generation. When there is a breakdown in the family, it doesn’t just affect the fathers. It can affect four generations of families. Are you beginning to see the importance of letting the Lord build our marriages and homes?

6. You have to acknowledge your faults as parents.

James 5:16 says; “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed…” Be quick to humble yourself and ask forgiveness of your children when you’ve made a mistake. It will get easier after your first time. This has not always been easy for me, because I was afraid that my children would reject me, but the opposite is true. 

7. Keep a sense of humor at all times.

A good laugh will set you free from pent-up emotions. Our kids are grown up now, but there are moments that we realize we need to relax and have a good laugh, because laughter is like medicine.

8. Treat your children equally.

Children are all different, and as parents, we should never compare them. Your children should never feel that one of them is better than the other. You should let them know that there are different rules for different ages, but they should sense that you love them and respect them the same.

9. You need to discipline your children.

My husband and I were never really good at this one, but it is necessary. It is very important that after you discipline your children, you love on them. We all have heard about “Super Nanny” and “the time out treatment“. Well, it works!

10. Know when it is time to let them go.

Sometimes parents tend to overprotect their children. Sometimes parents feel like they’ve got to be at every place their children are, which is a spirit of fear. There is a point where you have to let go and trust God, believing that the training you have instilled in them will preserve them and keep them.

It is very important that you pray and intercede for your children. I know of many examples where parents have either seen in the spirit or were quickened by the Spirit to pray for their children. Because of prayer the enemy was stopped from destroying or coming against their lives.

We are living in dangerous and uncertain times and it is easy to find ourselves feeling afraid. There is nothing the enemy enjoys more than seeing us in fear. But we do not need to be afraid. God knows what lies ahead in these last days, and He has everything we need to see us through to victory over the enemy.

We are at war with the enemy like never before. Just because we are Christians doesn’t mean that God’s protection is automatic. Like all the other promises of God, we must exercise our faith in order to walk in the fullness of those promises. Now is the time to stand firm on God’s Word and start protecting your family today!

What do you do when you purposefully want to spend time with your family?

Post/Tweet this: As parents we need to bless our children just as Jesus took them up in His arms and blessed them #TheDailyChoice

You can subscribe to The Daily Choice which brings an encouraging message 5 days a week to your inbox.

 

Choose Influence Over Control

Everybody has Influence; Our Lives Have Influence

 

Choose Influence Over Control

by Olga Hermans

 

To be clear, influence is not control. Some people mistakenly believe they have the authority to use their influence in a negative way. They do not. Being self-centered does not influence people in a positive way. People do not want to be around someone who is always trying to manipulate or take advantage of them.

I know myself; I am more susceptible to those I can trust. If we are not walking in love with those around us, our influence will not bring about the positive results we should desire to have.

There is a big difference between having a positive influence on someone and having control over them. Nobody wants to be controlled. Control is deadly. It is a deadly enemy to relationships. A controlling spirit destroys careers and ultimately their lives if they are not careful.

I have mentioned in another post that my sister died from anorexia nervosa; she was so obsessed to have control over her body. She wanted to control everything and everybody around her; she just couldn’t let go. Her control became a deadly weapon against herself which took control over her life and when she wasn’t able to take control over her deadly weapon; it became her death. Very sad eh?

All my brothers and sisters tried to influnece her in the right direction, but her self destructive behavior had too much control over her. Anyway, let’s go on and have a look at the good that really have influence in our life.

1. Words impact our influence

One day, we will have to give account to God for every word we say. It is therefore wise that we choose them carefully. If we want to have a positive influence in people’s lives, we have to avoid opportunities to gossip, be critical, and complain. Just as a person can affect the atmosphere around them in a positive manner, they can also contribute to a negative atmosphere.

Our choice of words have a lot to do with the type of life we live. Words also affect our overall productivity. When we easily find fault in others and are critical of them, we reap results of our decisions. That’s why the children of Israel stayed in the wilderness for 40 years. They complained about everything! “Why did God bring us out here to die? What are we going to eat? We should have stayed in slavery.”

We must be accountable for the words we speak. Words define the essence of our being. Life and death are in the power of the words we speak. Life equals blessings and death equals curses. However, God is so gracious. He gives us the ability to choose. In His Word, He gives us a hint as to which we should choose. You guessed it, choose life!

2. The Blessing of Abraham has influence

Abraham’s faith made a tremendous impact in the lives of his family and even in our lives today. One of the reasons why God chose Abraham was because of the influential impact he could make in the lives of others. Gen.12:2.

When you have the blessing on your life, you have God’s ability working through you to get the job done. I heard a preacher say one time; He puts His super on your natural and together the supernatural is accomplished. God also promised to give Abraham great influence by making his name well-known and giving him abundance of resources to bless others. He wants to do the same in our lives.

The blessing causes prosperity: it causes the wealth to flow into our lives. It contains every anointing from God. So when we operate in the blessing, we are able to reach people and reconcile them to God through our influence. The blessing ultimately flows from generation to generation.

Parents have a significant amount of influence in the lives of their children. How they respond to the situations in their lives has a tremendous impact on a child. In many cases, it will determine how the child will also respond as he or she matures. Therefore it is important that we pass on a positive influence and make a positive impact in the lives of our children

3. Prosperity has Influence

Money and wealth have great influence. The biblical definition of wealth is “influence”. If you would do a word study on the word wealth, you will find that it is not just limited to money; it also means to be “resourceful.” It is having goods, services, and abilities. To be as influential as God would have us to be, we must be givers and not takers.

We are blessed to be a blessing to others. We don’t possess the things we have just for our own benefits. No, God want to use our resourcefulness to strengthen others.

Every believer has influence. Our lives have influence. We are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Gal.6:10 encourages to do good to all people when we are given opportunity. Here are a few tools that you can use to become a greater influence in the lives of others.

a)   Be the manifested word

Let’s be a demonstration of the Word of God in action. Let’s be love in action. Let’s be compassion in action. We have to conceive God’s Word by planting it in our hearts, meditating on it and speaking it.

b)   Demonstrate love and compassion

We can’t be selfish and expect to make a positive influence in the lives of people. We have to be compassionate and show evidence of God’s love. It should be our goal to do whatever we can to be a blessing to others and to help them without reservation.

c)   Give

We must be willing to give freely. Not just our money, but our time, talents and abilities. To be truly influential as God would have us to be, we have to be givers, not takers.

d)   Be relevant to the world

We cannot be afraid to reach out to people. There are many ways to make an impact in the world through giving, volunteering and spending time with people

e)   Fulfill God’s purpose for your life

Make God’s will for your life a priority. Don’t postpone it or decide that you will do it after you’ve done all the things you want to do. Now is the time to set things right in your life.

f)    Be stable and consistent

We must display some form of stability and consistency in our lives to influence others in a positive way. Whatever you do, decide that you will do it for the long haul. Don’t be in today and out tomorrow. Be committed. That’s how you make an impact in the lives of people.

Thank you for visiting our blog; we try to choose topics that will inspire and encourage you. Let me know if there is a topic that you would like me to write about.

When you choose to be a blessing in the lives of others, what is your motivation? Please give your comment below or in our FB Group

Post/Tweet this: People are looking at us, our goal should be to make a postive influence in the lives of others #TheDailyChoice

You can subscribe to The Daily Choice which brings an encouraging message 5 days a week in your inbox.