12 Days of Christmas - Doug Lambert

My church Evangelist just preached this message at a recent midweek and I thought it was inspiring and challenging!  No matter your beliefs or religion there are some great lessons here that we can all apply to our lives.  Merry Christmas...

12 Things from the Book of Hebrews

to help us through the Holidays!

Hebrews:

Day 1:   Chapter 3:12          

• Give and receive daily encouragment

Day 2:   Chapter 4:12         

• Be IN the Word of God. 

Day 3:   Chapter 4:14         

• Find time for quiet reflection
• Approach the throne of Grace.  
• Look at Strengths/Weakenesses

Day 4:   Chapter 5:7           

• Spend extra time praying

Day 5:   Chapter 5:11         

• Make some decisions about maturing/growing. 

Day 6:   Chapter 6:9-12       

• Persevere - Commit to being diligent in all things.

Day 7:   Chapter 10:19       

• Continue to get together with Disciples, meet together, participate

Day 8:   Chapter 10:32-39   

• Reflect/Remember on your greatest moments
• Make your list of some significant/spiritual moments.

Day 9:   Chapter 11:6           

• Make a commitment to live by faith. 
• Step up and out.

Day 10:  Chapter 12: 5-13   

• Learn the lesson that needs to be learned.   
• Embrace Discipline.
• Don't waste the suffering.

Day 11:  Chapter 12:14

• Be HOLY.  Help those around you be holy.
• Be Responsible to each other.

Day 12:  Chapter 12:22

• Remember the God we serve, what we are a part of
• and who we are in a relationship with.

Short and sweet ..go ahead look up the scriptures yourself and as you celebrate the Holidays gift yourself by following these 12 simple days.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Sarah

A Different Sort of Blog Thought for Today

I love Fall.  It's my favorite season.  The air is crisper, the leaves are gorgeous, drinking hot chocolate is acceptable to my coffee drinking friends and there are some fantastic holidays to celebrate.  I love watching the kids trick or treat, and getting the family all together for Thanksgiving and handing out the traditional year-at-a-glance ornament  for the Christmas tree.

When I blog, I like to impart some sort of wisdom or a favorite quote.  Today as we enter into that Fall season I think I wanted to Blog as a reminder to myself that it's ok to enjoy the season.  It's ok to take a break from the grind and to enjoy not just what I do but who I am.  I am someone who works hard.  I go the extra mile.  I make mistakes.  I learn things the hard way.  I sometimes choose to plow ahead, when instead a reflection break would be the best course of action.  I am someone who values family.  I am not a failure.  I enjoy who I am and who I'm going to become.

As we enter into October...2012 I would like to invite each of you to simply choose to enjoy who you are this fall season.  Make the time to do some things you enjoy, spend time with the family, roast a smore, go on a fall hayride, enjoy the leaves with your kids.  Take the time to see the big picture and recognize that the choices you make today will decide who you are in the future.

Quote for the Day: 
"If you always do what you've always done...then you will always get what you've always gotten."

What is the Definition of 'Me' ?

How do we define ourselves?  Is it internal or external?  Is it in what we do?  Is it in our marriages, our jobs, our hobbies, our friends or are we even self-aware enough to know what it is exactly that pin points how we each see ourselves?

I wish I had the answers; It would certainly make for a longer blog. 

As someone who has been in the Administration field it helps that I lean toward finding my identity in what I do.  It's in my performance.  It's in how well I 'do the job'.  The problem with that is when something goes wrong, or mistakes happen it becomes about me and not about the situation.  Translation:  Not Healthy.

As an Individual I am constantly striving to put away the accomplishments & the 'doing' and focus more on the 'being'.  It's a battle.  It's a promise to myself to find the inner me that IS me.  I can still DO awesome (and as a most excellent administrator I will) but no matter the accomplishments the definition of 'ME' is still whatever I choose it to be...simply by BEING.....

Set Your Mind to SUCCESS!!

5 Powerful Mind Success Strategies 

Building a business is a fantastic and challenging experience.  You can wake up exhilarated to begin your day and go to bed feeling overwhelmed and frustrated.  The key to success is to maintain a positive, yes you can do it, mindset.
Easier said than done, right? 

Here are 5 keys to help you create and sustain a positive mindset so you attain the success you desire.

1. Surround yourself with successful and positive people.  The influence people have over our own personal energy is amazing.  Moods and attitudes are so easily spread – think about how much of a difference a simple smile from a stranger can make for your day and then magnify it 1000 times to demonstrate the power of positive and successful friends, family and associates.  When you have people around you who inspire you, believe in you and want you to succeed, there’s no room for doubts and even when they creep up, they’re quickly swept away. 

2. Create a mantra or an affirmation.  Repeating positive affirmations has been shown to get people through tough times and to actually help them truly believe what they’re saying.
For example, “I am building a powerful and profitable business.”  Many of the most esteemed business professionals have used the same affirmation strategy to attain their success.  To find the right affirmations for you, consider writing a quick list of your doubts, insecurities and complaints.  These can then be quickly turned into affirmations.
For instance, if you write that you’re always feeling disorganized then your affirmation would be, “I am organized and in control.”  Repeat your affirmations several times a day and feel the power of positive thinking.

3. Capture negative thoughts.  We all have negative thoughts from time to time, however, negative thoughts and emotions can derail us and prevent us from achieving all we desire.  Of course catching those negative thoughts takes practice and persistence.  When you find yourself thinking negative thoughts or having negative emotions, find a trigger to turn them around.  The affirmations mentioned above are a great way to turn the negative into the positive.  You can also find quick pick me ups like a favorite song, a walk outside in the fresh air, or some exercise to help improve your mood.

4. Set goals/intentions and then be willing to let it go.  The law of attraction says that we attract what we focus on the most.  However, desperation, needing your business to be a success, sends mixed messages and a lot of negativity into the universe.  Set your goals and intentions and then let them go.  A certain amount of faith in yourself and in the power of attraction is necessary.  Give it a try.

5. Be grateful.  Gratitude is perhaps the single most powerful and positive tool for success.  When you’re grateful for all of the wonderful things and people in your life the challenges you face seem significantly less important and are more easily dealt with.
Consider keeping a gratitude journal and make a practice of entering into it daily.  That way, when you’re facing challenges a quick peek at all the amazing things in your life will make you feel as if you can tackle anything.   Additionally, an attitude of gratitude helps you maintain a positive perspective and to face challenges as opportunities rather than obstacles.

Success is within your reach and with the right attitude you can accomplish anything you set your sights on.  Embrace these five powerful mind success strategies and you’ll build a better business and live a happier, more satisfying life.


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