The 23rd Psalm (Originally presented as a three-part, three-day series)

There was once a woman going through a divorce. She was focused on the
loss, and she hurt worse everyday.

There was a man who had great financial difficulty. He focused entirely on
his problems, until he couldn't sleep at all.

There was a woman who prayed for healing, and yet, the majority of her
daytime focus, was upon her illness.

When each learned to simply "REST" in God, their lives dramatically changed.

This day we are going to talk about a gift to humanity that was given many
years ago by the Shepherd David. I wonder if we have actually received it
yet. My hope would be that we will truly receive this gift that has been offered.
The most precious gift we can give another person is sharing a part of our
soul, part of our being, part of whom we are, to share the experience and
the depth of the spiritual experience that is taking place inside of us.

There was a shepherd boy named David. He gave such a gift to humanity. It
was of tremendous value to him, but more than that, it truly can be of
tremendous value to us.

Sometimes when we have something that is valuable, we don't even realize
it. It can be as if we owned land, and there was oil deep down in the
earth but we did not realize it was there. Maybe it's our children-maybe
we don't value them in the way we might. It could be a beautiful song, but
we don't hear the words that could touch us and lift us up, or we do not
let the rhythm and harmony of the song touch us in the depth of our souls.
Allow me to share the 23rd Psalm to you. [Revised Standard Version].

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want; he makes me lie down in green
pastures. He leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads
me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for thou art
with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Thou preparest a table
before me in the presence of my enemies; thou anointest my head with oil,
my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days
of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

How many of us had to learn the 23rd Psalm in Sunday school? Most of us
have. It's a part of our soul. Those are probably the most beloved words
in the Bible. We are probably more familiar with those words than we are
with any others that we have ever read and embraced from the Bible.

It has many, many facets. We're going to look at this in a way that you
probably have never looked at it before. You probably had to memorize it
years ago, and as a child you probably resented having to memorize it.

But today we're going to look at it from a new spiritual viewpoint.

What we have in this Psalm is a record of an individual's experience with
the presence of God. This is what happened to David who became the King.

It begins: "The Lord is my shepherd." It is God as shepherd and us as the
sheep. The shepherd is devoted to the care of the sheep. I think it speaks
of God's caring nature for all of humanity. The universe has been devised
in a way that we can be cared for.

We may have had times where we did not feel cared for. There may be
experiences in our lives that have been hard for us to live through, but
the truth of the matter is that our life been devised in a way that we can
feel that caring, loving Spirit of God, that never departs from our side.

We have Jesus saying to us later, "It is the Father's good pleasure to
give you the kingdom." We have the prodigal son, and the father who said
to the son who stayed home: "All that is mine is yours."

In that parable Jesus is saying, "All that is mine is yours." Why is it,
then, that we have sometimes accepted the belief that we are lacking many
good things? How could we possibly be in need when we have this caring God?

What is it that is being offered to us? What is it that is ours? I think
it is exactly as Jesus said: It is the kingdom of heaven that is ours. It
has been offered to us. And that is-the awareness of the presence of God.

If you look at all the parables and the things Jesus said (like "The
kingdom of heaven is within you") and you put it all together, you come up
with a calming, soothing, awareness of God.

We have been created in a way that we can become aware of our Creator.

We can become aware of God in moments of ecstasy, and in moments of
tragedy. The amazing thing is that when we wake up, when we are in that
state of mind and heart in awareness, God can then pour through us and
God's good can be our experience and the experience of others.

There was a minister named Bob Sikking who was in combat in Korea. There
was an incoming artillery shell. He and his comrades threw themselves to
the ground. The percussion went off very, very close by. When Bob got up,
he was naked. While he was lying there, the percussion actually had ripped
the clothes off his back, and when he stood up they just fell at his feet.

The amazing thing is not a hair on his head was harmed. He did not even
have a scratch. That's an example of God's help that can come in the worst
of times. There's a spiritual awareness in us that helps and allows that
kind of experience.

A man and a woman were in London during World War II. When the city was
being bombed, this couple volunteered to be on watch every night. Many
would go to the shelters, but they would go to some high place so they
could see where the fires were. They would then direct people to help put
the fires out. In all those years of bombing, they were never harmed.

The amazing thing is they had a little home in London. Although there was
carnage and damage all around their home, their home was never harmed. Not
a window was broken or anything. They were asked about this and they said,
"We really don't live in a house; we live in the house of the Lord." They
lived, moved, and had their being in the Presence of God.

It's not so much that God protected them. It's the fact that they lived in
God, and in God there was no conflict. There was no carnage. There was no
war. It's a state of mind and heart in which they lived. Being aware of
the presence of God brings a state of peace inside of you in any war zone
that may occur in the office or the home.

The 23rd Psalm goes on to say: "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not
want." The words "I shall not want" have taught me much in my life. You
see this is recording an experience of the presence of God. When you have
that experience-you are not in want.

Thomas Merton who was a 20th Century monk said, "A rich person has no
needs." He wasn't talking about lots of money. He was talking about being
in a state of oneness with God in which there is fulfillment and
contentment. That's what happened to David. When the Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want; I do not want; I cannot want.

The Psalm goes on, "He makes me lie down in green pastures." During the
heat of the day, the shepherd would make the sheep lie down in green
pastures. They would be nourished in their rest. It would be moist there and shady.

Is there anyone experiencing the heat of life? Many. You couldn't have a
body of people this great and not have many experiencing the heat of life.
What is the normal human reaction in the heat of life? It's to run
sometimes, and sometimes it is to act, and do something. In this example,
during the heat of the day-they were told to rest.

The shepherd knows that power is in stillness. In rest, is the
nourishment. That's when the ideas come, the guidance from God comes. We
learn what to do and how to move ourselves through this experience,
whatever it happens to be.

"He leads me beside the still waters." Sheep instinctively fear turbulent
waters. Think for a moment of why that is. They have all that fur. If the
fur gets wet, then it is hard to swim. My research has said that the
shepherd would come to a stream and would make a little dam. In that
place, there would be stillness. The sheep would come and drink from those
still waters. They would feel safe. They would be nourished by the still waters.

Think of the power of a dam. Where is the power? Is it in the water that
is rushing over the spillway? Where is the strongest part of the dam? Is
it at the top? No, it's at the base. That is where the force is. That's
where the power is. That is there-where the stillness is.

There is a message in this for us. It is saying that the Lord is my
shepherd and there is a state of contentment and joy. But the way to
experience that is rest. It is the still waters, the stillness.

Meister Eckhart, the German spiritual teacher, said, "There is nothing so
like God as stillness." That's the key to experience God's Presence in
which we live and move and have our being. Then a spiritual portal is made
in our own awareness, an opening so God can pour into our lives.

What happens when we are still and we rest? The next verse says, "He
restores my soul." That's what happens when we experience the Presence of God.

You see, the first verses are about the relationship with God. Those I
have just read to you are about how to bring that experience. Now we are
looking at what happens after you are restful and still.

Probably the greatest loss in our culture of today is rest and stillness.
It used to be that families would sit together on the porch outside every
evening and be together. Now we hurry from place to place. Jesus went
apart a while. Out of stillness and rest, His soul was certainly restored.
Then he was refreshed enough to live the life he did.

There is too much viewing of God as the fireman putting out the fires in
life. What we really need to do (and this is what a part of this psalm is

trying to say to us) is to be still and rest and help God, help us. We
want to open the spiritual portal-so Divine help can come through. We
already have it, as a gift from God, but we must first rest in prayer to
receive it fully. We are made that way.

"He leads me in paths of righteousness for His namesake." We have a sense
of guidance. This is saying to be still and let the guidance of God show
you the path you are to go down. It will be shown to you, but let there
first be the relationship with God; the oneness with the Shepherd.

Notice whose sake this is for. It's for God's sake. It says, "He leads me
in paths of righteousness for His namesake." You are going to be
blessed-that's a given. But I can assure you, friends, the way God has
devised the universe, it's never JUST for you, even though that is the way
we approach it. We say, "I want this blessing for me." It is never that
way, because whenever there is someone who experiences the presence of
God, that person is blessed in untold and mysterious ways, but it doesn't
stop there. It continues pouring itself out into all of life, touching
those who are nearby. Something like this Psalm is stretched forth over
thousands of years to touch humanity. We feel it instinctively. That's why
we love it so much.

Doesn't this way of life sound wonderful? You would think, "Wow! I won't
have any problems at all." Well, that's not what the next verse says. It
says, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I
fear no evil for You are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me."

Sometimes we think in religion, "If I do this all right, I won't have any
problems." Well, often, we have problems, like everyone else. It's just a
part of the experience called life. I don't think it shields us from
problems, but it gives us something that allows us to move "through" the
valley. It isn't that we are going to set up a tent, build a city
there, and dwell there. It is to move through it. It's not that it has
come to stay. It is that it has come to pass. We say, "This too shall
pass. It is gone." We move through it. I think that's all-important. It's
a shadow. That's the key. It's not reality. It's not the way things really
are, in the reality of the permanent good of God.

You are uplifted when you come to God in prayer; you are taking hold of
God's truth and are uplifted.

Let me ask you a question: If you are the sheep, and there is a lion
stalking the flock, what do you do? Do you give your attention to the
tooth, to the claw, to the lion? Or do you put your attention upon the
shepherd? Which approach will dissipate the fear? Which will quicken the
fear? If you put your attention upon the lion, it will quicken the
fear. There is even scientific proof that the fear sends out a chemical
that could be smelled by the lion, attracting him to the fearful. My
suggestion would be to put full attention upon the shepherd.

That's a good way to approach life. We can focus upon the doctor's
diagnosis, the lost job, the loss of love, and the emotions that are
sweeping through our soul, or we can begin to give our attention to God.
It says, "I will fear no evil for You are with me." Obviously, in the
psalm, the attention is not upon the lion. It's not upon the problem. It's
upon the shepherd. God is with us, closer than you or I could ever
imagine. You have to experience it. That is true for us.

"Your rod and your staff comfort me." Do you know what the rod was?

The rod was an iron-tipped club used to fend off the animals or whatever
the threat happened to be. The shepherd carried this. Do you know what it
represents? It represents the power to act. When you have that sense of
oneness with God, there is the power to act and deal with whatever the
problem happens to be.

The staff is the stick with the hook on the top. It was just used to prod
the sheep and guide them in a direction. That's the guidance that comes
because we give our attention to God, NOT the problem. We have a sense of
God's guidance and we come through the storm.

The end result of this is comfort. God comforts us so the fear dissipates.
This is something you must not miss. The reason this happens is because we
awaken to the presence of God. There must be conscious awareness of
oneness with God. There must be an awareness of God. And when that occurs,
then all that God is, all that we are begins to rise up to do the work.

Verse 5 is interesting. Everything shifts. Here, God is no longer the
shepherd. God becomes the host. "You prepare a table before me in the
presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil. My cup overflows."

Let me explain this to you. It is rather fascinating.

In Biblical days, if you were in conflict with another person, one of the
things you might do is put on the most sumptuous, incredible meal that you
could ever imagine for your enemy. You would probably borrow dishes and
things from your neighbors, try to get the best wine, and even kill the
fatted calf. You would put on one great party for this person. You would
invite him to come, and then you would wait on him hand and foot with
supreme service for his person.

But here is the catch. This was part of the culture. That person then had
to reciprocate in like kind. In this case, who is putting on the party?
God has prepared the table. So there is humiliation for the other person
because he can't match the spread you put on.

Then it goes on and says, "You anoint my head with oil." They burned oil
in their lamps and it produced light. They anointed their kings with oil
because they wanted them to be illumined. The Messiah actually means the
anointed one.

Let me ask you this. If you are waiting on someone hand and foot, you've
brought in all these things to prepare this sumptuous meal, don't you
think in the process of serving them your hardened heart might soften a
bit as you are serving this person? Your head is anointed; you begin to
perceive as God perceives-in love. In other words, you begin to see in a
different way. You begin to see them differently.

Beholding God's good in another. That's what would happen. The cup would
overflow. Where before you had a sense of emptiness about you, a sense of
loss, but now the cup overflows.

This is not because of something the person has done, but because you are
serving. You are doing something beyond yourself, and the change takes place.

May we each have a relationship with God, may we have keys of how to
nurture that spiritual relationship through stillness and rest, and we
have guidance of how to deal with the problems of life. The key is that we
must work out all our animosity, resentment, and condemnation for one another.

The last verse holds the most incredible promise for humanity and what is
there for us. It will never occur as long as we are in conflict with
others as nations, as individuals, and even ourselves and the guilt we
hold. Here is what is before us, "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow
me all the days of my life, and I shall live in the house of the Lord
forever." How could that happen if you were in conflict with another human
being? There is no way it would occur. But that is the promise that is
there for all of us.

Look what is taking place now. We have moved from being the images of
sheep, to being sons and daughters of God. We have lived outside the
presence of God in our awareness, and now we are actually in the spiritual
home. We've had God outside of us, taking care of us, and now there is a
merger, a oneness, a dwelling together, living in the house of the Lord
forever, by living Jesus' teachings the way He told us to.

An awareness of God brings this kind of life. It's our destiny. It's
oneness with the Spirit of God. It is true right now. In this moment, we
are one with God as Jesus told us we are. All that is there is ready to
pour itself into your life. It matters not what your problem is, or the
sense of void you may have felt. It's all there, waiting to help. The
kingdom is within us, but it is ours to awaken within our free-will.
That is exactly what happened to David.

How do you like David's message to us? For me it is an incredible thing. I
think, of all the things that are written in the Bible, why is that "the
one" we hold to? Why is that the one we ask our children to memorize? For
me it is very evident. What a message it holds for all of us!

Would you like to hear it one more time? You've heard it before, but I
venture to say that you've probably never heard it in the way we have
shared about it today. So when I read this to you, it will be the first
time you've REALLY heard it, at least in the context and awareness that is
present in your awareness right now.

Let us pray...

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want; he makes me lie down in green
pastures. He leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads
me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for thou art
with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Thou preparest a table
before me in the presence of my enemies; thou anointest my head with oil,
my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days
of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

In Jesus Christ's name ...Amen!

---

Not By Might, Nor By Power, But By My Spirit

"Then he answered and spoke unto me, saying, This is the word of the
LORD...saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, said the LORD
of hosts." Zechariah 4:6

Daily Express: Never believe in discouragement, only believe in God's power to
help you no matter what your facing.

In olden times, if someone had a quarrel with you, you both might go
outside and have a duel. If a person challenged you to a duel, you would
have your choice of weapons.

I want to tell you about two fellows who went outside for a duel - Pete and Repete.

Pete said to Repete: "You have your choice of weapons."

Repete said, "All right. My weapon will be ideas wrapped up in nice boxes."

So, Pete took the first shot and delivered a package to Repete.
Repete opened it and inside was the idea of sickness. Repete got very, very sick.
But in time, he overcame that sickness. He got well.

Then it was time for Repete to deliver a box to Pete. Pete unwrapped his
box and inside found poverty. Pete spent many years believing in the ideas
of lack, believing he couldn't have what everybody else had, but, he
overcame and soon he was back on top again.

Soon he delivered another box to Repete. This time when Repete opened the
box he saw lack of education. Right away he began to shrivel. He accepted
for himself the thought he could not do what others could do because he
did not have formal education. In time, he began to realize that our human
brain is not alone, that we work with God's mind and God's wisdom can come
through.

He overcame the lower ideas and thoughts of society.

Repete then delivered another box to Pete. Inside this box was the idea of
death. Pete died. But a funny thing happened. He came to realize that
death is not a period, but a comma in life and that life in this physical
body is not all there is. We go on.

Finally the time came for the last box to be delivered. Repete opened it
up and inside it he found discouragement. Immediately, no matter what came
into his life, whether it was sickness or poverty or lack of education or
even the idea of death, he was not able to overcome because he was too
discouraged to overcome it.

What is it in a human that tells us to give up? When do we come to the
point when we say we can't come to any more of life's adventures; we can't
go any further; we get discouraged and lose hope.

We are the ones that form the weapons against ourselves.

Positive Daily Inspiration reminds you that you are NOT alone-God is with you.
Sometimes humans cannot lift themselves up, but God is with you. God can lift
you up and keep you up.

There's a wonderful story about a human overcoming discouragement. It is a
story about Thomas Edison. One time Edison's laboratory was on fire. All
of his extensive work was inside the lab. Furthermore, he only had
insurance to cover ten cents on the dollar. He stood outside the lab and
watched it burn. He said to his son, "Son, isn't it wonderful? All my
mistakes are going up in smoke!" Then he said, "Son, run home and get your
mother. She'll never see a fire like this again."

Isn't that the way it should be in our own lives? Yes, there are potholes
on this road of life. But we must never choose to live in the pothole.

We must go beyond with God's help.

Albert Einstein said something extremely powerful that has been
quoted a thousand times and often credited to other people. He said, when
faced with almost insurmountable difficulties and discouragement, "The
significant problems we have today cannot be solved at the same level of
mind that we created them."

Yes, you may have a problem. You may be in a mess. You can't solve it at
the same level of mind you entered that problem with. Thank God! This
calls us to expand as human beings.

Expand to what? Expand to the thoughts of God; to consent in our human mind
to the mind of God inspiring through us. There comes that powerful point in our
lives when we say, "Dear God, I can't do it anymore. I have to have help."
The instant you say that and really mean it, the ideas flood in and through you,
ideas which will change your life.

---

God Cares for You

"Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid;
you are worth more than many sparrows." Luke 12:7

Daily Express: To REALLY become aware of God's care and keeping, can be one of the greatest spiritual
experiences of a lifetime. It is something we should seek with everything in us.

Years ago Mahatma Gandhi was approached by an atheist who had a request.
He wanted Gandhi to work with him to organize and promote an anti-God
society. Gandhi replied, "It amazes me to find an intelligent person who
fights against something which he does not at all believe exists."

God is real and with you THIS moment.

Allow me to tell you the story of a man named Charney. He incurred the
displeasure of his very close friend Napoleon, who punished him by locking
him in a dungeon prison cell. While Charney was in prison, no one from the
outside world visited him. In depression, he scratched the words "nobody
cares" into the stone wall of his cell with a rock he found on the floor.
He sat in the dungeon month after month studying his bleak surroundings.
He noticed that a green shoot began to grow through a crack in the floor.
Every day he would save a little bit of water he was allotted so that he
could water the little green shoot. Soon this plant developed a bud, and a
beautiful blue flower unfolded into full blossom. With the rock on the
floor, Charney scratched through the words he earlier wrote on the wall,
and above them, wrote "God cares."

The man in the cell next to Charney was allowed visits from his daughter.
He told her the story of how Charney had cared for the flower. She shared
the story with people in the outside world, and eventually the story
reached Empress Josephine, who commented, "A man who so devotedly loves
and tends a flower cannot be a bad man." She persuaded Napoleon to set
Charney free. He took the flower home and carefully tended it the rest of
his life because it taught him to believe in God.

If I show you my watch, it is evidence that somewhere, sometime a
watchmaker existed. If you look at the shoes you're wearing right now,
they are evidence that somewhere, sometime a shoemaker existed. If you
gaze at the furniture in your house, it is evidence that somewhere,
sometime a furniture maker existed. When you look at yourself in the
mirror, you are evidence of an unseen power: a God who never sleeps, a God
who has an ear which always hears, a God who is a light which never dims
in darkness, a God who is your strength which never gives way, a God who
is a love which never fails.

There is a belief in the world that prevails that God is somewhat
inaccessible, that God can be approached only through certain religious
ordinances; that is, a person must profess religion, pray in a formal way,
attend church in order to know God. But these are merely opinions that
have been taught and accepted by those who perceive the letter instead of
the Spirit. For if God is Spirit, love, intelligence, and life, everywhere
present at all times, God must be just as accessible as anything in life
and fully as free from formalism.

There are many spokes on the wheel leading to the one hub which is God.
WHY-- because God is so accessible to you, wherever you are in life.

Begin today to meld your mind into a glistening new mold, a vessel for
God's ideas and a holder of faith. Heat it, purify it, melt it, and strip
away the dark, useless empty parts. Refine and reshape it. Chisel and
hammer into your mind all the beautiful, harmonious thoughts and visions -
a spectrum of spiritual light and sound. Create in you a new dimension, a
spiritual reality, a fresh start at being. Realize who you are in this
day. Realize that you are equipped to do what you wish to do with God's
help. Realize that what you desire, what you pray for, can be accomplished with God.

You are marvelously equipped to be all that you want to be right now.
Spiritually you lack nothing. You are a child of God, and you are very
aware of your daughtership, and your sonship with the Almighty.

You rejoice in the experiences of your life.
You do not look back or long for the past.
You hold no grudges.
You move on in life unencumbered.
You are a spiritual being.
You are strong and capable of accepting the responsibility of your own person.
You are inwardly guided, outwardly protected.
You walk the way of this earth, doing that which is yours to do.

God is with you this moment: you have found God in this moment. God cares
for you and is walking beside you, and before you, into your tomorrows.
You are aware of God's presence. God sees your hurts; God knows your
prayers; God is a very present part of your life.

POSITIVE DAILY PRAYER:

Dear God, thank You for caring for me.
Thank You for loving me just the way I am, flaws and all.
Thank You for creating beauty for me to enjoy, such as the change in leaf color.
Thank You for increasing my awareness of my God-given good everywhere present.
I feel loved, I feel cared for.

In Jesus Christ's name... Amen

---

THE NEXT TEN COMMANDMENTS

"Thou shalt keep therefore God's statutes, and God's commandments, which I command thee this day,
that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, and that thou mayest prolong [thy] days
upon the earth, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, forever." Deuteronomy 4:40

Daily Express: Today we share what Positive Christianity believes would be Commandments 11 through 20.

The Positive Christianity 11th - 20th COMMANDMENTS

11th. THOU SHALT NOT WORRY...for worry is the most unproductive of all human activities.

Worry is like sitting in a rocking chair you can go back and forth very fast, and even use great energy
to the point of exhaustion, but you never get anywhere.

12th. THOU SHALT NOT BE FEARFUL...for most of the things we fear never come to pass.

Spiritual people have a bigger concept of God than their problems.
A big concept of God brings fear down to size.
I ask you to have spiritualized imagination - imagining the best, instead of the worst.

13th. THOU SHALT NOT CROSS BRIDGES BEFORE YOU COME TO THEM...for no one has yet succeeded in accomplishing this.

Worrying about the future imagines the worst possible scenarios and the impossibilities of your ability to
cross them. God builds bridges over gulf's that would stop human mind. Walk with God, knowing that God goes
ahead of you preparing your way.

14th. THOU SHALT HANDLE ONLY ONE PROBLEM AT A TIME...and leave the others to God until their turn comes up.

Be easy on yourself by handling JUST ONE problem at a time, and handling that one problem
with God's great help. There is nothing that you and God cannot accomplish.
Working together you become an undefeatable team every time.

15th. THOU SHALT NOT TAKE TROUBLES TO BED WITH YOU...for they make very poor bedfellows.

You need sleep, deep restful sleep to renew yourself and prepare yourself for successful paths.
When you go to bed, the last thing before you close your eyes, is to give all your troubles over
to God for the night. Many will be solved as you sleep.

16th. THOU SHALT NOT TRY TO CARRY THE PROBLEMS OF THE WORLD ON YOUR
SHOULDERS...for nobody (except for God) has a back that is broad enough.

As a child of God, you are heir to God's problem-solving. Human mind can only take so much,
but God can carry heavy loads. God knows how to solve all problems including yours right now.

17th. THOU SHALT BE A GOOD LISTENER...for God often speaks to us through the mouths of others.

Do not talk so much that you forget to listen. Especially if your talk is to share your troubles
and problems with others. Be ready to hear the solution. God will often inspire others to give you
answers even when you least expect it.

18th. THOU SHALT NOT TRY TO RELIVE YESTERDAY...for good or ill, it is forever gone.
Live in the NOW, and rejoice in it.

People that live in the past in their minds are missing real life. God lives in the present
not in the past, and so do you. The answers that you are seeking are not found in yesterday,
nor they found in tomorrow - they are waiting for you to discover in this NOW moment.

19th. THOU SHALT FIRMLY DISMISS FEELINGS OF FRUSTRATION...for 90% of it is
rooted in self-pity, and will interfere with positive action.

Frustration, and self-pity is a self-fulfilling prophecy for the rest of your day.
Give up these feelings and begin to practice positive attitude, or as we refer to it POSTITUDE!

20th. THOU SHALT COUNT THY BLESSINGS DAILY...never overlooking the smallest,
for our biggest blessings are composed of many small ones.

The grateful attract, the ungrateful repel their good. Counting your blessings leads to a life you love.
You become grateful to be alive, and are totally aware of your active living.

POSITIVE DAILY PRAYER:

Dear God, I pray that I am no longer fearful.
I pray that I do not dread future imagined events.
Help me to handle just one problem at a time to its solution.
Allow me to handle over all my challenges to You when I go to bed at night so I may sleep soundly.
I ask You dear God to lift the heavy burdens from me.
Help me to give back by becoming a good listener for others.
I dedicate myself to this day, no longer seeking to relive the past.
I walk with You, and therefore I am empowered to dismiss feelings of frustration.
I count my blessings daily - I am grateful.

In Jesus Christ's name... Amen

---

A Carpenter and His Glasses

"If you have faith the size of a mustard seed... Nothing will be impossible for you."
Matthew 17:20

My Mother's father worked as a carpenter. On this particular day, he was
building some crates for the clothes his church was sending to orphanages in China.

On his way home, he reached into his shirt pocket to find his glasses, but
they were gone. When he mentally replayed his earlier actions, he realized
what had happened; the glasses had slipped out of his pocket unnoticed and
fallen into one of the crates, which he had nailed shut.

His brand new glasses were heading for China!

The Great Depression was at its height and Grandpa had six children. He
had spent $20 for those glasses that very morning. He was upset by the
thought of having to buy another pair. "It's not fair," he told God as he
drove home in frustration. "I've been very faithful in giving of my time
and money to Your work, and now this."

Months later, the director of the orphanage was on furlough in the United
States. He wanted to visit all the churches that supported him in China,
so he came to speak one Sunday at my grandfather's small church in Chicago.

The missionary began by thanking the people for their faithfulness in
supporting the orphanage. "But most of all," he said, "I must thank you
for the glasses you sent last year. You see, the Communists had just swept
through the orphanage, destroying everything, including my glasses. I was
desperate. Even if I had the money, there was simply no way of replacing
those glasses. Along with not being able to see well, I experienced
headaches every day, so my coworkers and I were much in prayer about this.

"Then your crates arrived. When my staff removed the covers, they found a
pair of glasses lying on top." The missionary paused long enough to let
his words sink in. Then, still gripped with the wonder of it all, he
continued: "Folks, when I tried on the glasses, it was as though they had
been custom made just for me! I want to thank you for being a part of that."

The people listened, happy for the miraculous glasses. But the missionary
surely must have confused their church with another, they thought.

There were no glasses on their list of items to be sent overseas. But
sitting quietly in the back, with tears streaming down his face, an
ordinary carpenter realized the Master Carpenter had used him in an
extraordinary way.

There are times we want to blame God instead of thanking God!

Try to remember this in times of trial with my own family. May GOD bless
your day. Look for the perfect mistakes.

POSITIVE DAILY PRAYER:

Thank You, God, for abundance that is making my life richer, for blessings filling my life now.
Thank You for loving me and being with me right where I am, and for Divine ideas that are helping me prosper
in a continuous way in every area of my life, now, and in the future.

Dear God, You have blessed me with peaceful, guiding, healing thoughts that remind me of how prosperous I
truly am!
I hold thoughts of abundance, and I praise You for answering all my needs.
My heart is filled with thanks for the many gifts You have given me, and I praise You for continuing
prosperity:

I praise You for the abundance that fills me! My needs are met.

I praise You for the abundance that fills me! My needs are met.

My journey has been filled with joy, praise, and satisfaction, and I am ready to face daily activities
with renewed strength and enthusiasm.
I praise You for this special spiritual time together and look forward to future times of prayer.
Thank You, God, for blessing me and for creating abundant living in my life.

In Jesus Christ's name, Amen

---

Church Bells Draw Birds into the Barn (A Christmas Classic)

(We have shared this story many times at Christmas, on Positive Daily Inspiration. It is a classic.
Originally, this story was prepared for UPI News by Louis Cassels.)

The Christmas story of God born in a man escapes many moderns, because they try to find complex answers to
their complex questions. This is utterly simple; so, to the skeptics, we offer a modern parable:

There was once a kind, decent, mostly good man. The man I am talking about was not a Scrooge.
He was generous to his family and upright in his dealings with other people.
He just did not believe in all that "incarnation" stuff that churches proclaim at Christmastime.
He couldn't pretend otherwise. He just couldn't swallow the Jesus story
about God coming to earth as a man - that a man could have God in him.

One year he said to his wife, "I'm truly sorry to distress you, but I'm not going to go to church
with you on Christmas Eve." So he stayed home while his family went to the evening service.
As they drove away in the car, the snow began to fall.
The flurries got heavier and heavier. He went to the window to watch them as they drove away,
and to watch the snow as it collected on the ground.
He finally went back to his fireside chair and began to read his newspaper.

Minutes later, he was startled by a loud thudding sound, then another, and then another.
He thought to himself, "Someone must be throwing snowballs against my living room window."

When he investigated, he found a flock of birds huddled miserably in the snow.
They had been caught in the storm, and in a desperate search for shelter,
they had tried to fly through his large picture window.

He couldn't just let the poor creatures lie there and freeze, so he went outside,
and found them flopping around in the snow.
He remembered a certain area that would be of help to them, an area that would help them
live through this Christmas Eve night.
The area was the barn where his children kept their pony.
It would provide a warm shelter, if he could only direct the birds to it.

Quickly, he put on his coat and galoshes, and trampled through the evening snow to the barn.
He opened the doors wide, and turned on the lights inside.
But the birds wouldn't fly into the barn.

The man thought, "Food might entice them," so he hurried back into the house to get something
for the birds to eat, making a trail through the door inside the barn.
But the birds didn't pay any attention to the bread crumbs, anymore than they paid attention
to the well-lit, warm, wide opening of the barn.
To his dismay, the birds ignored the bread crumbs, and continued to flop helplessly in the snow.
He tried to catch them; he tried to shoo them into the barn by walking around them, waving his arms,
but instead they scattered in every direction - except into the warm, lighted barn.

It was then he realized, "They're afraid of me."

As he thought, he reasoned, "To them I must be a strange and terrifying creature.
If only there was some way I could let them know they could trust me,
that I'm not trying to harm them, only to help them. But how can I convince these birds?
Everything I do frightens and confuses them."

They wouldn't follow; they wouldn't be led;
they wouldn't be shooed or chased into the barn because they feared him.
As he stood there in the cold snow with a falling all around him, the thought came to him, "If
only I could be a bird, then I could go with them and speak their language.

I could tell them, 'Don't be afraid.' I could show them the way to the warm, safe barn.
But I'd have to be a bird.
I'd have to be one of them so they would understand."

At that moment, church bells began to ring in the distance.
The sound reached his ears above the sound of the wind, and he stood there are listening
to the bells actually feeling the glad tidings of Christmas for the first time.
He sank to his knees in the snow as the birds flew into the barn.

Jesus was born into a world that trembled with fear of a distant God - a society of people
who would not even speak God's name out of fear of death.

Jesus Christ was born to bring this message: There is a light, shelter, and warmth
waiting for you in God. You do not have to be like the birds flopping around in the snow
because the way is open wide for you to enter therein.

---

ARE YOU PASTEURIZED? Leading a "Past Your Eyes" Life

"Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with just judgment." John 7:24

Sometimes, ordinary things can teach us extraordinary truths about God and
about ourselves. For example, if you were to look inside your refrigerator,
you would probably find a carton of milk.

First of all, what you see is not the milk; what you are actually seeing is
the vessel that contains the milk. When you see the carton you know and trust
that the milk is inside. You associate the carton with the milk. It's the same
with you. When I look upon you, I see a body, a vessel for something much greater.

"Do you not know that you are God's Temple and that God's Spirit dwells in
you? For God's temple is holy, and that temple you are." I Corinthians 3:16, 17

On the carton of milk it may say, "It's real." That, too, could be said of you.
You have a possibility of being your true self if you choose to be, of being
genuine, not artificial.

Often, we look at ourselves only as a carton, but we are more. We are real,
not temporal, but eternal. No matter what shape our carton is in, the inner
contents (the soul) has the potential of a state of perpetual perfectness.

On the carton it says, "Grade A." In the school of life, I believe that God
loves you so much that God would desire to give you an A. You might think
of some test where you didn't score well, but you are here today, better
for the experience. Each person handles life to the best of his or her ability
to do so, and the more we rely on God's ever-present help, the more A grades
we will acquire in this classroom that we all reside in called life.

The milk is pasteurized. We, too, are pasteurized if we live the Jesus Christ
way of life. It is a past-your-eyes - a looking-beyond the appearance type
of life, looking beyond something that is in your life right now. Instead
of allowing a challenge to defeat you and bring you down, you know that
you can go past it. You know that you can move mountains with God's help,
because that which is within you is greater than the world.

Do you know what the most negative statement ever made is? It is, "I've got
to see it before I can believe it." Let's change that around to, "I've got
to believe it before I can see it."

Pasteurizing involves heating milk to a temperature of between 131 and 158
degrees Fahrenheit to destroy all harmful bacteria. Christianity says that
that can happen inside of you, too. There is an allegory of the cleansing
fire, the purification that happens to us. It can happen in an instant
inside your life. The heat of a God-centered life transmutes the negativity
inside of us, and we go through a purification process toward a total,
complete cleansing.

Are you pasteurized? You become "pastor-ized" when you turn to God with
your total being. That is what it's like to be a minister - a pastor. It
is that point in our development where we get out of the way and do good
things for other people. We let God's love shine through us to humankind.

All milk is homogenized. Homogenized is something we too must strive for.
It means blending together or atonement (at-one-ment): wholeness, at one
with God, at one with each other. Love is the homogenizing process. Love
is a creative energy that comes from God and flows through us to bond us
together for the good of humankind. We are praying at Positive Christianity
that the whole world becomes homogenized in God's pure love.

Our milk carton states that vitamins A and D are added. We too must add
vitamins A and D to our daily life. What are vitamins A and D? Vitamin A
in your life is the (A)ffirmative prayer vitamins. The vocal prayer vitamin
of positive affirmation affirms the truth of God even when our eyes cannot yet see it.

Example: I may have a sickness in my body, but looking past my eyes I affirm
in prayer that, with God's help, I can again be in absolute health and
wholeness. I am immersed in a God of perfection that is not sick, that
created me, re-creates me, and gives me life and health, continually.

As I affirm that truth of God, the idea feeds my body and it spreads
throughout my mind in my belief system. This type of prayer is pure faith
in God and it produces perfection in my living, changing carton of life.

Then, I add to my life vitamin D the vocal prayer vitamin of denial. I deny
and say no to old fear-based, doubting belief. Jesus says let everything you
say, say Yay Yay (Yes Yes), or Nay Nay (No No). We have the power to say no
to lack-of-faith thoughts. We have the power to say no to worry. Old thoughts
occupy valuable space in our life. Our minds must have a mental housecleaning
to bring in the fresh new ideas of God's truth. We can say yes to the ideas
that we desire and no to old limiting thoughts. We deny that old beliefs have
any power over us because God is with us. With God's power, we deny worry and
fear the power to destroy our lives. Let's clean out our "thought house" so
we can better receive the Divine ideas of God.

I hope we all become dairy farmers, but with a spelling like this:
D A R E - Y - to dare to go beyond the norm in our lives. To dare to go beyond what we
thought to be true about ourselves, yesterday. To dare to be great to produce
a life that is real, pasteurized, and homogenized "Grade A," with vitamins A and D added.

As you begin to envision life "past-your-eyes," life will churn out good for you!

POSITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY: Dear God, I was blind but now I see. My vision is not with my physical eyes but with my faith. I am very thankful that I no longer am blinded by appearances. Thank You God!

---

Positive Christianity classic - THE DAFFODIL PRINCIPLE (Submitted)

Several times my daughter had telephoned to say. "Mother, you must come see the
daffodils before they are over." I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake
Arrowhead. Going and coming took most of a day--and I honestly did not have a free day until the
following week.

"I will come next Tuesday," I promised, a little reluctantly, on her third call.
Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and so I drove the length of Route 91,
continued on I-215, and finally turned onto Route 18 and began to drive up the mountain highway.
The tops of the mountains were sheathed in clouds, and I had gone only a few miles when the road was
completely covered with a wet, gray blanket of fog.

I slowed to a crawl, my heart pounding. The road becomes narrow and winding toward the top of the
mountain. As I executed the hazardous turns at a snail's pace, I was praying to reach the turnoff
at Blue Jay that would signify I had arrived.

When I finally walked into Carolyn's house and hugged and greeted my grandchildren, I said,
"Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The road is invisible in the clouds and fog, and there is nothing
in the world except you and these darling children that I want to see bad enough to drive another inch!"
My daughter smiled calmly," We drive in this all the time, Mother."
"Well, you won't get me back on the road until it clears--and then I'm heading for home!" I assured her.
"I was hoping you'd take me over to the garage to pick up my car. The mechanic just called,
and they've finished repairing the engine," she answered.

"How far will we have to drive?" I asked cautiously. "Just a few blocks," Carolyn said cheerfully.
So we buckled up the children and went out to my car. "I'll drive," Carolyn offered.
"I'm used to this." We got into the car, and she began driving.
In a few minutes I was aware that we were back on the Rim-of-the-World road heading over the top of the
mountain. "Where are we going?" I exclaimed, distressed to be back on the mountain road in the fog.
"This isn't the way to the garage!"
"We're going to my garage the long way," Carolyn smiled, "by way of the daffodils."
"Carolyn," I said sternly, trying to sound as if I were still the mother and in charge of the situation,
"please turn around. There is nothing in the world that I want to see enough to drive on this road in
this weather."
"It's all right, Mother," she replied with a knowing grin.
"I know what I'm doing. I promise you will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience."
And so my sweet, darling daughter who had never given me a minute of difficulty in her whole life
was suddenly in charge - and she was kidnapping me! I couldn't believe it. Like it or not,
I was on the way to see some ridiculous daffodils - driving through the thick,
gray silence of the mist-wrapped mountaintop at what I thought was risk to life and limb.
I muttered all the way. After about twenty minutes we turned onto a small gravel road that branched
down into an oak-filled hollow on the side of the mountain. The Fog had lifted a little,
but the sky was lowering, gray and heavy with clouds.

We parked in a small parking lot adjoining a little stone church.
From our vantage point at the top of the mountain we could see beyond us, in the mist,
the crests of the San Bernardino range like the dark, humped backs of a herd of elephants.
Far below us the fog-shrouded valleys, hills, and flatlands stretched away to the desert.
On the far side of the church I saw a pine-needle-covered path, with towering evergreens
and manzanita bushes and an inconspicuous, hand-lettered sign "Daffodil Garden."

We each took a child's hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path as it wound through the trees.
The mountain sloped away from the side of the path in irregular dips, folds, and valleys,
like a deeply creased skirt.

Live oaks, mountain laurel, shrubs, and bushes clustered in the folds, and in the gray, drizzling air,
the green foliage looked dark and monochromatic. I shivered. Then we turned a corner of the path, and I looked up and gasped.

Before me lay the most glorious sight, unexpectedly and completely splendid.
It looked as though someone had taken a great vat of gold and poured it down over the mountain peak
and slopes where it had run into every crevice and over every rise. Even in the mist-filled air,
the mountainside was radiant, clothed in massive drifts and waterfalls of daffodils.
The flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns, great ribbons and swaths of deep orange,
white, lemon yellow, salmon pink, saffron, and butter yellow.

Each different-colored variety (I learned later that there were more than thirty-five varieties
of daffodils in the vast display) was planted as a group so that it swirled and flowed
like its own river with its own unique hue.

In the center of this incredible and dazzling display of gold, a great cascade of purple
grape hyacinth flowed down like a waterfall of blossoms framed in its own rock-lined basin,
weaving through the brilliant daffodils.

A charming path wound throughout the garden. There were several resting stations,
paved with stone and furnished with Victorian wooden benches and great tubs of coral
and carmine tulips.
As though this were not magnificent enough, Mother Nature had to add her own grace note - above the
daffodils, a bevy of western bluebirds flitted and darted, flashing their brilliance.
These charming little birds are the color of sapphires with breasts of magenta red.
As they dance in the air, their colors are truly like jewels. Above the blowing, glowing daffodils,
the effect was spectacular.
It did not matter that the sun was not shining. The brilliance of the daffodils
was like the glow of the brightest sunlit day. Words, wonderful as they are,
simply cannot describe the incredible beauty of that flower-bedecked mountain top.
Five acres of flowers! (This too I discovered later when some of my questions were answered.)
"But who has done this?" I asked Carolyn. I was overflowing with gratitude that she brought
me - even against my will.

This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

"Who?" I asked again, almost speechless with wonder, "and how, and why, and when?"

"It's just one woman," Carolyn answered. "She lives on the property. That's her home."
Carolyn pointed to a well-kept A-frame house that looked small and modest in the midst of all that glory.
We walked up to the house, my mind buzzing with questions. On the patio we saw a poster.
"Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking" was the headline. The first answer was a simple one.
"50,000 bulbs," it read.
The second answer was, "One at a time, by one woman. Two hands, two feet, and very little brain."
The third answer was, "Began in 1958."
There it was. The Daffodil Principle.
For me that moment was a life-changing experience. I thought of this woman whom I had never met,
who, more than fify years before, had begun - one bulb at a time - to bring her vision of beauty and joy
to an obscure mountain top. One bulb at a time.

There was no other way to do it. One bulb at a time.

No shortcuts - simply loving the slow process of planting. Loving the work as it unfolded.

Loving an achievement that grew so slowly and that bloomed for only three weeks of each year.
Still, just planting one bulb at a time, year after year, had changed the world.
This unknown woman had forever changed the world in which she lived.
She had created something of ineffable magnificence, beauty, and inspiration.
The principle her daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principles of celebration:
learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time - often just one baby-step
at a time - learning to love the doing, learning to use the accumulation of time.
When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort,
we too will find we can accomplish magnificent things. We can change the world.
"Carolyn," I said that morning on the top of the mountain as we left the haven of daffodils,
our minds and hearts still bathed and bemused by the splendors we had seen,
"it's as though that remarkable woman has needle-pointed the earth! Decorated it.
Just think of it, she planted every single bulb. For more than fifty years. One bulb at a time!
And that's the only way this garden could be created.
Every individual bulb had to be planted. There was no way of short-circuiting that process.
Five acres of blooms. That magnificent cascade of hyacinth!
All, just one bulb at a time."

The thought of it filled my mind. I was suddenly overwhelmed with the implications of what I had seen.
"It makes me sad in a way," I admitted to Carolyn.
"What might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal fifty years ago
and had worked away at it 'one bulb at a time' through all those years?
Just think what I might have been able to achieve!"
My wise daughter put the car into gear and summed up the message of the day in her direct way.

"Start tomorrow," she said with the same knowing smile she had worn for most of the morning.

Oh, profound wisdom!

It is pointless to think of the lost hours of yesterdays.
The way to make learning a lesson a celebration instead of a cause for regret is to only ask,
"How can I put this to use tomorrow?"
I also learned on that gray and golden morning what a blessing it is to have a child
who is not a child anymore but a woman - perceptive and loving beyond her years - and to be humble
in that awareness.

Thank you, Carolyn. Thank you for lessons of that unforgettable morning.
Thank you for the gift of the daffodils. by: Jaroldeen Asplund Edwards

---

When Adversity Knocks "Classic from 2001 Positive Daily Inspiration"

"God gives power to the faint, and to them who have no might God increases strength."
Isaiah 40:29

When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond?

A young man went to his father and told him about his life and how things
were so hard for him. He did not know how he was going to make it and
wanted to give up. He was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as
one problem was solved, a new one arose.

His father, a chef, took him to the kitchen. He filled three pots with
water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a boil. In the
first, he placed carrots, in the second he placed eggs, and in the last he
placed ground coffee beans. He let them sit and boil, without saying the word.

In about 20 minutes he turned off the burners. He fished the carrots out
and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them in a
bowl. Then he ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.

Turning to his son, he asked, "Tell me, what do you see?"

"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," he replied. He brought him closer and asked
him to feel the carrots. He did and noticed they were soft. He asked him
to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, he observed the
hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked him to sip the coffee. The son smiled
as he tasted its rich aroma.

The son then asked, "What does it mean, father?" His father explained that
each of these objects had faced the same adversity - boiling water - but
each reacted differently.

The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being
subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.

The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid
interior. But, after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.

The coffee beans were unique however. After they were in the boiling
water, they had changed the water.

"Which are you?" He asked his son, "When adversity knocks on your door,
how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?"

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with
pain and adversity, do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the
heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial
hardship for some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my
shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff
spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the
very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it
releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things
are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you.
When people talk to you, do you praise God or curse God? When the hour is
the darkest and trials are their greatest, does your worship elevate to
another level?

Spirituality is the depth of your bliss in the middle of your problem!
-Christopher Ian Chenoweth

---

I'LL BE HAPPY WHEN. . .

"God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that...
you may share abundantly in every good work." 2 Corinthians 9:8

Over the years I have had counseling appointments with people all over the
country. People like talking to me because I'm loving, but I'm also very
tough. I usually make people responsible for their issues, and do not let
them get away with old excuses that put off their good from God until some
imaginary day in the future.

We are nondenominational but we have one doctrine - and that is personal
responsibility. God gave us each free will and therefore it is up to us to
choose and to move forward.

One of the growing trends that I have seen in the last few years is that
people suffer from the "I'll be happy when" syndrome. People believe they
will be happy when they have that new car or new home. People believe they
will be happy when they have that new relationship or get rid of the old
one. People believe they will be happy after they retire or move to a new
location. This, in some way, makes it alright to be unhappy and miserable now.

One of my favorite stories is about Mr. Adams who owns Adams Filling
Station at the edge of town. One person drove in and was filling his tank
and he asked, "How nice are the people in this town?" The man explained
that he was just moving to the area. Mr. Adams asked the man, "How nice
were the people in your last town?"

The man said, "They were the most miserable people that I've ever met!
They were mean, and hateful."

Mr. Adams smiled and said, "I'm afraid that you'll find the people in this
town are exactly the same way."

About this time, another lady drove in and she asked the same question
that the other man had just asked, she said, "I'm just moving to town are
the people here nice?" Mr. Adams inquired of the lady how the people were
in the last place that she lived. She said, "They were the most wonderful
people in the world, I hated to leave them."

Mr. Adams then said, "The people in this town are exactly the same way -
you'll find they are wonderful people."

The first man overhearing the second conversation then understood that no
matter where he was that he took himself with him including his
perceptions and his opinions about life.

The only way to go higher in spirituality is to be "all right" with where you are.

Do you suffer from the "I'll be happy when" syndrome? Do you believe that
you can only be happy when you lose your excess weight? Do you believe
that there is something that is standing in the way between you and your
happiness? If there is anything standing between you and your happiness -
it is an illusion.

Don't put off, till some imaginary tomorrow, the happiness that you could
experience today.
Many religions in the past have taught you how to die; Positive
Christianity teaches you how to live. Jesus said that you are meant to
have life and have it abundantly. What is abundant life? It is living
fully every moment in full realization of God and God's good that is
present in your life.

Many people are serious procrastinators and I guess that is okay if they
want to live that way, but I believe it is in major mistake to
procrastinate and put off living fully. If not today - when? If not
tomorrow - when?

How do you live fully? By loving where you are presently. Life is a
journey, not a destination. Love the journey, love every aspect of your
life, and change your negative opinions to positive ones. Being miserable
is a formed habit that can be changed. If you are constantly critical or
cynical about life, you cause that life to wither and die. If you are
critical and cynical about a relationship, it dies. The answer in life is
always to love.

You will find when you love, you are bringing God into your daily life,
and that changes everything. Our Bible says that ALL love is from God.

Jesus says, "God is love."

Decide today to wake up, to be alert and to be enthusiastic about your
present life. Decide to be in love with your life, today, in full
realization that happiness can only be found in this present moment.

The past does not exist and tomorrow is not yet real. This could be one of
the most important decisions and commitments that you ever make for your
own well-being and continuously happy life.

---

Just for Today

"Every good gift and perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the
Father of Lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning."
James 1:17

There was once a woman that wanted to commit to losing 40 pounds.
She found it almost impossible to do until she discovered
the secret of one day of the time.
She committed to eating better and exercise just for that today.
She did not make a long-term commitment, she knew that she could
return to old habits tomorrow if she chose to.
One day success, led to another day success. She reported, it was almost miraculous.
When we are talking about change to a better habits leading to a better life,
it's easier to commit to one day at a time. Sometimes we become frozen
in our forward positive movement by making our commitments too large
for our mind to grasp, or believe.

You can do anything for just one day. And then tomorrow, recommit again.

JUST FOR TODAY-You make a positive difference that you desire in your life.

Habit grows from repetition. Anything repeated for 3 weeks becomes a lifestyle change
within your mind.

You can also make a major difference for others one day at a time.

The truth is that each person can make major differences in
other people's lives during their lifetime. Each life has real value.
At the end of this day, and every day you need to ask yourself the
question, what would life have been like for others if I had not been in this day?

JUST FOR TODAY-You make a positive difference in someone else's life
just because you lived today?

JUST FOR TODAY you make someone else's life better!

How can you make a difference?
Begin looking for small ways to brighten others' lives. Small ways are
cumulative and add up to big lifetime changes.
Sometimes just a smile or a kind word can make a major difference in
another person's day.

Just for today, live your life, giving yourself to others.

JUST FOR TODAY-Make a difference!

Many people pray to know their lifetime purpose. While this is important,
it is also important to be about the business at hand.
What is your life purpose for today? Are you about the Father's business?
If you are doing the will of God, you walk the extra mile to be kind and loving.
You consciously walk through this day seeking to make a difference by
brightening the path for other people. By your very presence you brighten
your home, your workplace, and the people you meet along your path.
Let the light of God shine through you today.
You seek today to cast a huge positive light that will influence others to
seek to make a difference in others' lives tomorrow.
You are a loving child of God. Your soul grows in grace, beauty, and
harmony, as you cause others' souls to become aware of God's grace,
beauty, and harmony.

JUST FOR TODAY-You we exhibit God's love. God's love radiates from you
to everyone around you.

It's a wonderful day because you see the good in every person in every
situation. You complement and praise every hour. You give forth without
thought of receiving anything in return. God's love is such a mighty force
it multiplies the good you give.

JUST FOR TODAY-You are radiating center of God's Divine love.
Only loving thoughts occupy your mind this day.
Only words inspired by love pass your lips.

Every action of yours is inspired to make a positive difference today.
Divine love fills you and overflows to each person you meet creating an
atmosphere of blessing.

JUST FOR TODAY-You make a positive difference in your life and in others.
You go forth now to be a blessing in your world!

POSITIVE DAILY PRAYER:
Dear God, JUST FOR TODAY-I pray You will empower me.
JUST FOR TODAY-You touch me with Your willpower.
JUST FOR TODAY-You help me to bless my world.
JUST FOR TODAY-You make me into the person I desire to be.
JUST FOR TODAY- I commit fully, completely, without reservation.

In Jesus Christ's name... Amen

---

Humpty Dumpty

Do you remember the children's nursery rhyme, "Humpty Dumpty"?

It goes like this -

"Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall;
All the king's horses and all the king's men
Couldn't put Humpty Dumpty together again."

Have you ever wondered why nobody thought to call on The King himself?

As human beings, we tend to look first to the powerless help around us -
the horses and the people. We do this all over and over again, but with v little hope of putting our lives back together again.

If some area of your life is falling apart, and you need help, you should
not waste time and energy calling on the king's horses and the king's men.
You must think first-of the King. You must remember to call on the
ultimate help and power - to call on God. God will put you back together
again. God will turn your life around and bring you the help you need from
inspired humans that are directed by God in how to help you with exact
precision.

When an egg is broken, it is good. An egg doesn't realize its full
potential until it's broken.

The greatest people I have ever known have been overcomers, people with
challenges so great that the strain of trying to hold up under the weight
has broken their shell. But, when the shell was broken, and they asked God
for help, miracles happened in their lives. A higher working than human
law takes over to guide, direct, and inspire. A new dynamic person soon
emerges from that old broken shell that was their former life.
In time, it can be spiritually understood that
the shell was a confinement, even a prison. As the new person emerges,
looking back, they often thank God that the break happened.

God is with you always - in the good days, and in days that are seemingly
not going well. God can help you change your direction, from disorder to
order, to change your focus from what is not working, to what will work every time.

The way to overcoming is first to place oneself, by faith, in the
realization that they are a true child of God, and secondly, to
demonstrate it faithfully and every thought and act. One of the laws of
human mind is that a human becomes like that with which they identify
themselves. Christ is the perfect pattern. Everyone desires to overcome
ALL error. Each should, therefore be wise and follow the Christ.

"Christ... leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps."
1 Peter 2:21

A powerful positive spiritual affirmation is: I am an overcomer through
Jesus Christ, and I rest in the realization of His grace and power.

Life is not meant to be a struggle. We struggle when we rely solely on
human power alone. Did Jesus not say, "With men this is impossible, but
with God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26

Humpty Dumpty must do 5 things, and so must we, to be put back together again.
The first thing Humpty must do, while lying broken on the ground, is to
call on God for help.

The second thing Humpty must do is not to look backward with faultfinding,
guilt, and remorse.
The distance you have gone is not nearly as important as the direction you
are headed.

The third thing Humpty must do: Is change his ways, right now - change his
thinking from negative to positive, change the words he speaks about
himself and his situation and change his actions towards God's good results.

Emerson said, "Thought is the blossom, language is the bud. Action is the fruit."

Now, the forth step: Is for Humpty to make God his continuous partner.

The fifth thing Humpty must do: Is to find a standard by which to live and
major himself against. That standard can be found in the Bible. Follow
Jesus Christ, whose teachings can be a firm foundation for building a new
exciting, happy life.

A famous artist always kept a number of beautiful gems before him on his
easel. The sparkling colors of sapphires, emeralds, and rubies always
caught the attention of his customers. The customers asked, "Why do you
store your gems in such an odd place?"

The artist replied, "I keep the gems close by while I am painting; so I
can refer to them. There is always the danger of my paints fading without
my realizing it, and then my paintings will lose their brilliance. The
color of the jewels never fades; therefore, they serve as a reliable point
of reference."

In 2 Corinthians 10:12, the apostle Paul speaks of the danger of people
comparing themselves with each other: "But when they measure themselves by
one another, and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding."

We are unwise and sure to be disappointed if we make an ideal of another
person or we compare ourselves with another human being, however much we
may admire that person's qualities and talents. Let's be like the wise
artist and go back to the perfection of God for our standard.

Go to the source of perfection, and seek to bring that perfection through
you as a reflection of the light of Christ.

Paul says of Jesus: He was the author and finisher of our faith. In
reading the Bible, we will discover that Jesus always went first to God.

And, so we find Humpty on the other side of the wall. Humpty looks broken
and hopeless because the horses and the humans couldn't help...but we know better!

We see a person who is looking to God for help. Through positive vision we
see the victor in the middle of their victory.

Remember - any human can conquer other humans. The true warrior is the
human who conquers himself.

If you feel broken my friend, the King will put you together again.

Let us pray:
Dear God, I look at the shell my broken life.
Only You can put me back together again.
With all faith and courage, I place my future hopes in You.
I know that what I cannot do, You can.
I ask for a miracle.
Give me the ideas are better life, and I will accept them as my own.

In Jesus Christ name... Amen

---

Five Finger Prayer

This is so special, shared originally on Positive Daily Inspiration
in 1999. This is beautiful - and it is surely worth making the 5 finger
prayer a part of our lives.

1. Your thumb is nearest you. So begin your prayers by praying for those
closest to you. They are the easiest to remember. To pray for our loved
ones is, as C. S. Lewis once said, a "sweet duty."

2. The next finger is the pointing finger. Pray for those who teach,
instruct and heal. This includes teachers, doctors, and ministers. They
need support and wisdom in pointing others in the right direction. Keep
them in your prayers.

3. The next finger is the tallest finger. It reminds us of our leaders.
Pray for the president, leaders in business and industry, and
administrators. These people shape our nation and guide public opinion.
They need God's guidance.

4. The fourth finger is our ring finger. Surprising to many is the fact
that this is our weakest finger, as any piano teacher will testify. It
should remind us to pray for those who are weak, in trouble or in pain.
They need your prayers day and night. You cannot pray too much for them.

5. And lastly comes our little finger - the smallest finger of all which
is where we should place ourselves in relation to God and others. As the
Bible says, "The least shall be the greatest among you." Your pinkie
should remind you to pray for yourself. By the time you have prayed for
the other four groups, your own needs will be put into proper perspective
and you will be able to pray for yourself more effectively.

---

What God Did When Positive Christianity Lost Our Entire Mailing List

"Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice, for the Lord has done great things!
Be not afraid, you wild beasts of the field, for the pastures of the wilderness
have sprung up and are green; the tree bears its fruit, and the fig tree
and the vine yield their full strength. Be glad then, you children,
and rejoice in the Lord, your God; for God gives you the former or early rain
in just measure and in righteousness, and God causes to come down for you the rain,
the former rain and the latter rain, as before. And the floors shall be full of grain
and the vats shall overflow with juice and oil. And I will restore or replace for you
the years that the locust has eaten-the hopping locust, the stripping locust,
and the crawling locust, My great army which I sent among you. And you shall eat
in plenty and be satisfied and praise the name of the Lord, your God,
Who has dealt wondrously with you. And My people shall never be put to shame." Joel 2:21-26

I often encourage people to begin a new story. Often when people first discover Positive Christianity,
they sometimes come with stories of bad things that happened to them. Stories that shaped their lives
in wrong, or even tragic ways. Often, we become a victim to our stories of the past, and even imprisoned by them.

In time, we pray that our readers will begin a new story, and allow their lives to be defined, and shaped,
by the good things given to them by God.

Our stories do define us. It is true that bad things sometimes happen to good people.
But we must never be defined by the bad things, instead, using God's power, we transform
the bad things into God's increased blessings.

One of my favorite stories is of Thomas Edison. At the height of his career,
with a large factory filled with inventors working on new, or improving older inventions,
a seeming tragedy occurred. One night his entire factory went up in a blaze of flames.

Thomas Edison stood on the hill overlooking his factory, and said to his sons,
"Get your mother, and all of her friends - they'll never see a fire like this again!!!"

The family stood together, and almost enjoyed the view.

The next morning he told reporters, "All my mistakes went up in flames - now I have
the rare opportunity of beginning again."

Edison did begin again, and he said he was able to create better than he would have if the fire never happened.

A couple weeks ago that type of fire happened at Positive Christianity.
It was an electronic fire, the burned up our entire mailing list in a millisecond.
A list that we have been developing for over 15 years - up in smoke.

Friday, April 24, 2015 I was doing morning maintenance on the list, deleting the bad email addresses.
Every day, we have a lot of bad email addresses reported from our list server in California.
These can occur because of many factors, but often from bounces, where we could not get through
a certain server. Because we are charged for every attempt of sending, we must be very diligent
cleaning up our list daily.

I had been doing this for 15 years. But today was different, instead of deleting a couple hundred
emails - a message came back that said you have deleted 1,299,000+ email addresses.

I just stared at the screen.

I immediately called our large list server, they informed me that it was a permanent system-wide
delete - with absolutely NO backup.

What happened? I still don't know. Human error, or electronic glitch?

At the Positive Christianity offices, when checking for a backup we found we had multiple backups
of our second smaller list for written sermons, going to ministers, and churches, every Monday, around the world.
Many of the backups marked Positive Daily Inspiration were instead this second smaller list.

So at 10 AM, I sat in front of the computer with only one subscriber - myself.

In 1999 we began small, with, I believe, 76 email addresses. Even that was gigantic compared to my new list.

I literally thought this ministry was over.

I have reinvented myself many times, and I thought perhaps this was another new beginning.

I prayed for God to bring a blessing, and guidance. A surprising calm infilled me.

I'm sure you've heard me say, "Spirituality is the depth of your bliss in the middle of your problem."
I am thankful to God that this is what I felt. Even though I couldn't see how to fix it with my eyes,
and couldn't figure out how to fix it with my mind - I knew God could.

Within the hour, we found a backup of the big list, but it was from 2009, 6 years ago when we were
having great problems, being blocked by big servers like Yahoo. The list was contaminated with 1000's
of spam addresses.

We started 16 hour days, of going through individual email addresses, trying to find out which ones
were real, and which were false.

After a full week of doing this, we had a complete, but 6-year-old out-of-date list.

And then, by a miracle, the list server informed us they did find full a backup of our current list.

The impossible happened. It shouldn't be there, but all of a sudden it was - a miracle!

Overnight, we were larger than ever before. People that had not received for years,
started to write us, and say thank God, we have found you again.

Also, wonderful ministries around the world, of many different denominations, informed their people
of our dilemma, and invited congregants to subscribe, or re-subscribe. Today, I am sending this
Positive Daily Inspiration to our second Positive Written Sermons list, to thank these people
for demonstrating God's true love.

I believe, there are some people that really needed our message, and it was God's way of bringing them
to our daily list family.

We would have never spent the 90+ hours going through that old list, if not for this seeming disaster.
Now, we all thank God for it. God turns disaster into opportunity.

It is said, that the Chinese word "Crisis" comes from two words combined, meaning danger,
and linked opportunity.

The Bible says that God works in mysterious ways, it can be proven over and over again that God works
in mysterious ways to bring about blessings that we could never even dream of.

We must do our best, work our hardest, and allow God to do the rest.

One of our supporters wrote an encouraging letter during the bridge time of passing from disaster,
to the new area of God's blessing.

The letter included a quote from James Robson: "When something is restored in the Scriptures,
however, it is always increased, multiplied or improved so that its latter state is significantly better
than the original state."

She said to us, "The consuming locusts may have eaten that mailing list, but a great cleansing
has taken place, and great restoration is in order!

What a great faith she demonstrated. How true!

God blesses us profoundly EVERY time. If we let God, if we move from our disaster stories,
to the solution that God provides. Our story is NOT one of disaster, but of miracle,
and profound increased restoration by God.

Our ministry is a remembrance society, reminding you of what you already know.

God is great - ALL the time!

I want to personally thank you for your prayers. Now, it does make a great story,
and it makes me smile every time I think about it.

POSITIVE DAILY PRAYER:

Dear God, I believe in You totally and completely.
I believe in You - to fully restore and increase my life!
My total belief in You supports me during any challenge, and inspires me to succeed bigger.
As I trust You to guide me, I create an atmosphere around me that nurtures me.
You are the giver and sustainer of my life, and I know that You are constantly pouring out pure, unconditional love to me.
Whenever I take my awareness away from the confusion around me, Your assurance satisfies the longing of my soul.
Dear God, I feel Your steady assurance that You will never leave me to face anything alone.
You are my life and my constant companion.
I know that, with Your help, no problem is impossible of solution.
I ask for Your help now, and for Your light to guide my way to success.
I look to You for answers.
I promise I will not fear; I promise instead to have total faith in Your perfect outworking of this challenge.

In Jesus Christ's name, Amen.

POSITIVE DAILY AFFIRMATION: I meet ALL challenges with faith in my God.

POSITIVE DAILY QUOTE: "I always tried to turn every disaster into an opportunity."
John D. Rockefeller

God bless you, begin a new story today!_______Christopher Ian Chenoweth

---

Good Ways to Make This Day a Retreat

1) Turn off the alarm... Turn on your trust!

"Have faith in God. Truly I tell you, if you say to this mountain, 'Be
taken up and thrown into the sea,' and you do not doubt in your heart, but
believe that what you say will come to pass it will be done for you."
Mark 11:22, 23

2) Make up your bed... Make up your mind to be positive!

"If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the furthest limits of
the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall
hold me fast." Psalms 139:9, 10

3) Cleanse your body... Cleanse your consciousness!

"The grace of our Lord overflowed in me with the faith and love
that are in Christ." 1 Timothy 1:14

4) Cloth your body...Cloth your soul!

"My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast." Psalms 63:5

5) Break the bread, drink the cup... Appropriate Divine substance and life!

"So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation." 2 Corinthians 5:17

6) Go forth to work...See your good in ALL situations!

"Keep alert, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong."
1 Corinthians 16:13

7) Serve others in joy!

"Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others,
as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms." 1 Peter 4:10

8) Traffic tie-ups... a prayer time, not a trauma!

"God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Psalms 73:26

9) Take a break...Meditate!

"Lead a life worthy of a calling to which you have been called, with all
humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of
peace." Ephesians 4:1-3

10) Relaxation-Recreation... Resting and the Lord

"I know that there is nothing better for them than to be happy and enjoy
themselves." Ecclesiastes 3:12

---

You Are Much More Than An Outer Shell

"Blessed are the meek (teachable), for they shall inherit the earth."
Matthew 5:5

A group of alumni, all highly established in their respective careers, got
together for a visit with their old university professor. The conversation
soon turned to complaints about the endless stress of work and life in general...

Offering his guests coffee, the professor went into the kitchen and soon
returned with a large pot of coffee and an eclectic assortment of cups:
porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal - some plain, some expensive, some
quite exquisite.

Quietly he told them to help themselves to some fresh coffee.

When each of his former students had a cup of coffee in hand, the old
professor quietly cleared his throat and began to patiently address the
small gathering.

''You may have noticed that all of the nicer looking cups were taken up
first, leaving behind the plainer and cheaper ones. While it is only
natural for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is actually the
source of much of your stress-related problems."

He continued...''Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the
coffee. In fact, the cup merely disguises or dresses up what we drink.
What each of you really wanted was coffee, not a cup, but you
instinctively went for the best cups... Then you began eyeing each other's cups....''

''Now consider this: Life is coffee. Jobs, money, and position in society
are merely cups. They are just tools to shape and contain Life, and the
type of cup we have does not truly define nor change the quality of the
Life we live. Often, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy
the coffee that God has provided us. God brews the coffee, but God does
not supply the cups. Enjoy your coffee!''

The happiest people don't have the best of everything; they just make the
best of everything they have... So please remember:

The richest person is not the one who has the most, but the one who needs
the least.

POSITIVE DAILY PRAYER:
Dear God, enlighten what's dark in me...
Strengthen what's weak in me...
Mend what's broken in me...
Bind what's bruised in me...
Heal what's sick in me...
And lastly,
Revive whatever peace and love
has died in me.

In Jesus Christ's name... Amen

---

F.R.O.G. A Positive Christianity Classic

"Joy comes with the morning" Psalms 30:5

I was told a story about a lady in the hospital who was near death when an
area chaplain came to visit her. This chaplain was a very young female
with long blond hair.

She listened to the lady who was ill and left her a small gift for
comfort. It was a tiny ceramic frog.

The next day one of the people from the lady's church came to visit. The
lady told her friend about the beautiful young chaplain who had come to
visit her. The friend was so impressed with the way the lady had improved
and felt the need to talk to the young chaplain. In her search to find the
young woman, she was repeatedly reassured that the chaplains are never
very young and that there was never a woman that fit the description given.

Upon returning to the lady in the hospital, a visiting nurse entered the
room and noticed the ceramic frog. The nurse made the comment "I see you
have a guardian angel with you" as she held the little frog. We asked why
she made the comment and we were informed that the frog stood for:

F Fully
R Rely
O On
G God

GOD KNOWS...HOW HARD YOU'VE TRIED...

When you are tired and discouraged from fruitless efforts...
God knows how hard you have tried.

When you've cried so long and your heart is in anguish...
God has counted your tears.

If you feel that your life is on hold and time has passed you by...
God is waiting with you.

When you're lonely and your friends are too busy even for a phone call...
God is by your side.

When you think you've tried everything and don't know where to turn...
God has a solution.

When nothing makes sense and you are confused or frustrated...
God has the answer.

If suddenly your outlook is brighter and you find traces of hope...
God has whispered to you.

When things are going well and you have much to be thankful for...
God has blessed you.

When something joyful happens and you are filled with awe...
God has smiled upon you.

When you have a purpose to fulfill and a dream to follow...
God has opened your eyes and called you by name.

Remember that wherever you are or whatever you are facing...
GOD KNOWS!!

---

NO PROBLEM!

"Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?
If then you are not able to do so small a thing as that, why do you worry
about the rest?" Luke 12:25,26

When someone used to ask me to do something that I knew that I could
easily do, I would say loudly NO PROBLEM! Well, you can approach every
situation with this same attitude when you understand that God is your
problem solver.

God is ready to help you through EVERY experience of your life. So don't
get bogged down in human mind. No matter how complex or difficult some job
or relationship seems to be to you at the moment - know that with God all
things are possible - NO PROBLEM!

Don't use your connection with God in limited ways-use it ALL the time every day.

In John 17:11 the Bible teaches, "Holy father, protect them in your name
(nature) that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one."

You have a choice: you can worry about how you're going to do something
and whether you have time to do it, or you can take a deep breath, relax,
and trust God to let you know the best way. It's that simple - NO PROBLEM!

I ask you to take a magic marker and write that as a sign and put it in
front of you today - NO PROBLEM!

Let this sign be a reminder to you of God's help in EVERY need.

Many people today in our prayer requests are praying for a sign from God
well, you have one - WITH GOD - NO PROBLEM!

Plants stretch toward the light of the sun as they grow and unfold.
Instinctively they know that the light is the environment that nurtures
them and helps them reach their greatest potential.
And so it is with you. The light of God provides nourishment for your soul
and gives you a feeling of well-being. There can be no darkness in the
light of God, so you let nothing - no worries, no doubts - keep you from
letting the light shine in and through every thought, word, and action. In
God's light you are guided and protected.

NO PROBLEM!

Living in the light of God, you have nothing to fear. Divine understanding
is with you at all times, in every situation. You flourish as you live and
grow in the light of God.

God has given you a sign-NO PROBLEM!

I lift up my thought about you.
I catch a new vision of you.
I see you as a child of light.
I see you guided and directed by an inward Spirit that lead you unerringly
into the path that is right for you.
I see you strong and whole;
I see you blessed and prospered;
I see you courageous and confident;
I see you capable and successful.
I see you as the spiritually perfect being you truly are.
I pray for you in the most positive way. NO PROBLEM!

In Jesus Christ's name... Amen

---

You Have Connections!

"He who follows Me will not walk in darkness,
but will have the light of life." John 8:12

It's good to have connections!

You are much more than you think you are because of your connections.
You are connected to God - your help in every need.

Stop thinking of yourself as weak, sick, or afraid. See God in control of
every cell and atom of your being. God is in charge. As you turn to God
for guidance, Divine wisdom will fill you with supreme assurance. When you
turn your body, life, and affairs over to God's control, you are a free
channel for the expression of healing, order, joy and success. You are
turning yourself over to the higher thoughts and the higher ways of God,
and to the presence and power of God's love.

Many times, in the face of some challenge, you have sat quietly and
reminded yourself, "God is in charge", until the idea gave you a newborn
strength, faith and conviction. Sometimes this came quickly as an inrush
of renewal, and sometimes it came more slowly; but just as surely,
bringing with it the solid feeling of the reliability and steadfast presence of God.

Jesus put it still another way when he said that as you lose your life you
find it, meaning that as you loosen your hold on limited human concepts of
life, you find the unlimited reality of God. You will have to turn over
your control to God whose power will flow through you as right action and
happy results in every detail of daily living. You will be very aware that
you are being Divinely directed.

When God is in charge, the utmost good happens to bless everyone concerned.

Jesus tells you that God knows your needs even before you ask. The perfect
solution to every problem comes from God, healing comes from God, relief
from every burden comes from God. Your part is to consistently, regularly,
and faithfully practice allowing God to be in charge.

This does not mean that you become a robot or an automaton. Rather, it
means that you become a willing vessel and an open channel through which
God's power will flow, in just the unique and individual way that is right for you.

To be an open channel of God's good, affirm this prayer: "All through this
day, God is in charge!" As you proceed through today's activities, turn
your thoughts to the idea, repeating silently or audibly, "In every
detail, God is in charge!" Moment by moment, let Divine love, wisdom,
peace, and joy be the inner controlling power of your actions, your
reactions, your words and your feelings.

If things do not go as you personally hoped, or if you seem to meet with
disappointment, discouragement, and frustration, continue to place
yourself, everything, and everyone, under God's control, persistently
repeating, "God is in charge. Nothing but the best can result, for God's
law of good is always working for the highest good of all."

It is amazing how the details of the day flow smoothly and orderly when
you let God be in charge. You feel lighter, less anxious, happier, less
pressured and you will be assured of the guidance and direction that you seek.
When you let God be in charge, you are under the miracle-producing power of God.

POSITIVE DAILY PRAYER:

Dear God, how good it is to know that I am connected with You.
But better still, it is good to know You are connected to me.
You are my very life, and You bring Divine order to each moment.
I thank You, for Your ever-abiding presence and help.
I pray that I am always aware through every moment of my day.
Amen.

---

Ten Guidelines from God

Effective Immediately, please be aware that there are changes YOU need to
make in YOUR life. These changes need to be completed in order that I may
fulfill My promises to you to grant you peace, joy and happiness in this life.

Please, follow these 10 guidelines

1. QUIT WORRYING:
Life has dealt you a blow and all you do is sit and worry. Have you
forgotten that I am here to take all your burdens and carry them for you?
Or do you just enjoy fretting over every little thing that comes your way?

2. PUT IT ON THE LIST:
Something needs done or taken care of. Put it on the list. No, not YOUR
list. Put it on MY to-do-list. Let ME be the one to take care of the
problem. I can't help you until you turn it over to Me. And although My
to-do-list is long, I am after all... God. I can take care of anything you
put into My hands. In fact, if the truth were ever really known, I take
care of a lot of things for you that you never even realize.

3. TRUST ME:
Once you've given your burdens to Me, quit trying to take them back. Trust
in Me. Have the faith that I will take care of all your needs, your
problems and your trials. Problems with the kids? Put them on My list.
Problem with finances? Put it on My list. Problems with your emotional
roller coaster? For My sake, put it on My list. I want to help you. All
you have to do is ask.

4. LEAVE IT ALONE:
Don't wake up one morning and say, "Well, I'm feeling much stronger now, I
think I can handle it from here." Why do you think you are feeling
stronger now? It's simple. You gave Me your burdens and I'm taking care of
them. I also renew your strength and cover you in my peace. Don't you know
that if I give you these problems back, you will be right back where you
started? Leave them with Me and forget about them. Just let Me do my job.

5. TALK TO ME:
I want you to forget a lot of things. Forget what was making you crazy.
Forget the worry and the fretting because you know I'm in control. But
there's one thing I pray you never forget. Please, don't forget to talk to
Me - OFTEN! I love YOU! I want to hear your voice. I want you to include
Me in on the things going on in your life. I want to hear you talk about
your friends and family. Prayer is simply you having a conversation with
Me. I want to be your dearest friend.

6. HAVE FAITH:
I see a lot of things from up here that you can't see from where you are.
Have faith in Me that I know what I'm doing. Trust Me; you wouldn't want
the view from My eyes. I will continue to care for you, watch over you,
and meet your needs. You only have to trust Me. Although I have a much
bigger task than you, it seems as if you have so much trouble just doing
your simple part. How hard can trust be?

7. SHARE:
You were taught to share when you were only two years old. When did you
forget? That rule still applies. Share with those who are less fortunate
than you. Share your joy with those who need encouragement. Share your
laughter with those who haven't heard any in such a long time. Share your
tears with those who have forgotten how to cry. Share your faith with
those who have none.

8. BE PATIENT:
I managed to fix it so in just one lifetime you could have so many diverse
experiences. You grow from a child to an adult, have children, change jobs
many times, learn many trades, travel to so many places, meet thousands of
people, and experience so much. How can you be so impatient then when it
takes Me a little longer than you expect to handle something on My
to-do-list? Trust in My timing, for My timing is perfect. Just because I
created the entire universe in only six days, everyone thinks I should
always rush, rush, rush.

9. BE KIND:
Be kind to others, for I love them just as much as I love you. They may
not dress like you, or talk like you, or live the same way you do, but I
still love you all. Please try to get along, for My sake. I created each
of you different in some way. It would be too boring if you were all
identical. Please, know I love each of your differences.!

10. LOVE YOURSELF:
As much as I love you, how can you not love yourself? You were created by
me for one reason only -- to be loved, and to love in return. I am a God
of Love. Love Me. Love your neighbors. But also love yourself. It makes My
heart ache when I see you so angry with yourself when things go wrong. You
are very precious to me. Don't ever forget......Touch someone with your
love. Rather than focus upon the thorns of life, smell the roses and
count your blessings!

---

I Can Do ALL Things in God

"I can do all things in God who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13

Recently, I talked on our Positive Christianity television channel about discipline,
and it got quite a response.

I would like to share a personal positive affirmative prayer that keeps me
moving during the day. I have this prayer above my computer:

"I ask for God's discipline to be gifted in me.
In Jesus Christ's name...Amen"

There are sluggish times when you do not have the human strength to carry on.

I find myself being sluggish often, and I really have to kick myself in the seat of my pants
to do what needs to be done.

This is when you need a Divine dose of discipline.

When you feel weak, when you feel as if you should quit, you need to be
infilled with a higher willpower and motivation than your own.

God will give you the ability to finish projects and to complete them with
a greater level of success than you ever dreamed possible in human mind.

God will give you the ability to make a decision and carry that decision
out. There is nothing that you cannot do if you have God's power in you doing it.

God will not only help you carry out your plans and realize your goals but
God will show you the best way to get there.

God will give you quantum power in your self-control.

God will overpower your weak sluggish power.

Going to God is like having a transfusion of energy and strength.

If there is something about yourself that you would like to change or some
habit that you would like to free yourself from, God will give you the
Divine power to keep on keeping on.

God will give you the power, will and motivation to take control of your
life so that you can be, and do all that you long to be, and do. You will
have the willpower and motivation required to make any needed change.

You claim your spiritual motivation now through prayer.

You claim the will of God in your willpower.

You claim the truth that you are created in the image and likeness of God's motivation.

You are empowered to reap an abundant harvest of good.

POSITIVE DAILY PRAYER:
I ask for God's discipline to be gifted in me.
I pray dear God that You will remove my sluggishness.
I pray that You will jumpstart my self-starter.
I pray that You will get me moving.
I pray that You will keep me moving.
Divinely touch my motivation.
Till the time of completion, when I can kick back, smile, and relax.
In Jesus Christ's name...Amen

POSITIVE DAILY AFFIRMATION: I am empowered by God to do what needs to be done right now.

POSITIVE DAILY QUOTE: "Personal discipline, when it becomes a way of life in our personal,
family, and career lives, will enable us to do some incredible things." Zig Ziglar

---

The Old Coal Basket

The story is told of an old man who lived on a farm in the mountains
of Kentucky with his young grandson. Each morning, Grandpa was up
early sitting at the kitchen table reading from his old worn-out Bible.

His grandson who wanted to be just like him tried to imitate him in any way he could.

One day the grandson asked, "Papa, I try to read the Bible
just like you but I don't understand it, and what I do understand
I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading
the Bible do?"

The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and said, "Take this coal basket down to the river and bring back a basket of water." The boy did as he was told, even though all the water leaked out
before he could get back to the house. The grandfather laughed
and said, "You will have to move a little faster next time,"
and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again.

This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he
returned home. Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was
"impossible to carry water in a basket," and he went to get a bucket instead.
The old man said, "I don't want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water.
You can do this. You're just not trying hard enough," and he went out the door
to watch the boy try again. At this point, the boy knew it was impossible,
but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could,
the water would leak out before he got far at all.

The boy scooped the water and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather
the basket was again empty. Out of breath, he said, "See Papa, it's useless!"

"So you think it is useless?" The old man said, "Look at the basket."

The boy looked at the basket and for the first time he realized
that the basket looked different. Instead of a dirty old coal basket,
it was clean and quite lovely.

"Son, that's what happens when you read the Bible. You might not understand
or remember everything, but when you read it, it will change you from the inside out.
That is the work of God in our lives - to change us from the inside out
and to slowly transform us into the image of God."

POSITIVE DAILY PRAYER:

Thank You God for this day.
I will make it Your day.
I place all my plans for this day in Your loving care.
Dear God, I know that all things will go smoothly and well.
I feel Your loving presence with me.
This will be a day when harmony prevails.
This will be a day when peace is felt by me and by those around me.
This will be a day when I know that Your loving presence is with me.
This will be a day when I know my dear ones are guided, making their way safe.
I am glad to be alive.
Wherever I may go, I know, You are with me.
Thank You God for this day!

POSITIVE DAILY AFFIRMATION: God is in charge of my world. God's love and peace,
power and justice are ever-active in everywhere present.

POSITIVE DAILY QUOTE: "The best solution is rarely the most expensive.
It is almost always the most creative." Kenneth Cole

---

The 7 Ups

1. Wake Up!!
Decide to have a good day. "This is the day the Lord hath made; let us
rejoice and be glad in it."
Psalms 118:24

2. Dress Up!!
The best way to dress up is to put on a smile. A smile is an inexpensive
way to improve your looks. "The Lord does not look at the things man looks
at. A human looks at outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."
I Samuel 16:7

3. Shut Up!!
Say nice things and learn to listen. God gave us two ears and one mouth,
so God must have meant for us to do twice as much listening as talking.
"He who guards his lips guards his soul."
Proverbs 13:3

4 Stand Up!!
. . . for what you believe in. Stand for something or you will fall for
anything. "Let us not be weary in doing good; for at the proper time, we
will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have
opportunity, let us do good..."
Galatians 6:9-10

5. Look Up!!
. . . to the Lord. "I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me".
Philippians 4:13

6. Reach Up!!
. . . for something higher. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and
lean not unto your own understanding In all your ways, acknowledge God,
and God will direct your path."
Proverbs 3:5-6

7. Lift Up!!
. . . your Prayers. "Do not worry about anything; instead PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING."
Philippians 4:6

---

MODERN INTERPRETATION 1 Corinthians 13

If I have the language down, perfectly and speak like a native,
and have not God's love for others - I am nothing.

If I have diplomas and degrees and know all the up-to-date techniques,
and have not God's touch of understanding love - I am nothing.

If I am able to argue successfully, quote the Bible, argue against the
religions of other people to the point that I make fools of them, and have
not God's love for them - I am nothing.

If I have all faith, great ideals, and magnificent plans, and have not
God's love that serves, gives, cares, prays, and praises - I am nothing.

If I give my clothes and money to the poor, and have not God's real love for
them - I am nothing.

If I surrender all opportunities, leave home and friends, make the
sacrifices of a ministerial career, and turn sour and selfish amid the
daily annoyances and slights of the ministry, and have not the love that
yields its rights, its leisure, its pet plans - I am nothing. Virtue has
ceased to go out of me.

If I can heal all manner of sickness and disease, but wound hearts and
hurt feelings for want of God's love that is kind - I am nothing.

If I can write articles or publish books that win applause from an adoring
public, but fail to transcribe the Word of God into the language of God's
love, through voice and action - I am nothing.

Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude.

Love does not insist on its own way.

Love is not irritable or resentful.

Love does not rejoice, while laughing at the wrong decisions of others; it
seeks to help and rejoices in a celebration of right choices.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.

Love never ends - but everything else will pass away.

Consent to giving up the childish, human ways, dealing with daily life
with anything less than the perfection of God's love.

So today, faith, hope, love abide in you - but the greatest of these - is love!

POSITIVE DAILY PRAYER: Today, dear God, I refuse to circumference to confusion or allow negativity
to sway me. I will stand firm in my faith that God is mightily at work in me and all that concerns me.

____________

A NEW LOOK AT THE 23rd PSALM

The Lord is my Shepherd...
THAT'S RELATIONSHIP!

I shall not want...
THAT'S SUPPLY!

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures...
THAT'S REST!

He leadeth me beside still waters...
THAT'S REFRESHMENT!

He restoreth my soul...
THAT'S HEALING!

He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness...
THAT'S GUIDANCE!

For His name sake...
THAT'S PURPOSE!

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death...
THAT'S CHALLENGE!

I will fear no evil...
THAT'S ASSURANCE!

For thou art with me...
THAT'S FAITHFULNESS!

Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me...
THAT'S SHELTER!

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies...
THAT'S HOPE!

Thou anointest my head with oil...
THAT'S CONSECRATION!

My cup runneth over...
THAT'S ABUNDANCE!

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life...
THAT'S BLESSING!

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord...
THAT'S SECURITY!

Forever...
THAT'S ETERNITY!

---

Church Politics

"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
Greater love has no man than this, that a man lays down his life
(his personal agendas) for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I
command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not
know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that
I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose
me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit
and that your fruit should abide; so that whatever you asked the Father in
my name, he may give it to you. This I command you, to love one another."
John 15:12-17

Often, I pray with ministries of practically every denomination.
Usually I am praying with them because there is infighting and discord
within the walls of the church. The church members have something other
than love between them. Perhaps it's a board of directors against the
minister, or committee against a committee or a faction against another faction.

The ultimate judge of any church, ministry or nonprofit organization is -
HOW LOVING IS IT!

God is love and to be totally following God and Jesus you have to be
loving instead of taking on the traits of a human that is absent of
spirituality. In the church, you have to be loving! The four walls are set up to be an
example of the love of God, and magnify the teachings of love as taught by Jesus Christ.

We come to church to rise in our spirituality not to promote our own
agenda as a human being. The most important commandment of Jesus is to
love one another. I often speak strong words to churches going through
hard times. I say "If you are NOT promoting love among every single
person, you are not a church based on God."

It is not up to the minister, priest or rabbi alone to be loving, rather
each member of the congregation has an individual responsibility in
following God and developing her or his own individual spirituality. Total
commitment to love is the only way that a church can grow; otherwise it is
dead and waiting to be buried.

The ministry of God cares. The ministry of God seeks agreement.
The ministry of God cares about its people MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE.

The people of Christ must be accepting and loving of all others, and those not of their faith.

Religions that require that you believe everything exactly the way they do,
or else they dislike you, or worse, are very misguided. What this leads to
on a large scale, are groups like ISIS. We often separate ourselves from people of faith,
who choose a different path to God. Holy wars are fought over this issue.
Our great nation was founded on religious freedom; we must not be like those
fear-based leaders that insist EVERYONE believe EXACTLY like them.
We believe religions are like spokes on a wheel, ALL leading to the same hub (God.)

L.Q. is more important than I.Q.

The intelligence quotient has long been the standard for testing a human
being. L.Q. is your "love quotient." For spiritual human beings seeking to
become better than their former selves, L.Q. is much more important than I.Q.

What is the love quotient of your church? Do the members truly love each other?

Every church that is in trouble that reads this Positive Daily Inspiration,
no matter what the denominational name, has an opportunity to
turn things back to God's way. Churches that have serious divisions
and disagreements can start over again, re-organizing under the umbrella
of God's love. They must be willing to release the past. They agree among
themselves that this is not working, and they desire above all else to
follow God and God's ways.

I witnessed one large family leave the ministry because they painted the
sanctuary off-white instead of the eggshell white. They simply said to the
minister that the color would not allow them to worship there - how sad!
The excuses that human mind make to not follow the ways of God. This
family should have been concerned with only one thing - how loving are
they. Worship is an individual thing. A church is a place of worship, not
a battle warship.

Worship is worth-ship. We are each children of God with worth and value.

People leave churches because they don't like the minister, priest or
rabbi. The question should always be, if you do not like them, it is a
soul test, to go beyond yourself and find something to love about that
person. I have taught ministers in seminaries that they are becoming
professional lovers of people, even people that do not love them.

To worship God we MUST love one another within the house of God. The
answer to every problem within the church is love. If we find ourselves in
serious disagreement we need to become serious about love. The church is
the one place in the world that we should promote this above all else.

Copy this Positive Daily Inspiration, and give a copy to every faction
that is in disagreement, and agree to go higher than human agenda and
political infighting.

Politics can kill religion and snuff out all spirituality. If you go to
the convention of any major religion what they are arguing is church
politics. Political quotient is not what we are about as Christians. We
need to focus on one major topic - how loving are we? People have told me
that they have gone to church meetings and come away completely drained
over something as minor as the bylaws change. Every church meeting should
feed the soul. Human agenda and political infighting fades quickly over
time when bathed with the pure love of God. People looking back often
laugh over what was so very important to them at the time. People that
come to your ministry do not read your bylaws; they read your actions and
reactions; they read your face and the tone in your voice.

Commit to the highest form of spirituality. Commit to going above and
beyond yourself. Commit to stretch yourself beyond the limits of
self-imposed boundaries. Commit to being loving 100 percent of the time
within the walls of the church. Commit to being loving in all your words
to a person, or behind their back. Commit to fully stop judging and only
judge yourself in your ability to raise your L.Q.

You are becoming a new person, a new creation in Christ. You are becoming
love made manifest. You reach out with both an outer smile, and an inner
smile of love. You have a welcoming heart to people that you do not know.
Jesus said that it is easy to love your friends, but to go beyond this and
love your enemies. If you truly love a person, you do not have an enemy. I
have seen warring factions in ministries become best friends through
setting aside differences and coming together in love.

Any church is successful if they truly are exhibiting the love of God.
The true love of God is what every single person in the world is seeking
whether they know it or not. It is time to go back to our roots, there is
an old song that says, "Give me that old-time religion." Well, the true
old-time religion, and lasting religion, is love. This is what Jesus
Christ came to teach, and to put at the forefront above the hundreds of
laws of the prophets. Love is the one thing above all others that is important.

If we did this one thing and forgot everything else, churches of all
denominations would grow, and would come together in friendship and love
with other denominations. There are no walls of divisions in the house of
spirituality. Every church needs to begin a new building program of love.
A church that fully manifests love has no problem manifesting the other good that they seek.

POSITIVE DAILY PRAYER:

I allow God's love, and only God's love to be
the thought in my mind,
manifested in my expression,
heard in my tone,
felt in my presence.
I do no harm,
I build up, not tear down.
I follow God by following the way of God's loving expression.

In Jesus Christ's name... Amen

POSITIVE DAILY AFFIRMATION: Today, I am the love of God in expression.

---

IN THE FLOW

"Be still, and know that I am God." Psalms 46:10

I was looking over one of my writings from many years ago and I was
reminded of a wonderful day in my life. Under the perfect blue sky of
Texas, and in the perfect temperature of the morning hours, I took a few
hours off and floated down the Guadalupe River. In Gruene, Texas, there is
a tradition of people renting rubber inner tubes (toobs as they call it in
Texas) and placing them in the river, and allowing the current to gently
float them a few miles down from where they first got in the river.

As I laid back on my toob, I thought to myself "I have finally found a
sport that I can relate to." I had quickly mastered my toob and the art of
floating I was just drifting along backwards looking at where I had been.
I didn't hear the Rapids, and I didn't see their rocks, I just laid back
listening to the quiet sounds of nature and enjoying the relaxation. The
river was a wonderful temperature. It seemed to move only very slightly
and I only inched along the shoreline in its current.

Then, without warning, the velocity of my trip increased, the toob was
turning and I was going up-and-down over rocks. I struggled to stay
up-right and to go in the right direction of the fork in the river. Then
as soon as the Rapids began, the flow seem to stop and I was in what
appeared to be the doldrums (what ship captains call places in the water
without movement), the toob was no longer moving downstream; it was just
going ever so slowly in a continuous circle.

I found that after the fast movements I was very impatient to get moving
again and yet when I learned to enjoy the doldrums. I saw things that I
had been blind to before. Evidence of God was all around me. A dozen or
more giant turtles sunned themselves just a few feet away from my endless
circle. On the third turn I saw beautiful birds standing on one leg as if
to pose for me.

The flow of life is much like my journey on the river. If you're only
looking back to your past, you cannot see where you are going. When the
speed of life increases, we are often shocked and all we can do is hold on
for dear life. Then when movements stop again, we quickly become bored and
impatient, and we wish that life would speed up again. We can become
addicted to speed, but there are more blessings to be found in stillness.
In stillness and quiet, we find God and evidence of God everywhere.

After fully enjoying the stillness and feeling refreshed by it, I had to
physically paddle using my arms and hands and feet to get back to an area
of the river where the current was taking things downstream. When I was in
the flow again, I could just lay back and enjoy the trip. After a few
hours, I felt like I had been immersed in a microcosm of the great
macrocosm. Everything that I experienced on that small river was part of
our large lives. If you really want to live a large life, you need a
concept of a larger God. No matter where you are on your river of life,
God is there and ready and willing to help. When you ask for God's help,
you stop the struggles. Just lie back, and relax, and enjoy the flow.

Most of us don't remember what we did on a particular day last year, let
alone many years ago, but we remember the magic moments, and many of
those moments are times of spiritual experience, where we allow the
quietness of God surround us.

That day, I let go and I let God take over and how relaxing it was. I
realized today you may not be floating down the river, but you can have
the same experience by simply letting go of some of the things that cause
you great tension. Much of our tension comes from trying to manage and
control our lives and the others in our lives. I could not control the
river; I just flowed with it.

If our tensions are coming from relationships with coworkers and family,
imagine today that you are all together toobing down the river. Let go and let God.

To "let go" does not mean to stop caring; it means I can't do it for someone else.

To "let go" is not to cut myself off; it's the realization that I can't control another.

To "let go" is not to enable, but to allow learning from natural consequences.

To "let go" is to admit powerlessness, which means the outcome is not in my hands.

To "let go" is not to try to change or blame another; it's to make the most of myself.

To "let go" is not to care for, but to care about.

To "let go" is not to fix, but to be supportive.

To "let go" is not to judge, but to allow another to be a human being.

To "let go" is not to be in the middle arranging all the outcomes, but to
allow others to effect their destinies.

To "let go" is not to be protective; it's to permit another to face reality.

To "let go" is not to deny, but to accept.

To "let go" is not to nag, scold, or argue, but instead to search out my
own shortcomings and correct them.

To "let go" is not to adjust everything to my desires, but to take each
day as it comes, and cherish myself in it.

To "let go" is not to criticize and regulate anybody, but to try to become
what I dream I can be.

To "let go" is not to regret the past, but to grow and live for the future.

To "let go" is to fear less, and love more.

---

PROSPERITY PRAYER

PROSPERITY PRAYER "Thou openest Thy hand, Thou satisfies the desire of every living thing."
Psalms 145:16

With God as my continual support I shall not want.

The Lord brings to pass my continuous good and ever-expanding prosperity.
I am always provided for because I have faith in God as my omnipresent abundance.
I have faith in God as my almighty resource and I trust God to preserve me in my prosperity.

I trust in God in all the affairs of my life. I come to God because I
believe that God is a rewarder of them that seek after God. I do not
depend upon persons or conditions for any of my prosperity. I fully
realize that persons and conditions are channels of my prosperity, but God
is the source of my supply. I am the rich child of a loving God.

I cleanse my mind and I ask God to cleanse the minds of all others of any
idea that my good can be withheld from me. No person, situation or event
can keep from me that which God has for me right now.

My success and my future cannot be limited. God surrounds me and infills
me with Divine ideas that free me from all limitation. With God's help, I
am now and forever freed from all financial limitation.

I turn on the great energy of my thinking in prayer and focus on
prosperity so that God's prosperity can focus on me. Through my free-will,
I say yes to God and to God's good now prepared for me. God's speed now
increases the velocity of my life. I am moving towards prosperity and
prosperity is moving towards me. I am a magnet for its activity of good in my life.

Vast improvement comes immediately in every phase of my life now. Every
day, in every way, God is making things better and better for me now. I
eagerly invite the wealth of God to manifest in my life now. I release any
idea held in mind that I cannot do this. I maintain ever-expanding
financial prosperity for the rest of my life.

I am provided for, and I eagerly provide for others by sharing my good. I
am beautifully and appropriately supplied, clothed, housed and
transported. God provides supply for every need. I give thanks to God for
a quick and substantial increase in my prosperity income now. I am God's
rich child! I am rich, well and happy in every aspect of my life. My life
is in Divine order now.

My life is filled abundantly with loving friends and family. I give first
of God's love given to me and to all those around me.

I give first to my spiritual sources knowing that I cannot out give God.
Giving is the first step in receiving, and my giving makes me rich. I
freely give my 10th to God, and I reap a 100 fold increase.

My life is expanded, rich and full. I feel fulfilled as I actively move
forward into my expanded good Divinely directed and lavishly prospered. I
am God-guided into my perfect place to serve. I am now guided into my true
place with the true people and with lasting prosperity quickly, easily and
in peace. There is no lack in God. The only lack is the fear of lack itself.

I am surrounded by God's abundance. I live, move and have my being in
God's abundance. I think only abundant thoughts. The love of God flows
easily within my life as abundance. God's good fills my every need.
Blessings - all kinds, some seemingly insignificant, some very great -
come to me through God's love. They flow from one person to another,
increasing and enhancing all of our lives.

In communion with God, you give your attention wholly to God and become
more aware of God's blessings. Your heart breathes a quiet "Thank You,
God" as you express your love to God and to others. Immersed in the flow
of God's good, you see how your life has been enriched. You are grateful
and you give thanks to God.

---

EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS

"It shall come to pass - That before they call, I will answer; And while they are still speaking, I will hear." Isaiah 65:24

EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS

When in sorrow...........................call John 14
When men fail you.......................call Psalm 27
If you want to be fruitful.................call John 15
When you have made a mistake..................call Psalm 51
When you worry...........................call Matthew 6:19-34
When you are in danger................call Psalm 91:1 on
When God seems far away............call Psalm 139
When your faith needs stirring.........call Hebrews 11
When you are lonely and fearful.......call Psalm 23
When you grow bitter and critical.....call 1 Corinthians 13
For Paul's secret to happiness.........call Colossians 3:12-17
Understanding of Christianity.......call 2 Corinthians 5:15-19
When you feel down and out.............call Romans 8:31
When you want peace & rest............call Matthew 11:25-30
When the world seems bigger than God........... call Psalm 90
When you want Christian assurance.............call Romans 8:1-30
When you leave home for labor or travel.........call Psalm 121
When your prayers grow narrow or selfish......call Psalm 67
For a great invention/opportunity...........call Psalm 55
When you want courage for a task........call Joshua 1
For how to get along with others.......call Romans 12
When you think of investments & returns........call Mark 10
If you are depressed..............................call Psalm 27
If your pocketbook is empty...................call Psalm 37
If you are losing confidence in people......call 1 Corinthians 13
If people seem unkind............................call John 15
If discouraged about your work...............call Psalm 126
If you find the world growing small and yourself great.....call Psalm 19

ALTERNATE NUMBERS

For dealing with fear.........................call Psalm 34:7
For security......................................call Psalm 121:3
For assurance..................................call Mark 8:35
For reassurance...............................call Psalm 145:18

Emergency numbers may be dialed direct. No long-distance numbers, they are all locally accessible.
All lines to God are open 24 hours a day!

(Print out and keep inside the front cover of your Bible for quick access in time of need.)

---

RESERVOIR OF PURE GOD POWER (The concept of time-tithing)

"The father who dwells in me does his works...
I am in the father and the father in me." John 14:10, 11

Today, what I will teach you could change your life. It's so simple,
(as most profound things are), but when practiced, it can renew your life.

At times the burdens of life can seem overwhelming. You may ask yourself
how you can ever find the energy to meet the demand. There may be so much
to do that you do not know where to begin.

If you find yourself in such a situation, remember Jesus' words, "The
Father who dwells in me does His works." In the quietness of prayer we
receive strength and the confident assurance that the responsibility is
not ours personally. Jesus said we are all children of God. The Father who
dwells with us does His works.

A human being can be like the Energizer bunny running on bad batteries. Soon
the drumming stops and life slows to a halt. The human being has completed
and exhausted its energy reserve. This has happened to me many times, and
it has happened to you. When this happens I call upon God and God's
reservoir of pure God power. God infuses me with new life and energy. I am
no longer working or thinking by myself.

The activity of God works through us and enables us to accomplish whatever
we need to do, easily and without stress and strain.

I urge you to intersperse the activities of this day with quiet moments of
prayer. When you do this, you will draw upon God's reservoir of wisdom and
power. You will become refreshed and renewed. You will be guided in
handling all of the issues of your life in an orderly and relaxed manner.

On days when I need God's help and energy, I make it a practice to Time
Tithe. A tithe is a tenth. I give a tenth of my time back to God - six
minutes out of every hour. The circulation of God energy coming to me and
through me is miraculous.

At the beginning of the next hour give six minutes back to God. You do not
even need to close your eyes, just pray, silently talk to God as you would
your friend.

This spiritual energy will build; it will be accumulative during this day.

You will find that you have a reservoir of power to meet the needs of the
day and beyond.

You will be surprised at how much strength and energy this gives you in
your mind, in your body, and in your soul.

I invite you to try this now.

POSITIVE DAILY PRAYER:

I am an active participant in prayer today.
I give back 10% of my waking time to God.
I agree to give 6 minutes back to God, at the start of every hour that I am awake this day.

POSITIVE DAILY AFFIRMATION: Today, I align myself with God energy.

---

Guilt Trips

"I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for
our inequities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown
up to the heavens... For we were slaves. Yet our God did not forsake us in
our bondage; but God extended mercy to us..." Ezra 9:6, 9

Many of us are planning vacations or trips.

This is a trip that I do NOT want you to go on.

I had not really planned on taking a trip this time of year, and yet, I
found myself packing rather hurriedly. This trip was going to be
unpleasant and I knew in advance that no real good would come of it.

I'm talking about my annual "Guilt Trip."

I got tickets to fly there on "WISH I HAD" airlines. It was an extremely
long flight. I kept my baggage which, I could not check. I chose to carry
it myself all the way. It was weighted down with a thousand memories of
what might have been.

No one greeted me as I entered the terminal to the Regret City
International Airport. I say international because people from all over
the world come to this dismal town.

As I checked into the Last Resort Hotel, I noticed that they would be
hosting the year's most important social event, the "Annual Pity Party." I
wasn't going to miss that great social occasion. Many of the town's
leading citizens would be there.

First, I met the three members of the Done family -

Should Have Done

Would Have Done

Could Have Done.

Then, I met the "I Had" family -

Old wish, and his clan,

Opportunities Not Seen In The Present

Opportunities Missed

Opportunities Lost.

The biggest family there was the Yesterday's. There were far too many of
them to count, but each one had a very sad story to share.

Then, the Shattered Dreams family made their appearance, and It's Their
Fault family regaled us with stories and excuses about how things had
failed in their lives.

Each story was loudly applauded by Don't Blame Me and I Couldn't Help It.

Well, to make a long story short, I went to this depressing party, knowing
that there would be no real benefit in doing so. And, as usual, I became
very depressed.

As I thought about all the stories of failures brought back from the past,
it occurred to me that all of this trip and the pity parties can be canceled by ME!

Knowing this, I left the City of Regret, immediately and left no
forwarding address.

Am I sorry for the mistakes I've made in the past? YES! But there is no
physical way to undo them.

So, I urge you if you're planning a trip to the City of Regret, please
cancel your reservation now.

Instead, take a trip to a place that I have discovered called Starting
Over Again. I like it so much that I have now taken up permanent residence there.

My neighbors -

The I Forgive Myself's

And the New Start Up's

Are so very helpful.

By the way, in Starting Over Again, you don't have to carry around heavy
baggage, because the load is lifted from your shoulders upon arrival by God.

Now, I live on I Can Do It Street. God bless you in finding this new town;
please look me up when you arrive.

Positive Affirmation for the Day:
Through the love I feel directly from God, I accept the gift of a new day,
leaving behind the mistakes of the past, and striving forward to become
the best child of God I can.

---

MY WONDERFUL BODY

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you,
which you have from God?" First Corinthians 6:19

Too many of us spend too much of our daily lives criticizing our bodies
and the way they function. We become cynical about our bodies and the
cells of our bodies, living in this highly critical environment, wither.

I ask you to give thanks to God for your wonderful body.

For the next week, you will praise every part, and criticize no part,
of your wonderful body. Remember, the cells of your body are listening
to your words and thoughts about them. You will remake your body
in the goodness of God.

You give thanks for your wonderful heart which beats so faithfully and strong.

You give thanks for the weight that you are, instead of wishing
it was something else.

You give thanks for your wonderful lungs which enable you to breathe
a breath of life, freely and fearlessly.

You give thanks for all the wonderful organs that know their perfect
function and perform their roles perfectly.

You give thanks for the wonderful network of nerves that carry
messages to every part of your being.

You give thanks for all your wonderful faculties - for sight
and hearing, for the sense of touch, for the sense of taste,
and for the sense of smell.

You give thanks for your skeletal system that holds your body upright and stable.

You give thanks for your muscles, ever-strong with the strength of God
moving through them.

You give thanks for your skin that ever renews itself. You give thanks for every part of you that renews itself with new life
and God vitality.

You give thanks for your eyes that are able to see and focus on the
good of God in yourself and in others.

You give thanks for your ears that are able to hear and discern the truth.

You give thanks for your arms that are able to reach out and hug.

You give thanks for your legs that are able to walk you where you need
to go when you need to go there.

You give thanks for your stomach and its ability to assimilate food
and to digest it and to eliminate waste.

You give thanks for your brain that is able to think, reason
and comprehend.

You give thanks for your wonderful body and the life that animates it.

You give thanks for the realization that you are more than flesh and
blood, that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.

Take every point made above, and make it your own, in a prayer of gratitude.

Make it personal, as a gift to your body, and to your life.

---

Bridges of Faith

"Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just,
whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable... think
about these things." Philippians 4:8

Once upon a time two brothers who lived on adjoining farms fell into conflict.
It was the first serious rift in 40 years of farming side by side, sharing
machinery, and trading labor and goods as needed without a hitch.

Then the long collaboration fell apart. It began with a small misunderstanding
and it grew into a major difference. Finally it exploded into an exchange of
bitter words followed by weeks of silence.

One morning there was a knock on John's door. He opened it to find a man
with a carpenter's toolbox. "I'm looking for a few days work" he said. "Perhaps
you would have a few small jobs here and there I could help with? Could I help you?"

"Yes," said the older brother. "I do have a job for you. Look across the creek
at that farm. That's my neighbor; in fact, it's my younger brother. Last week
there was a meadow between us and he took his bulldozer to the river levee
and now there is a creek between us. Well, he may have done this to spite me,
but I'll go him one better. See that pile of lumber by the barn? I want you
to build me a fence - an 8-foot fence - so I won't need to see his place
or his face anymore."

The carpenter said, "I think I understand the situation. Show me the nails
and the post-hole digger and I'll be able to do a job that pleases you."

The older brother had to go to town, so he helped the carpenter get
the materials ready and then he was off for the day. The carpenter
worked hard all that day measuring, sawing, nailing.

About sunset when the farmer returned, the carpenter had just finished
his job. The farmer's eyes opened wide, his jaw dropped. There was no
fence there at all. It was a bridge - a bridge stretching from one side
of the creek to the other! A fine piece of work handrails and all - and the neighbor,
his younger brother, was coming across, his hand outstretched.

"You are quite a fellow to build this bridge after all I've said and done."
The two brothers stood at each end of the bridge, and then they met in
the middle, taking each other's hand.

They turned to see the carpenter hoist his toolbox on his shoulder. "No, wait!
Stay a few days. I've a lot of other projects for you," said the older brother.

"I'd love to stay on," the carpenter said, "but, I have many more bridges to build."

I have noticed lately that there are great divisions happening in our great
country. One side believes the other side is wrong and vice versa.

It is the tall spiritual person that seeks common ground instead of divisions.
United we stand; divided we fall.

The very best thoughts want the best for the other person, as well
as yourself. Spiritual people naturally care about other people. For these
very best thoughts, you can thank our God centered thoughts of love,
acceptance, and forgiveness.

Never think less of friends and loved ones than what is true about them;
they are children of God who deserve to be thought of with true, honorable,
just, and positive thoughts.

The greatest possessions you will ever have in this life are friendships.
The best friendships are often people that are not like you at all, and yet
you have found common ground.

Your loving, patient thoughts create loving long-lasting relationships.

---

NO WORRY FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS

"Fear not, for I am with you." Genesis 26:24

"The trouble with most people is that they think with their fears, or doubts
rather than with their minds." Will Durant

Josiah Royce once said "Thinking is like loving and dying. Each of us must
do it for themself." I agree, thinking is either loving or dying. We must choose
not to die by our thoughts. We must choose not to hold killing, poisonous
thoughts inside of us. Our thoughts do not kill anyone else they kill our
own spirit, health and our energy.

A new day is before us; we have a spiritual opportunity to
practice the presence of God. For the next 24 hours, I invite you and all
of our friends at Positive Christianity to eliminate worry from our lives.

To act out the principle of turning prayers over to God, one family took a
paper bag, wrote "God" on it, and taped it up high on the back of their
kitchen door. As they prayed about matters such as their careers, their
role as a father, or mother, their abilities to be a good husband, or
wife, they would write down each concern on a piece of paper. All
those pieces of paper went in the bag. The rule was that if you start
worrying about a matter of prayer that you have turned over to God, you
have to climb up on a chair and fish it out of the bag. The family said
that they did not want to admit how much time they spent sifting through
those scraps of paper! But it taught them an important lesson of how
useless and unnecessary worry is.

A problem not worth praying about - is not worth worrying about.

Worry is like a rocking chair: It gives you something to do, but it does
not get you anywhere.

A Swedish proverb says, "Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow."

Dr. Paul Brandwein, at the George Washington high school in New York City,
used a simple yet dramatic demonstration to point out to his students how
unproductive worry is. When the students came into class, he had a bottle
of milk perched on a laboratory desk. After they were seated and
wondering what experiment the milk was for, the doctor would startle the
students by smashing the bottle of milk into the sink and exclaiming,
"Don't cry over spilt milk!"

He then invited his students to gather around the sink. "Take a good
look," he said, "because I want you to remember this lesson for the rest
of your lives. That milk is gone - you can see it is down the drain; and
all the fussing, and hair-pulling in the world will not bring back a
single drop of it. All we can do is write it off, forget it, and go on to
the next thing."

A famous anonymous quote says, "The neurotic is a person who worries about
something that did not happen in the past. He is not like us normal
people who worry about things that will not happen in the future."

A man once said, "When I do not have anything to worry about, I begin to
worry about that." That sounds funny, and yet that is precisely what many people do.

Live this 24 hour day as a spiritual experiment to eliminate worry in your life.

POSITIVE DAILY PRAYER:

Dear God, today, I choose not to worry.
With Your help I will live the next 24 hours without doubting
in God's ever-present help.
I will think about only the best and blest outcomes.
Through a touch of God, I am uplifted right now in mind.
Every thought within my human mind has at its center a nucleus
belief in oneness with God, and because of that,
the best possible results always follow.
Better than my human mind can dream of, the genius ability of God
opens up ways when there seems to be no way.
With my human mind alone it is impossible; but with God, all things are possible.
This day, I rely solely and completely on God.
I place God first in every thought and feeling, every action, and reaction.
I am not alone, I am connected to God - my help in every need.

In Jesus Christ's name... Amen

---

7 Steps to Overcome Anything That Scares You

"If God is for us, who is against us?" Romans 8:31

Everyone is afraid of something. If you look closely, we will see that
the root of all our fears is a lack of trust in God, or a lack of trust
in our ability to handle whatever comes our way.

Fear can be overcome.

Positive Christianity gives you 7 steps to overcome anything that scares you.

1) Stop waiting for circumstances to be just right, or until you are sure
you know what to do before you act. Fear does not go away unless you take
risks to make your dreams come true. With each accomplishment comes new
strength and improved self-esteem from God.

2) Keep a diary where you can write about the things that scare you.
Notice where they occur, how anxious you feel, and what you do to deal
with the situation. Over time, you will be able to see what works best
for you and also see how you have improved. You will find that faith in
God takes away all fear.

3) Acknowledge the positive things in your life. Anxious people tend to
overlook their own strengths. When you are scared, make a conscious
effort to remember some past positive experience, instead of focusing on
your failures. This is doing God's Will for you.

4) Avoid catastrophic thinking. Ask yourself what the worst possible
outcome of the situation could be. You will usually find that it's
something you could survive, even though you would not enjoy it. Having
faced the worst possibility, it makes it easier to deal with what does
come. Now, think about what God will bring to pass in the situation, to make it better.

5) Acknowledge your fears, but do not face them alone, face them with God.
Many people try to mask their anxieties with busy activities. These may
distract you from your anxiety for a while, but when they become avoidance
techniques, anxiety eventually increases.

6) Stay focused on God. Much anxiety is the result of projecting yourself
into future situations. Stay in the present, here and now, with God - since that is
all you can control anyway. Let God take over and succeed in this matter.

7) Take it one step at a time. If you are overwhelmed at the thought of
confronting an anxiety triggering situation, tackle one piece of that at a
time with the help of God. Give yourself permission to repeat steps as
many times as it is necessary for you to be completely comfortable.

God can and will take away your fears.

---

Special Interpretation of the Lord's Prayer Honoring God as love.

Our Father of love which art in the heaven of love,
hallowed be Thy name of love.
Thy kingdom of love come,
Thy loving will be done in earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread of love
and forgive us our debts of love
as we also have forgiven those who feel they owe debts of love to us.
And leave us not in the temptation of not loving, as You unconditionally love us,
but deliver us from evils of conditional love.
For Thine is the kingdom of love,
the power of love,
and the glory of love
forever.
Amen.

---

Four-Step Prayer Technique

This is a ministry of prayer.
We have come here to feel the power of prayer.

This is the four-step prayer technique.

First we pray for illumination.

There is but one presence and one power in your life - God the good,
omnipotent. You are now in the presence of pure being. You are immersed in
the Holy Spirit of light, love, and wisdom. You acknowledge God's presence
and power. All you do this day, you do in God's presence, by God's power
and to God's glory. There is but one presence here, one power here, in
your life. Rest in the silence of prayer and accept this as true for you...

Rest of the silence of prayer...

The second prayer technique--adoration.

Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all God's benefits: Who
forgiveth all thine inequities; who healeth all thine diseases; who
redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with loving-kindness
and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so
that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's [Psalms 103:1-5, KJV].

Today, in this moment, we have the illumination of Jesus Christ. Receiving
that awareness, we have a great adoration - a wonderful adoration - build inside of us.

It builds now, in the silence of prayer . . .

(Silence)

The third prayer technique--forgiveness.

In the name and through the power of Jesus Christ, I accept Your
forgiveness, God, as I remember the words that were spoken through Isaiah:
For thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art my servant . . .
thou shalt not be forgotten of me. I have blotted out, as a thick cloud,
thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have
redeemed thee [Isaiah 44:21-22, KJV].

To anyone whom I need to forgive, I say there is nothing between us but
the love of God. Freely and fully I release all thoughts of hurt, anger,
and resentment. We are at peace; you and I, one with the love of God. In
this moment, consent to forgiveness, the love of God flowing through you,
not being stopped in any way by your opinions or judgment of another . . .

Rest of the silence of prayer...

The fourth prayer technique--acceptance of blessings and God's will.

Dear God, this day I gratefully accept the manifold blessings in my
life. I accept health; I accept a wonderful, harmonious home life, a
wonderful family, wonderful friends, good work and the ability and
opportunity to do that. I accept abundant supply and the time to share and
enjoy all the good You give. I know Your will is that I express Your love.
Wherever I am, whatever I do, toward whomever I meet, joyfully I accept
Your will as mine.

Rest now in the silence of acceptance in prayer. . .

We pray this day in God's illumination, in total adoration, with
complete forgiveness, and with total acceptance.

In Jesus Christ's name we pray . . . Amen.

---

Memo from God

I am God. Today I will be handling all of your problems.
Please remember that I do not need your help.
If life happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, do not attempt to resolve it.
Kindly put it in the SFGTD (something for God to do) box.
It will be addressed in My time, not yours.
Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold onto it.

If you find yourself stuck in traffic, don't despair.
There are people in this world for whom driving is an unheard of privilege.

Should you have a bad day at work, think of the man who has been out of work for years.

Should you despair over a relationship gone bad, think of the person who has never known
what it's like to love and be loved in return.

Should you grieve the passing of another weekend, think of the man in dire straits,
working twelve hours a day, seven days a week to feed his children.

Should your car break down, leaving you miles away from assistance,
think of the paraplegic who would love the opportunity to take that walk.

Should you notice a new gray hair in the mirror, think of the cancer patient in chemo
who wishes she had hair to examine.

Should you find yourself at a loss and pondering what is life all about,
asking, "What is my purpose?" be thankful.
There are those who didn't live long enough to get the opportunity.

Should you find yourself the victim of other people's bitterness,
ignorance, smallness or insecurities, remember, things could be worse.
You could be them!!!!

---

ABC's (Positive Christianity Version)

A lthough things are not perfect,

B ecause of trial or pain,

C ontinue in thanksgiving,

D o not begin to blame.

E ven when the times are hard,

F ierce winds are bound to blow,

G od is FOREVER ABLE,

H old on to what you know.

I magine life through God's vision,

J oy ever increasing,

K eep thanking God for all the things,

L ove God continuously imparts to thee.

M ove out of "Camp Complaining,"

N o weapon that is known,

O n earth can yield the power,

P raise can do alone.

Q uit looking at the past,

R edeem the time at hand,

S tart every day with worship.

T hank in advance is a command of true faith,

U ntil we see God's good coming.

V ictorious with God's help,

W e WILL run the race with gratitude,

X alting God most high by our words and actions.

Y es, there will be good times found living with God,

Z eal is living in a daily greater awareness of God!

---

Pay to the Order of God

This morning a thought came to me as I was writing a check - what if I had to write God a check
for all God has done for me?

How much would it be?

What price would I pay for each new day? For my family and friends?

What would I give?

What would I pay for all my dreams, for all my ambitions, for all the love God has filled my heart with? What would the price be?

What would I pay for the knowledge that God is always with me and with those I love?

What would I pay for the realization that God will always take care of me and guide me,
that God will always bring me the fitness of body and the soundness of mind to do
whatever I must do? What would be the price?

The only price I can pay is to live each day for God and in God's honor,
to love God with all my heart, soul, and being, to let God know of my faith
and to help others to know that to have a complete peace all they need to do
is to love God with all their hearts. God will do the rest.

Pay to the order of God: Love, Honor, Faith - worth more than all the gold in the world!

(by Gayle Felter)

---

Dalai Lama's INSTRUCTIONS FOR LIFE

"Remember, I am with you always." Matthew 28:20

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

2. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.

3. Follow the three R's: Respect for self, Respect for others and Responsibility for all your actions.

4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.

6. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

7. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

8. Spend some time alone every day.

9. Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.

10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

11. Live a good, honorable life. Then, when you get older and think back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time.

12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation of your life.

13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.

14. Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.

15. Be gentle with the earth.

16. Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.

17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.

18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

19. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

---

YE ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

"Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill can't be hidden." Matthew 5:14

Ye are the light of the world!
A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden,
nor can its light ever be quenched
by its own taking.
Whatsoever it bareth and whatsoever it doeth
endures as a light seen by all.

Though the ear cannot hear it.
The eye can see it.

A candle is not lit
to burn its own wick.
A light does not shine
to beckon its own brilliance.
A lamp does not turn on and off
of its own will.

It is not by its own intent but by the intent of another that it shines.

Ye are the light of the world!
A city hidden in darkness
cannot shine.
A soul hidden from its knowing
cannot be known.

But at the appointed hour of human and God
might and mystery become ONE
and
man as light is transformed on the hill
and
his light brilliant appears
for all to see
who have not seen
and for all to hear
with a renewal of mind
to understand.

Believe in your heart
and the rush of winds will surge your course.
My hand to steer your direction
My speed - perfect in harmony and tune - for your taking.
All is before you
nothing is before you
it is all done.

With the wings of Angels
and paths before you...

I will lift you up
so you will see My Grace
I will lift you on high
so that you may see the works of My Hand
through your loving spirit...

Go in peace today
for all that I have brought to you
will be made whole
and
I will bring new and mighty eyes for you to see!

For it is accomplished in the twinkle of an eye!!

I love you now
AND always!

-God

By Gloria Kazarian

POSITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY: Dear God, please help me to no longer hide my light.
May I live my life shining for You. I pray that I am a bright beacon that lights
the way not only for myself but also for others. Thank you God!

POSITIVE AFFIRMATION FOR TODAY: I am a bright light for God!

---

STORMS OF LIFE

"Thou, O God, art my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love."
Psalms 59:17

I love storms because they always pass.
On our recent spiritual retreat cruise we were on the outer edges of the hurricane.
The ship was quite rocky, more so than any other of our 15 spiritual retreat cruises we have presented.
But, by the time we got to our first port, the sun was shining through the clouds - the storm had passed.

The incomplete (the storm) is made complete in God.
Failure (the storm) is made into success in God.
Weakness (the storm) is made into strength in God.
Sickness (the storm) is made into health in God.
Hate (the storm) is made into love in God.

The other day in my home in Texas, there was a thunderstorm,
and I told my daughter that I was having a spiritual experience.
I love thunderstorms - when I am not in them, but rather watching them
with a sure sense of security because I am inside - safe, warm, and dry.

Taking shelter during a storm is a sensible thing to do. You can apply
the same action of seeking shelter from the turmoil of your life. You can
know that many of your hardships, upsets, or difficulties would be better
met by your nonresistance, rather than by your direct participation.

Knowing that God is your present help in the time of trouble, you can take
heart as you pray. You can be in the presence of the peace, power, and
protection of God while a stormy experience passes. When you retreat into
the security of God's presence of love, you are assured that this, too,
shall pass. As you let God takeover, your faith in God increases, as does
your ability to work and to pray from a center of peace and power.

During a storm in your personal life, there may be times when peace of
mind seems impossible to obtain. You may have decisions to make, work
that awaits your attention, or appointments to keep. Busy activities
often make the world seem like a place of disorder.

At these times, take shelter in God. Remember that God is never confused
and is with you in times of trouble; and no matter how changeable the
world is, God is eternal and changeless. God abides with you as perfect
peace and harmony. God protects you during your storms of life.

As you focus your attention on God in moments of need, you experience
God's presence and power.

You are resting within the shelter of the Almighty. Within the shelter
you are no longer confused. The perfect peace of God gives you the
strength and enthusiasm you need to meet life victoriously. With God, you
view the storms; from under the shelter, you are less affected by them,
and you move through life, easily and harmoniously.

In any storm that you face, hold to the reality of God's goodness in your heart
and mind and know that your every need will be met.

When you find yourself in a storm, let go of anxieties and concerns
and let God guide you to safety. Try to see past appearances
and become open and receptive to all possibilities,
for you know that God will see you through each situation.

If you have a storm of a health challenge, have faith that you will be healed,
and that you will be filled with renewed strength and energy.

If you have a storm of a prosperity challenge, release all thoughts of what you don't have
and rely on God's supply of abundant good.

If you have a storm in a personal relationship, know that God's love will restore order,
harmony and justice in every circumstance.

Just as the sun comes through the clouds as the storm passes,
you know that God's good is coming forth and that all your needs will be met.

POSITIVE DAILY PRAYER:

In this time we turn our thoughts to how we can
touch and be touched,
love and be loved,
forgive and be forgiven,
heal and be healed,
so that the goodness of our lives becomes a shared blessing.

In Jesus Christ name... Amen

---

BILL'S LITTLE BOAT

One day a small envelope arrived in the mail. It was from a friend of mine, a retired minister.
I opened the envelope, and a small, paper boat, hand-crafted with care, fell into my lap.
Picking it up and turning it over, I noticed small hand-written script along the edge:

"And there arose a great storm of wind.
And the waves beat into the ship so that it
was now full. And he arose and rebuked
the wind and said unto the sea, Peace
be still. And the wind ceased and
there was a great calm."
(Mark 4:37, 39)

I read the Bible verse and then closed my eyes and softly repeated: Peace be still.

I felt great and abiding peace settled in over me.

Turning the boat over, I examined it closely and saw that some words were hand-written
on the back side as well:

"On the sea of life with its storms
of ill winds and waves I face all things
with faith. My mind is at peace for
I know that God will see me through."

I focused on the words God will see me through focusing on the power of the words and the comfort they brought.

Bill's little boat now sits on a ledge near my desk, a reminder of God's presence
and God's help in time of trouble. It gives me peace.

Bill is no longer living, but his precious gift lives on.

- Bill Fletcher

---

DECK OF CARDS

A young soldier was in his bunkhouse, all alone one, one Sunday morning.
It was quiet that day, the guns and the mortars and land mines,
for some reason, hadn't made a noise. The young soldier
knew it was Sunday, the holiest day of the week.

As he was sitting there, he got out an old deck of cards and laid them out
across his bunk.

Just then an army sergeant came in and said, "Why aren't you with the rest
of the platoon?"

The soldier replied, "I thought I would stay behind and spend some time
with the Lord."

The sergeant said, "Looks like you're going to play cards."

The soldier said, "No sir, you see, I've decided to talk to
the Lord by studying this deck of cards."

The sergeant asked in disbelief, "How will you do that?"

"You see the Ace, Sergeant, it reminds that there is only one God.

The Two represents the two parts of the Bible, Old and New Testaments.

The Three represents the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

The Four stands for the Four Apostles: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

The Five is for the five virgins that were ten, but only five of them were glorified.

The Six is for the six days it took God to create the Heavens and Earth.

The Seven is for the day God rested after working the six days.

The Eight is for the family of Noah and his wife, their three sons and
their wives, who God saved the from the flood that destroyed the Earth for the first time.
The Nine is for the lepers that Jesus cleansed of leprosy.
He cleansed ten but nine never thanked him.

The Ten represents the Ten Commandments that God handed down to Moses
on tablets made of stone.

The Jack is a reminder of the silliness and error ways of humankind.

The Queen stands for the Virgin Mary.

The King stands for Jesus, for he is the King of all kings.

When I count the dots on all the cards, I come up with 365 total,
one for every day of the year.

There are a total of 52 cards in a deck, each is a week, 52 weeks in a year.

The Four suits represent the four seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, and
Winter. Each suit has thirteen cards; there are exactly thirteen weeks in a quarter.

So, when I want to talk to God and thank God, I just pull out this old
deck of cards and they remind me of all that I have to be thankful for.

The Sergeant just stood there and after a minute, with tears in his eyes
and pain in his heart, he said, "Soldier, can I borrow that deck of cards?"

---

God Refines and Purifies

"God will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver..." Malachi 3:3

There was a group of women in a Bible study on the book of Malachi.
As they were studying chapter three, they came across verse three, which
says: "God will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver". This verse puzzled
The women and they wondered what this statement meant about the character
And nature of God.

One of the women offered to find out about the process of refining silver
and get back to the group at their next Bible study.

That week this woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to
watch him work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her
interest in silver beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire
and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to
hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were the
hottest as to burn away all of the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot - then she
thought again about the verse, that "He sits as a refiner and purifier of
silver." She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit
there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined?

The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the
silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time that it
was in the fire. If the silver was left even a moment too long, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith,
"How do you know when the silver is fully refined?"

He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy - when I see my image in it."

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God is watching over you.

POSITIVE DAILY PRAYER:

Dear God, I pray that I am fully refined and purified in
Your love shown forth in my every action and reaction this day.

In Jesus Christ's name... Amen

---

MEASURE LIFE

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height.
Let the doctor worry about them. That is why you pay him/her.

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down. If you really
need a grouch, there are probably a few dozen of your relatives to do the job.

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening,
whatever. Just never let the brain idle.

4. Laugh often, long, and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath. Laugh so
much that you can be tracked in the store by your distinctive laughter.

5. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is
with us our entire life, is ourselves.

6. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it is family, pets,
keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.

7. Cherish your health. If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable,
improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

8. Don't take guilt trips. Go to the mall, the next county, a foreign country, but not guilt.

9. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

Remember, Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

---

THE DAYS OF THE WEEK

Monday - Wash Day

Dear God, help me wash away all my selfishness and vanity, so I may serve
you with perfect humility through the week ahead.

Tuesday - Ironing Day

Dear God, help me iron out all the wrinkles of prejudice I have collected
through the years, so that I may see the beauty in ALL others.

Wednesday - Mending Day

O God, help me mend my ways so I will not set a bad example for others.

Thursday - Cleaning Day

Dear God, help me to dust out all the many faults I have been hiding in
the secret corners of my heart.

Friday - Shopping Day

Dear God, give me the grace to shop wisely so I may purchase eternal
happiness for myself and all others in need of love.

Saturday - Cooking Day

Help me, dear God, to brew a big kettle of brotherly love and serve it
with the clean, sweet bread of human kindness.

Sunday - The Lord's Day

O God, I have prepared my house for you. Please come into my heart as my
honored guest, so I may spend the day and the rest of my life in your presence.

---

FIVE ACTION STEPS

"And He arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, 'Peace, be
still.' And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And He said
unto them, Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith? And
they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, What manner of man is
this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?" Mark 4:39-41

Some people go through life re-acting, or even re-coiling,
out of fear to the events of daily life. These people wait for things to
happen then they react. Outer events that happen to them and around them
determine what kind of day they will have, and unless they change, the kind of life
they will have. These people do not live, but out of fear, they huddle and hide.

Some people even allow the weather to determine their mood and outlook on
a particular day. Many of these people lead sad lives. They feel like they are
victims of the outer events and circumstances that they have no control over.
These people are in a constant state of "WOE". They are in their woe boat, woeing around!

I have a sign in my office, I wrote it to myself. It says, Don't Be an Idiot!
I.D.I.O.T. to me, stands for, I'll Do It Only Tomorrow!

The human mind LOVES to put things off - till tomorrow. Human mind left to its own devices, lives in the
forgotten promises of yesterday. Often we use the credit card of the debt of time - and when the bill
becomes due, there is often not enough time, to pay it.

An idiot experiences D.U.M.B.
To me, this stands for, Delay Under Minds Brain.

The brain that is connected to the Mind of God, is working in the realm of miracles.
The brain connected only to its own resources is quite limited, and only turns to itself repeating the
thinking that hasn't worked in the past. It is very exhausting, and delay seems to be the only relief.

There are people who consciously take the reigns of their life and
become pro-active. These people take action before outer events take
action. We live in a constantly moving and changing universe; to keep up
we have to be action oriented. God has given us free-will to determine
our own destiny. God has given us power, dominion and authority, but it
is up to us to choose to take action.

If we wait for circumstances to take action, things may, or may not, turn out right.

FIRST ACTION STEP ... GOD FIRST!
The first action to take, before outer action, is prayer in a positive
affirming way for the way that you choose things to be. Jesus said, "when
you pray, believe you have already received!"

SECOND ACTION STEP ...
Pray to God for guidance, and the power, courage, ability, and personal motivation
to make the move and take action.

THIRD ACTION STEP ...
Outer movement in the direction that God has guided you to move.

FOURTH ACTION STEP ...
Believe that God is going ahead of you; preparing the way for your good.

THE FIFTH ACTION STEP ... EXPECT A MIRACLE!
Your purpose in this life is soul growth, just as a boat is not meant to
stay in a harbor, you are not meant to stay in a place where you huddle
and hide. All of us have had times where we have been re-active and other
times where we have been active. I would venture to say that if you look
back on your life, the happiest and most satisfying times, were when you
were "living" and taking ACTION.

POSITIVE DAILY PRAYER:

Dear God, I realized that when I try my hardest to control a situation that I overreact and lose control.
The only real control is when You are in control. When I experience an inner urging after prayer to move
forward in my life or career I boldly take that step of positive action. I know that I am using faith as my
anchor. You are there to support me. Help me to be a proactive person.

How alive I feel letting You be God in my life!
Amen.

POSITIVE DAILY AFFIRMATION: Today, I walk with God. I am a positive proactive person.

POSITIVE DAILY QUOTE: "We should not let our fears hold us back from pursuing our hopes."
John F. Kennedy

---

PARABLE OF THE PENCIL

The Pencil Maker took the pencil aside, just before putting him into the
box. "There are 5 things you need to know," he told the pencil, "before I
send you out into the world, always remember them and never forget, and
you will become the best pencil you can be."

One: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow
yourself to be held in someone's hand.

Two: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but
you'll need it to become a better pencil.

Three: You will be able to correct mistakes you will make.

Four: The most important part of you will always be what's inside.

And Five: On every surface you are used on, you must leave your mark. No
matter what the condition, you must continue to write."
The pencil understood and promised to remember, and went into the box with
purpose in its heart.

Now put yourself in the place of the pencil; always remember positive
points, and you will become the best person you can be.

One: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow
yourself to be held in God's hand. And allow other human beings to access
you for the many gifts you possess.

Two: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, by going
through various problems, but you'll need it to become a stronger person.

Three: You will be able to correct mistakes you might make or grow through them.

Four: The most important part of you will always be what's on the inside.

And Five: On every surface you walk, you must leave your mark. No matter
what the situation, you must continue to serve God in everything.

By understanding and remembering, let us proceed with our life on this
earth having a meaningful purpose in our heart and a relationship with God daily.

---

SEVEN WORD MIRACLE

"Cast all your anxieties on God, for God cares about you." 1st Peter 5:7

Let me share with you, a seven word miracle, that will completely change
any stressful day -- "I let go and I let God!"

Say that aloud, write it down, and look at it often -- "I let go and I let God!"

Nothing in all the world is too complex for God to handle.
Nothing is too confusing for God.
Nothing is too powerful for the all power of God.
Nothing is too overwhelming for God.
God is accessible to you!

You are a child of God remember that especially when things seem so out of order.
Your part, today, is to let go and let God, within the maze of troubles, troubling you.

God knows the way -- let God show you the way to success.
God knows the way -- let God show you the way to healing.
God knows the way -- let God show you the way to relationship harmony.
God knows the way -- let God show you the way to peace of mind.

We do not need to beg God for anything, any more than that child needs to
beg his or her human parent for daily bread.

When we pray, "Give us this day our daily bread," (Matthew 6:11), the words,
daily bread, represent ALL of our daily needs -- food, clothing, relaxation,
guidance, health, or whatever we need at any given time to fulfill our potential
and to express more of God's good in our lives.

When we pray with gratitude, knowing that God is our instant, constant,
and unfailing supply, we clear the way for God's supply to come through.
Such a prayer wipes out all fear thoughts, all doubts and anxieties about
the fulfillment of our needs. This kind of prayer centers our faith in God and directs our attention away
from momentary problems to the invisible source of our supply.

When needs arise in your life, remember that God is the unfailing source
of your supply, doing so clears the way for the answer to your prayers.

Use the seven word miracle often to remind yourself that God is not done
with your day yet.

POSITIVE DAILY PRAYER:

I decree with undoubting faith and acceptance: "I let go and I let God!"
I decree this until I am fully reminded again of God's power. Today, I let
God be God to change today into a day that is bright and perfect in every way.
All pressure is lifted; all stress is gone. I wait in quiet confidence for God to
make everything right.

"I let go and I let God!"

In Jesus Christ's name...Amen

---

Opportunity is NOW HERE

Jesus said, "All things are possible to him who believes." Mark 9:23

Opportunity is "NOWHERE" the person declared, doubting all
possibilities in the future.

Most of us are prone to divide the above words into "NO WHERE."

This simple illustration demonstrates our need for stimulation of ideas
that prompt our thinking in A POSITIVE DIRECTION.

If you divide the word differently everything changes.

Opportunity is "NOW HERE!"

When Jesus said, "All things are possible to him who believes," this
provokes a question, "believes in what?" Most people believe that Jesus
meant "to him who believes in God." This is exactly what it means if you
want to bring about the best in your life. But I have also seen it work in the
reverse, I have seen people believe totally in their worries and their
fears to such a degree that they tended to manifest the worries and fears
that they believed in.

Divide and conquer your worry and fear thoughts.
Inject God into every thought for a positive direction, and outcome.

If you believe that opportunity is "no where," you are NOT putting God
first in your life. You are allowing worry and fear to be your god, above God.

It is difficult if you're standing in a place where there seems to be
limited resources and lack. Jesus said to not judge by appearances. In
other words do not make these appearances your god. If your life
experience has seemed scattered with things that you can't have, can't do,
and can't be - then it is time to make God your active partner.

God can help you to see opportunity that is blind to your human eyes. I
realize it's difficult to affirm God's good in the face of apparent lack.
But this is what God does every day. Where there was nothing - God
created something. If there is nothing in your life, let God create something.

No one was more God-centered than Jesus. Follow Jesus by becoming totally
centered in God. We usually center ourselves in something less than God.
God was centered in Jesus, and Jesus was centered in God. God is centered
in you, and we must choose to be centered in God rather than in the blinding illusion of lack and limitation.

God will turn it around for you!

With God, your opportunity is now here!

POSITIVE DAILY PRAYER:

I invite you to take time this day to center yourself in God.
At the beginning of every hour, take 60 seconds to close your eyes and think
about God instead of your problems.
Do this every hour of this day and it will spark new ideas directly from God in your human mind along with a
new vision and perception of the opportunity coming towards you.

---

SERVICE

In Matthew 20:25-28, the Bible says: "But Jesus called them to him and
said, 'You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and
their great men exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among
you: but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and to
whoever would be first among you must be your slave; even as the Son of
man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'"

If you were to picture Jesus Christ, you would probably see him standing
with everyone kneeling in front of him. The more accurate picture of Jesus
Christ would be with him kneeling and everyone else standing- there's a big difference.

The true Jesus Christ that you, and I, know is the Jesus Christ that talks
about service. Service to others is one of the highest ways to live life.
In service to others we find our own happiness. We often think that we
should have it all. But the whole concept of Christianity is not that we
should have it all-it is that we should give it all away. As we give it
away, we find the key to a spiritual mystery that it all returns to us-multiplied.

At church, don't just attend, ask what you can do to help.

In Romans 7:6 we read, "But now we are discharged from the law, dead to
that which held us captive, so that we serve not under the old written
code but in the new life of the Spirit."

This tells us that we are not serving under a ball and chain type of service; we are serving the Lord by
consenting inside of us.

It's a better life, a very high life. It's a life filled with so much joy
we can't possibly imagine how much. Jesus said he
gave his life as a ransom for many. Each of us has given our life as a
ransom for many if we are walking the high path. It's not that we're going
to be crucified; we are going the extra mile and becoming "other-centered."

We hear a lot today about recycling; I'm asking you to recycle yourself.
Don't stay enclosed in a small area; get outside of your comfort circle
and make a difference in somebody's life. Many of you have done this your
whole life. The bottom line is, "Did I make a difference last year, or
last month, or last week, or yesterday?" You are here for a purpose. I
don't know what that purpose is; only you know what that purpose is. But I
can give you a broad definition of purpose - you are here to make a
difference; you are here to let your light shine; you are here to follow
Jesus Christ. Will you suffer? The amazing thing is you don't suffer at
all, because life becomes a joy. You see, you pass through this day but
once. Therefore any kind thing you can do can make a big difference. You
don't know what a little light will do in someone's life. You say: "Well,
I'm not going to act on that thought. It's such a small thing what
difference could it possibly make?" You don't know. We rarely know the
difference we can make. I ask you to go in S E R V I C E to God.

When you go all the way in S E R V I C E to God, you don't have to give up
anything. Instead, you gain everything. Jesus talked about this a thousand
times. The problem is that we don't believe it. Our faith seems to dwindle
at some point, making it difficult to get out of our comfort zone. But
that is where life really is; it's where the answers to everything lie.

We often ask what is something going to do for us, when our real question
should be what are we going to do for it.

John F. Kennedy in his inauguration address said, "Ask not what this
country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country?"

That could be paraphrased 1000 ways. Ask not what your church can do for
you, but what you can do for your church?

The game is never one from the sidelines!

In Romans 9:12 the Bible states, "The elder will serve the younger." What
a different picture we have of life. We see the younger serving the elder.
But think about it. If you are following the Christ Path, and if you have
more years on your physical body temple than other people, you know more
about life. The finest way you can serve life may be to give of your
talents, and experience, to help those who are younger to avoid some of
the potholes of life. You have what it takes to keep them out of those holes.

Do you want happiness in your life? I know you do, or you wouldn't be
reading this, or any, "Positive Daily Inspiration." You want something more
than you've had so far. You have been searching for the magic, and
sometimes you've found it, but many times it's been missing. You want to
all the time. Then, after a while, you think, Well, I really can't have it
all the time. Life is like a roller coaster. It goes up and then it goes
down, and that's the way life is.

But you CAN have it all the time. You can have a whole life not knowing
depression. I know many of you have experienced depression, and sometimes
it's been a long bout. To get out of depression, you MUST get out of
yourself. That's especially difficult when you're feeling down. It's like
the weight of the world is on your shoulders, but what is really on your
shoulders is yourself. You have to get out of yourself, stop thinking
about yourself and become other-centered. When you do, the magic happens.
It's a wonderful spiritual sparkle which continues. There is a flow of
Christ energy through you, and you are filled with Christ thoughts on how
to serve. It makes a huge difference in your life. We are all construction
workers if we are following the Christ. What we are constructing is other people.

In describing this ministry I often say, "We do not build buildings - we build people!

We are building them up and not ever tearing them down, because we have a
mission. There are many in the world who are working to tear down
construction projects called human beings. But we are in the business of
building people up because that is how the world will be changed.

Will you join me in this year-long project of Positive Christianity of
being in active S E R V I C E to God through serving others?

Jesus said in part, "Do this to one of these-the least, my brethren, and
you have done it unto me."

POSITIVE DAILY PRAYER:

Infinite wisdom guides me in the service I give.

Infinite wisdom through me provides the opportunity for me to serve.
Divine love through me prepares me to serve with the sense of
satisfaction, both heartwarming and fulfilling.

My chores, my work, all my activities seem less difficult as I set about
them cheerfully and lovingly. I know that Infinite wisdom is guiding me
aright in the service I give, that Divine love is establishing harmony
every step of the way. I feel a sense of rightness and of right timing in
all that I do.

I give thanks for my ability to serve in any way that I am directed. I
give thanks for the fuller expression of life that I find in serving. I
give thanks that Divine love provides abundantly for me. I pray that the
service I render may be a joy filled experience that touches the lives of others.

"Rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to men, knowing
that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same again from the Lord." Ephesians 6:7

POSITIVE DAILY AFFIRMATION: God equips me with the talents I need to serve effectively.

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10 Days of Prayer

Prayer Times 10 - 2 - 4 - focus on the power, and the meaning, of the daily Bible verse in prayer.

DAY 1. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways
acknowledge God, and God will direct your path." Proverbs 3:5-6

Learn something every day. If you only lean on your own knowledge, you will not be able to grow.
You must grow yourself to grow your life.

DAY 2. "Behold, I am doing something new! It's already happening; don't you recognize it? I will clear a way
in the desert. I will make rivers on dry land." Isaiah 43:19

Sometimes you will need to move as conditions pull you in a different direction. You might need to reinvent
your life, and you should not be afraid. God's always got your back.

DAY 3. "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for
the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

There will be things that you really need that you will not win. There will be days when you drop the ball,
but you cannot let that define you. You will get another opportunity - God is with you always. God is a God
of second chances.

DAY 4. "Faith without works is dead." James 2:26

You can't just pray for success. Develop a plan and work your plan. If you can do something about your
situation, then do it. Stop making excuses, stop procrastinating, and do it!

DAY 5. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
present your requests to God." Philippians 4:6 (NIV)

One of the most important things you can do for your life is to pray EVERY day in thanksgiving and gratitude.

DAY 6. "As I think in my heart, so am I." Proverbs 23:7

Your thoughts can be your number #1 asset, or your biggest liability. When you are alone in your office or
back bedroom, your thoughts can easily turn on you. Your ability to stay positive, learn from all
experiences and shake off mistakes quickly will be a big asset to your life. Pray to be more positive now.

DAY 7. "God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love and sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7

Making decisions in your life based on fear is never helpful. For that matter making decisions in anger is
not good either. Try hard not to be reactionary with others. Use factual information and up-to date faith to
make sound decisions.

DAY 8. "But these things I plan won't happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when
the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass.
Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day." Habakkuk 2:3

You need to understand that God's time is not your time. There may come a time in your life when you just
know you have something you have dreamed about, one that you really need and things may fall through. Those
are the times when you need to trust in God the most. Accept God's timing, learn to live in hope, and enjoy
your life, while God works on your problems.

DAY 9. "Happy is the person who finds wisdom, and the person who gains understanding;" Proverbs 3:13

Be a lifelong learner in life. You should constantly seek to improve yourself and increase your knowledge.
Always seek wisdom from God.

DAY 10. "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble.
But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33

So can you - overcome the world - with God's help!

---

My Journey to The Holy Land

July 8, 2016 www.PositiveChristianity.org presents Positive Daily Inspiration

"Then say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will take the people of Israel from the nations
among which they have gone, and will gather them from all around, and bring them to their own land."
Ezekiel 37:21

I consider many of you - not just friends, but family. I have known many of you for years,
some of you for decades, and I consider it the greatest riches I have.
Because of our relationship, let me personally share my 15 year quest to get to The Holy Land.
It has always been a dream of mine to go to The Holy Land. I have given sermons and taught
about this incredible place for over 30 years but it never had the opportunity to go.
In 2001, we had planned our first Positive Christianity spiritual retreat, not as a cruise,
but to go to The Holy Land. We had booked the trip, but then the State Department
cut off travel due to security concerns.

In late 2013, I booked a cruise to take my mother on. It was a short exotic Caribbean cruise on Oceania.
That cruise never happened, because there was a problem in the engine room, and the cruise was canceled.
Seemed like a bad thing, but as personal history proves, sometimes what seems like a bad thing
is a good thing in the long run.

I not only got a full refund, but a lot of credit money to use on a later, better, cruise.
Early this year, using this money, I booked a trip to China. Literally 2 days before I was to leave
my Visa came through, but China had approved me only for one day limited travel in China.
They were scared because I was a minister.

I've often laughed, some minister must've caused havoc over there recently,
causing them to refuse entry in any person in the clergy.

It looked like the only Great Wall I would see, would be the wall, in my windowless inside cabin,
locked on board.
Thanks to our travel agency Montrose, they saved the day.
They got me a full refund. Sad, that I would not see China, but again
it turned out to be a VERY good thing.

Then, a trip of a lifetime appears. A trip to Jerusalem, with a full 3 days to see ALL the holy sites.
The time was better, I had ALL the money from the multiple refunds, and I wanted to go more to Israel
than any other previous place.

I went on 14 hour tours, every day, to see every aspect of The Holy Land.
I even floated in the Dead Sea. I literally saw as much is humanly possible,
with the best guides.

This was not just a trip, it was checking something off of my bucket list.

This is truly something that every spiritual person should do, as a minister it gives me grounding,
to actually touch and see, rather than just talk about what I imagine something to be.
As I write this, I have severe jet lag, but even so, you will never be able to get the smile off my face.
I was struck by the incredible beauty, and overcome by personally touching history.

At all times, I felt very safe, surrounded by loving people, but also by the loving presence of God.
You've heard it said that life is not a destination, it is a journey. But, sometimes the journey itself,
can create an opportunity for an incredible destination.

As we look back over the journey of our own lives, sometimes what seemed like the bad things,
have turned out to be the really good things in time.

This is the way it is with God. God can turn the worst disappointment into the greatest blessing.
I pray that you have journeys with destinations of overflowing good given to you directly from God.
I prayed for many of you while I was in The Holy Land, and felt profoundly blessed by where I was standing,
and the people that have been part of my history.

Thank you for being my blessing of companionship, and part of my incredible journey.

Chris Chenoweth

---

The Longer I Live the More Alive I Am

Jesus replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."  Matthew 17:20

My thanks to my dear friend, and co-minister for many years, Reverend J. Sig Paulson, for these following profound words of God’s truth:

Here is a lively invitation to a new dynamic, creative, adventurous life. Simply flow with the activity and energy generated and described by following these positive affirmative words:

“The longer I live the more alive I am.”

Repeat the words silently, and audibly, until they vibrate and pulsate and regenerate your entire being. Let the life energy they release become the essence of your thought and feeling, your disposition and attitudes, your expectation and imagination, your words and responses.

“The longer I live the more alive I am.”

Reinforce your will to live by declaring this truth. What a clear-cut choice lies before you every moment of every day!

Life asks, “What is your choice?” Respond instantly, constantly and enthusiastically:

“The longer I live the more alive I am.”

Both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible are full of inspiring messages that can be prompters to choose life.

Here are a few examples of the abundant life of God, phrased in Positive Christianity terms:

Because I am created in the image and after the likeness of God, longer I live the more alive I am.

Because God created me a little lower than the angels, the longer I live the more alive I am.

Because I have chosen life, as my Creator wants me to do, the longer I live a more alive I am.

Because I believe in Jesus Christ, I choose life abundantly, and the longer I live the more alive I am.

Because the kingdom of God is with me and within me, and I believe it, the longer I live the more alive I am.

Because it is God’s good pleasure to give me the kingdom, and it is my joy to accept and share it, the longer I live the more alive I am.

Because I seek the kingdom of God and God’s righteousness, the longer I live the more alive I am.

Because Jesus Christ demonstrated the power of life over death, the longer I live the more alive I am.

Because I have chosen life, I have chosen God who is my life, and the longer I live the more alive I am.

Because I have chosen life. I have chosen Christ in me, my hope of glory, and the longer I live the more alive I am.

Because I have accepted the revelation of Jesus Christ, it has become a stream of living water (energy) within me, springing up into eternal life, and the longer I live the more alive I am.

Now that you have discovered, accepted, and exercised your God-powered authority and responsibility to choose life, you can gratefully declare,“I choose life constantly, and the longer I live the more alive I am.”

Rejoice, praise, and give thanks to God and declare happily:

“The longer I live the more enthusiastically alive I am, the more gratefully alive I am, the more spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically alive I am. The longer I live, the more abundantly alive I am, the more totally alive I am!

God bless you dear friend, know the truth—the longer you live, the more alive you are!

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THIRD STATE OF BEING

“New things I now declare.” Isaiah 42:9 Too many of us live in just two states of being –

THE 1ST STATE OF BEING: PREOCCUPATION. THE 2ND STATE OF BEING: PAIN

Pain brings you right into the present, but NOT in the way you want to be in the present. Top-selling self-help books tell us to live in the present, and I agree, for the past does not exist—except in your decision to relive it in the present moment. It is one thing to let go of the past, but it's another thing to let go of the present. Many people live tragic lives because they fail to live the only place where life can be alive – and that is in the present moment.

The two great personal error beliefs are fear and regret. One person humorously remarked to me, "I know I'm alive because I can see the wreckage of my past."

Everyone has the wreckage of the past, but we do not have to choose to remain in that wreckage. There was a common denominator in every tragedy and disaster in your life – you were there. There is also a common denominator in every success and victory in your life – God was there with you. The truth is that God is always with us, but it is in the present moments when we are fully aware of God's presence, that we consent, agree and accept the good that God has for us.

Everyone has the wreckage of the past, but we do not have to choose to remain in that wreckage. There was a common denominator in every tragedy and disaster in your life – you were there. There is also a common denominator in every success and victory in your life – God was there with you. The truth is that God is always with us, but it is in the present moments when we are fully aware of God's presence, that we consent, agree and accept the good that God has for us.

Do you wish that your life could be different? It can be. It will be. Right now, things are changing for the better, old limitations are falling away, and new and inviting doors are opening before you. Are you willing? Go through God's new doors of good this week. Or do you prefer to stay preoccupied with the wreckage of your past?

Do you wish that you had more strength, more life, and more vitality? You can have. You do have. Right now you have the strengthening, sustaining, and vitalizing life of God, mighty in the midst of you. Right now, you can be happy; you can be past-pain free; you can be strong and well. Right now, your life can change and with God it is changing for the better.

DECIDE TO LIVE IN THE 3RD STATE OF BEING, LIVING IN THE PRESENT MOMENT, FULLY AWARE OF GOD. Dear God, how wonderful it is to wake up in the morning with the realization that anything is possible. When I awakened my own header awareness of Your bounty, I know that things are not only possible, but probable. The chances for substantial good are unlimited with Your help.

In prayer, I walk through a spiritual door and easily discover a blessing. I wake up to the full potential of this day. I eagerly greet this moment with an air of thanksgiving and expectancy. My potential for living life to the fullest is being fulfilled constantly as I turn to You. Thank You God! Amen This is a Divine order day in my Divine order life.

POSITIVE DAILY QUOTE: "When hungry, eat your rice; when tired, close your eyes. Fools may laugh at me, but wise men will know what I mean."

Lin-Chi

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God Help Me on My Journey of Life

“Let Thy good Spirit led me on a level path.” Psalms 143:10

We all want fairness from life. We seek a level playing field where we will have a real chance.

Positive Daily Affirmation: Dear God, I let Your good Spirit lead me on a level path. Sometimes life is a climb. When it is, the Spirit of the Lord goes before you to make safe, smooth, and successful your way. At home, or traveling, surrounded by friends or strangers God is with you and involved in the normal routine and familiar events of each day.

God is with you – leading you on a level path. When you are meeting new and different experiences – the Spirit of the Lord enfolds and protects you. Good life should be more than a constant experience of the ups and downs. God can guide you to a peaceful leveling experience. The Spirit of the Lord goes before you to make smooth your way. The Spirit of the Lord goes with you even when you have climbing to do.

Harmony and order set the keynote of this and every day as you acknowledge the Spirit of the Lord all around you and within you. Everything in life cooperates to bring the highest and best for you and everyone else. The Spirit of the Lord goes before you to make successful your way.

The level path of Prosperity is assured as you know the Spirit of the Lord is guiding and directing you. You become calm and confident and strengthened as you go forward on a level playing field to meet your God-given good.

I have observed in ministry that a lot of times we do not give ourselves a level playing field, or a fair chance. Many times, our past is stacked against us, BY US. No happening in the past has any power over you today unless you let it. No person’s disapproval has any power to hurt you.

You are a child of God, wanted, needed, enfolded in God’s loving care always. Today is a good day to accept a level break from God. God loves you; God approves of you. God places you on a level field spiritually, and you must do the same by accepting this for yourself. As a child of God, you are heir to all the riches of God’s kingdom.

You are worthy of your inheritance and you have faith to claim that now. Romans 8:16, 17 states, “It is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.”

Dare to believe that you are a child of God. Dare to feel and act like a child of God. Meet each day free from the belief of limitations of the past, free from the belief in negative influences of anytime, and filled with a feeling of self-esteem.

God will lead you on a level path into your future. You claim your spiritual gifts of love, life, wisdom, joy and peace. Everything in your life is viewed in a new light. You walk on a path that is prepared for you in health, happiness, and prosperity. As you began to witness life leveling out before you, you know with certainty that you are a child of God.

POSITIVE DAILY PRAYER: I never doubt where God is concerned, for whatever is from God is real. I cannot go wrong with God's direction.

God is absolute good and never gives me anything less than what is true and good. I thank You, dear God, for Your ever-abiding presence.


In Jesus Christ's name… Amen


POSITIVE DAILY QUOTE: "There is no sadder sight than a young pessimist." Mark Twain

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THIS IS GOOD!

"But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive."Genesis 50:20

The story is told of a king in Africa who had a close friend with whom he grew up. The friend had a habit of looking at every situation that ever occurred in his life (positive or negative) and remarking,

"This is good!"

One day the king and his friend were out on a hunting expedition. The friend would load and prepare the guns for the king. The friend had apparently done something wrong in preparing one of the guns, for after taking the gun from his friend, the king fired it and his thumb was blown off.

Examining the situation, the friend remarked as usual, "This is good!"

To which the king replied, "No, this is NOT good!" and proceeded to send his friend to jail.

About a year later, the king was hunting in an area that he should have known to stay clear of.

Cannibals captured him and took them to their village. They tied his hands, stacked some wood, set up a stake and bound him to the stake.

As they came near to set fire to the wood, they noticed that the king was missing a thumb.

Being superstitious, they never ate anyone that was less than whole. So, untying the king,they sent him on his way.

As he returned home, he was reminded of the event that had taken his thumb and felt remorse for his treatment of his friend. He went immediately to the jail to speak with his friend.

"You were right," he said, "It was good that my thumb was blown off." And he proceeded to tell the friend all that had just happened. "And so, I am very sorry for sending you to jail for so long.

It was bad for me to do this."

"No," his friend replied, "This is good!"

"What do you mean, 'This is good'? How could it be good that I sent my friend to jail for a year?"

"If I had NOT been in jail, I would have been with you."

Situations may not always seem pleasant while we are in them, but the promise of God is clear.

If we love God and live our lives according to God's precepts, even that which seems to be bleak and hopeless will be turned by God for God's glory and our benefit.

Hold on, God is faithful!

Romans 8:28,” And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to God's purpose."

POSITIVE DAILY PRAYER:

Dear God, I place myself and all that concerns me in Your care.

Divine guidance is given, and I am thankful.

God's law of justice is working mightily on my behalf at all times and in all circumstances.

Whenever I turn to You, I can always be certain that there will be a right and just outworking of all situations.

As I keep my mind stayed on You, my attitude remains faith-filled and peaceful.

I know nothing can keep Your good from being brought forth in perfect ways.

I hold to my belief in Your love and justice, and I know that I have nothing to fear.

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Positive Christianity Vocal Vitamins

"It shall not return unto me void but shall accomplish that where unto it is sent." Isaiah 55:11

The power of affirmations, decreeing what you want, gives the spiritual person a real edge in life. Most people only talk about the "don't wants."

They focus their talk, and their thoughts, from a foundation that is worry, and fear-based. Vocalize what you want, instead of what you do not want, and you will find that what you ask for, you receive.

Positive Christianity Vocal Vitamins – To Speak Aloud For success. I now let go of worn-out conditions and worn-out things. God’s perfect Divine order is established in my mind, my body and the situations of my life.

Behold, God makes all things new. My seeming impossible good now comes to pass. The unexpected good now happens. My tide of destiny has turned and everything comes my way. The winds of success now blow to me and are my own.

From North, South, East and West comes my endless good. The Christ is now risen in my life. I follow God. I now fulfill my destiny. I am awake to my good, and I gather in the harvest of endless opportunities.

(Silence)

For prosperity. I now draw from the abundance of the spheres my immediate and endless supply. All channels are free, and all doors are open in my life. My God is a God of plenty. And I now receive all that I desire or require and more.

My ships come in over a calm sea, under grace in perfect ways. I am fearless in letting money go out, knowing that God is my immediate and endless supply. Unexpected doors fly open. Unexpected channels are free. And endless avalanches of abundance are poured out upon me. Divine ideas are given to me in perfect ways.

(Silence)

For happiness. I have a wonderful joy in a wonderful way. My wonderful joy has come here to stay. Happy surprises come to me each day. I look with wonder at that which is before me, and I give thanks for my permanent happiness, my permanent health, my permanent wealth and my permanent love. I am harmonious, happy and divinely magnetic. I now draw to me my ships over a calm sea.

(Silence)

For love. I love everyone, and everyone loves me. My apparent enemy becomes my friend right now; a golden link in the chain of my good. I am at peace with myself and the whole world. I love everyone, and everyone loves me.

(Silence)

For marriage. I give thanks that the marriage made in heaven is now made manifest upon earth. "The twain shall be made one now and for all eternity."

(Silence)

For health. I deny fatigue for there is nothing to tire me. I am powered by the tireless God. I live in the kingdom of eternal joy and absorbing interests. My body is the body electric; timeless, tireless, breathless and filled with endless energy and vital wholeness. I am a spiritual being and my body is perfect; made in God's likeness and image. The light of the Christ now streams through every cell. And I give thanks for my radiant health. I am undisturbed by appearances. I trust in God and God now brings to me the desires of my heart. In the silence of prayer …BR />
(Silence)

Nothing is too good to be true in my life because God is true. And God is with me. Nothing is too wonderful to happen in my life because nothing is too wonderful for God. I am not alone God is with me. Nothing is too good to last in my life because God is eternal, and God is ever-expanding good in my life.

I wave these prayers over the situations of beliefs in my own mind. It is my magic wand. Isaiah 55:11 states, "It shall not return unto me void, but shall accomplish that where unto it is sent." With the power of the belief in the spoken word, with the power in the belief of the teachings of Jesus Christ, the Truth of God surrounding me, and the Truth of God's actions going through me, I give thanks. And I believe these statements of Truth about me in total faith, without doubt.

In Jesus Christ's name… Amen.


POSITIVE DAILY PRAYER: Dear God, the Creator of mercies and God of all comfort come to my help and deliver me from this difficulty that besets me. I believe dear God, that all trials of life are under Your care and that all things work for the good with Your guidance. Take away from me fear, anxiety and distress. Help me to face and endure my difficulty with faith, courage and wisdom. Grant that this trial may bring me closer to You for You are my rock and refuge, my comfort and hope, my delight and joy. I trust in Your love and compassion. Blessed is Your help, now and forever.
In Jesus Christ's name...Amen.

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GOD IS WITH YOU

Psalm 91

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, who abides in the shadow of the Almighty, will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge is my Fortress; my God, in whom I trust.”

When you live in God, you are protected, cared for, and nurtured. When you live in God, you are very aware of the blessings of good coming your way.

"For God will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence; he will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness is a shield in the buckler.”

Deliverance can come, even when we are not aware of it. We can be delayed in traffic and thus avoid an accident. Or be healed of a deadly disease, before it even becomes serious. We often talk about insurance companies covering us from loss or disaster. But God covers our whole life.

“You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.”

Night and day, God's protection is with you, protecting you from the seen, and the unseen, from known danger, and the unknown.

"A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand; but it will not come near you. You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked."

You have seen friends and coworkers fall, when they failed to follow God, fall back into bad habits or negative destructive thoughts. But it will not happen to you because you are thinking about God and God's power in your life, constantly.

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When Adversity Knocks

"God gives power to the faint, and to them who have no might God increases strength." Isaiah 40:29

When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond?

A young man went to his father and told him about his life and how things were so hard for him. He did not know how he was going to make it and wanted to give up. He was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

His father, a chef, took him to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a boil. In the first, he placed carrots, in the second he placed eggs, and in the last he placed ground coffee beans. He let them sit and boil, without saying the word.

In about 20 minutes he turned off the burners. He fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then he ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.

Turning to his son, he asked, "Tell me, what do you see?"

"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," he replied. He brought him closer and asked him to feel the carrots. He did and noticed they were soft. He asked him to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, he observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked him to sip the coffee. The son smiled as he tasted its rich aroma.

The son then asked, "What does it mean, father?" His father explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity – boiling water – but each reacted differently.

The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.

The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But, after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.

The coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

"Which are you?" He asked his son, "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?"

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity, do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When people talk to you, do you praise God, or curse God? When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, does your worship elevate to another level?

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ARE YOU PASTEURIZED? Leading a “Past Your Eyes” Life

"Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with just judgment." John 7:24

Sometimes, ordinary things can teach us extraordinary truths about God and about ourselves. For example, if you were to look inside your refrigerator, you would probably find a carton of milk.

First of all, what you see is not the milk; what you are actually seeing is the vessel that contains the milk. When you see the carton you know and trust that the milk is inside. You associate the carton with the milk. It's the same with you. When I look upon you, I see a body, a vessel for something much greater.

"Do you not know that you are God's Temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? For God's temple is holy, and that temple you are." 1 Corinthians 3:16, 17

On the carton of milk it may say, "It's real." That, too, could be said of you. You have a possibility of being your true self if you choose to be, of being genuine, not artificial.

Often, we look at ourselves only as a carton, but we are more. We are real, not temporal, but eternal. No matter what shape our carton is in, the inner contents (the soul) has the potential of a state of perpetual perfectness.

On the carton it says, "Grade A." In the school of life, I believe that God loves you so much that God would desire to give you an A. You might think of some test where you didn't score well, but you are here today, better for the experience. Each person handles life to the best of his or her ability to do so, and the more we rely on God's ever-present help, the more A grades we will acquire in this classroom that we all reside in called life.BR />
The milk is pasteurized. We, too, are pasteurized if we live the Jesus Christ way of life. It is a past-your-eyes – a looking-beyond the appearance type of life, looking beyond something that is in your life right now.

Instead of allowing a challenge to defeat you and bring you down, you know that you can go past it. You know that you can move mountains with God's help, because that which is within you is greater than the world.

Do you know what the most negative statement ever made is? It is, "I've got to see it before I can believe it." Let's change that around to, "I've got to believe it before I can see it."

Pasteurizing involves heating milk to a temperature of between 131 and 158 degrees Fahrenheit to destroy all harmful bacteria. Christianity says that that can happen inside of you, too. There is an allegory of the cleansing fire, the purification that happens to us. It can happen in an instant inside your life. The heat of a God-centered life transmutes the negativity inside of us, and we go through a purification process toward a total, complete cleansing.

Are you pasteurized? You become "pastor-ized" when you turn to God with your total being. That is what it's like to be a minister – a pastor. It is that point in our development where we get out of the way and do good things for other people. We let God's love shine through us to humankind.

All milk is homogenized. Homogenized is something we too must strive for. It means blending together or atonement (at-one-ment): wholeness, at one with God, at one with each other. Love is the homogenizing process. Love is a creative energy that comes from God and flows through us to bond us together for the good of humankind. We are praying at Positive Christianity that the whole world becomes homogenized in God's pure love.

Our milk carton states that vitamins A and D are added. We too must add vitamins A and D to our daily life. What are vitamins A and D? Vitamin A in your life is the (A)ffirmative prayer vitamins. The vocal prayer vitamin of positive affirmation affirms the truth of God even when our eyes cannot yet see it.

Example: I may have a sickness in my body, but looking past my eyes I affirm in prayer that, with God's help, I can again be in absolute health and wholeness. I am immersed in a God of perfection that is not sick, that created me, re-creates me, and gives me life and health, continually.

As I affirm that truth of God, the idea feeds my body and it spreads throughout my mind in my belief system. This type of prayer is pure faith in God and it produces perfection in my living, changing carton of life.

Then, I add to my life vitamin D the vocal prayer vitamin of denial. I deny and say no to old fear-based, doubting belief. Jesus says let everything you say, say Yay Yay (Yes Yes), or Nay Nay (No No). We have the power to say no to lack-of-faith thoughts. We have the power to say no to worry. Old thoughts occupy valuable space in our life. Our minds must have a Spring "mental" house cleaning to bring in the fresh new ideas of God's truth. We can say yes to the ideas that we desire and no to old limiting thoughts. We deny that old beliefs have any power over us because God is with us. With God's power, we deny worry and fear the power to destroy our lives. Let's clean out our "thought house" so we can better receive the Divine ideas of God.

I hope we all become dairy farmers, but with a spelling like this: D A R E - Y – to dare to go beyond the norm in our lives. To dare to go beyond what we thought to be true about ourselves, yesterday. To dare to be great to produce a life that is real, pasteurized, and homogenized "Grade A," with vitamins A and D added.

As you begin to envision life "past-your-eyes," life will churn out good for you!

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AFFIRMATIONS

I am in God's Divine order, in harmony with life.

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