Worst Words Known To Man

I have been sharing a word with you each month that I thought could add value to your life. It occurred to me that there are also a few words that I wish people had never learned. So let me share a few of those with you today. The first word is CONVENIENT. It means easy to reach and suited to one's comfort or need. First of all anything that is easy to reach or obtain is usually not worth anything. Second if you notice it is related to the word COMFORT or COMFORTABLE. Personally I think that the words CONVENIENT and COMFORTABLE are two that are hurting Americans the most right now. If you want to know what I mean then read my post called "Entitlement Attitude." The next word is the word CAN'T. As I said in July's word of the Month post. This often is just a cover for other truths. The truth may be that we are embarrassed that we don't know how to do something. The truth may be that we are scared to try something new because we might look stupid. There are all kids of reasons why we say, ' I CAN'T." But more often than not, none of them are because we truly can not do something.. All that word does is hold us back from achieving our dreams!

Fact vs. Truth

     When I first started speaking things to life I didn't understand how it worked. I didn't understand speaking something that wasn't true. For example, why would you speak that you are healthy when you are sneezing your head off? Now I understand but I still had no idea how to explain why you speak lies.
     Recently however I was reading a Joseph Prince devotional. He worded it perfectly. "It may be a fact that you are sick. The doctors say that you are sick. The X-ray film shows that you are sick. But God’s Word says that by Jesus’ stripes you are healed! (Isaiah 53:5) That is the truth about your situation. What is the difference between fact and truth? Facts change, but truth — God’s Word — remains!"
     You see speaking things to life is based on authority given to you by God. Since He gave you that authority, anything you say is true. Even if it has yet to be, the moment you speak it, you give it life!

What Bells Palsy?!

          Recently I had something called Bells Palsy. Apparently they don't yet understand why people get this disease. However, they think that it may be related to a virus. I am sure that there are lots of people that don't know about this disease. I didn't until I got it. I will explain it to you through my story.
          I was at church on Sunday. I was outside watching my brother get baptized. The sun was shinning and I was squinting to see properly. My eyes started to water heavily. I thought this was due to the sun hurting my eyes. The left side of my face started to tighten up. By the time the service was over I couldn't smile or close my left eye. The only places I could go to the doctor on Sunday were the emergency room and Sisters of Mercy urgent care. But we were also on a budget with no money for emergencies, ( A fact I have now fixed.) So I didn't go to the doctor. Sunday night I didn't sleep much because my eye watered and I kept having to blow my nose. The need to blow my nose made me think this was some sort of allergy thing or that I had some sort of infection. Monday at lunch it was so bad I could no longer talk right. I couldn't eat. I couldn't chew. Food fell out of my mouth. I couldn't drink without a straw. My mouth was pulling to the right. I looked like I had a stroke. I didn't have a primary doctor. So I was left with Sisters of Mercy. It was $125 to be seen. We had to cash an old savings bond to get the money. I brought my husband because I was so scared at this point.
          The doctor was sure of what I had but confused as to why I had it. She said it was very rare and she had not seen a case in years. She gave me an anti-viral medicine and something else. I was given a pirate patch and gauze to cover my eye at night. The meds were $8 at Wal-mart. She said that it could take weeks or months to get better. She said that some people recover fully. Others had lingering issues. They have no clue why there is such a difference in recovery quality and time frames.
          That night I had to make a decision. I was going to live in fear and wonder if I would get better or I would decide to be positive. My friends helped a lot. They sent prayers and encouragement. They sent me scriptures on healing. I thought about it a lot. I decided that one of the greatest gifts that God had given me was words. I have always been a writer and a reader. I am very good at reading things out loud. At work they say I should be one of the people that reads ads or audio books. My dream is to learn multiple Asian languages and to somehow use that to help people. I feel that God is leading me to do something with my talent for words. So how could it be that God meant for me to have something screw up my mouth?! I decided to reject that thought! I decided that I would speak every day, "Thank you God for healing my face!" Four weeks later my mouth was a lot better! Two weeks after that my eye was closing!
          The doctors could not believe how fast and well I was healing. My friends and co-workers all asked me how I was able to heal so quickly. Suddenly everyone knew someone who had Bells Palsy! They all said the person they knew took forever to heal or didn't get all the way better. I told them all that it was not me. It was God and that all I had done was have faith in him! In this blog I have told you that your words have power. Today I am telling you why I believe that is true.
          I learned something really important from this experience. When I was thinking about what I could lose if I kept symptoms, I realized how much my dreams meant to me. I realized I couldn't waste time and needed to get started moving towards achieving my dreams! I hope that you guys will be able to learn from my story!

You can build him up or tear him down!

          Ladies do you know how powerful you are? Did you know you can control your man simply by speaking to him?! I can hear some of you now,"Girl, you are crazy! I can't get that man to do a thing I ask!" But in truth you can! You have a tremendous power over your man just through your words!
          Men have a strong desire to feel like a "Man!" They want to be good providers! They want to be loved and valued! Your words can make them feel that way. If they have this feeling they will move Heaven and Earth for you! So don't nag them! Don't talk bad about them to your girlfriends! Praise them for what they do right! Earnestly thank them for the awesome things they do! They will do even more! Your words can build them up or tear them down! So if your boyfriend or husband is not acting like you want or like he cares, step back. Start listening to how you speak to him. Watch his facial expressions! If you are tearing him down, apologize. Remember the man you first met and start building him back up! Be his biggest fan and best friend! Remember, your words MATTER!

September Word of the Month: FREE/FREEDOM

          The word FREE has many definitions. Some are based off a positive thought process and others off a negative one. FREE is often thought of and defined as, "Costing nothing. Not occupied or used. To disengage." There really is not such a thing as something for nothing! The truth is even gifts cost the giver something. When most people say something is FREE, they mean it didn't cost them anything! This is a selfish and ungrateful way to look at the world! It can be a dangerous way as well. It can lead to an entitlement attitude. ( http://www.speakittolife.blogspot.com/2011/05/entitlement-attitude.html  ) People also often think of the word FREE in a patriotic sense. It means we have rights and live in a democracy. But the word FREE should hold a much greater significance. The word FREE is also defined as, "Not bound or constrained. Not under obligation or necessity. Not affected by a given condition or circumstance. To rid of or release." If you have financial FREEDOM and believe in God you will have this type of FREEDOM. When you have enough money to be financially FREE you don't have a job. FREEDOM from a job means you are not under obligation to do what a boss says to do. You don't have a necessity to go to work to earn a living. Financial FREEDOM and faith in God give you the confidence to overcome circumstances! These two FREEDOMS release most of our daily stress and leave us FREE to pursue our dreams!

August Word of the Month: DAILY

DAILY means happening or done every day. Things done every day are called habits. Habits can be bad things like overeating and smoking. They can also be good things like exercising or watching/reading positive things. It takes 28 days or a month of doing something new for it to become a habit. So if you just started smoking, the easiest time to quit is in the first month. Unfortunately, if you just started doing regular exercise, you have month before you will stop getting that feeling of dread before a workout. Also, if you skip a workout you start the month all over. You have to be consistent. I f you have, "just one more" cigarette, you have to quit all over again. You are either walking uphill or sledding down it in the snow. You may have exercised for two weeks but when you miss one session it is easy in your head to justify missing the next one. You have to adopt a, "NO EXCUSES." mentality. Here are some of the worst habits people can develop or decisions not to develop habits that I think are bad: 1. Saying, "I can't." When what they mean is, "I won't." or "I'm too afraid." or "I don't know how to..." 2. Overeating 3. Not exercising at all 4. Drinking sugar filled soda all day 5. Deciding never to read a book again after school 6. Watch TV from the time they get home till bed 7. Always trying to be comfortable Here are some habits and decisions I would suggest people develop/make: 1. Trying something new every time their is an opportunity 2. Keeping their word. Part of this is learning to schedule commitments as soon as you agree to do something. If you say you will have to get together with a friend you have not seen in forever, whip out your calendar and schedule a time to get together. Show that you mean what you say and you are not just blowing them off! 3. Think about the week before it starts and plan meals or when to eat out. Have some go to recipes that are healthy and buy groceries to make those meals. Otherwise you will fix whatever unhealthy thing sounds good at that time. PACK YOUR LUNCH! Don't go out to eat with girl friends or with the guys! Eating out all the time will add weight to you. Of course to do this you need to come up with a food budget and stick to it! 4. Come up with a budget. Don't just buy things on the fly! Your money will disappear and you will wonder where it went so fast. Put $1000 in a savings for an emergency. Believe me, it is life and stuff happens! Pay down any debts you have and watch your stress melt away. People are always so happy that they can get credit. "I got a loan for a house with payment of $700 a month. Many people pay that in rent for apartments. This is so cool." In this economy can you afford to risk losing your job and the house being foreclosed? Oh and guess what?! You had to declare bankruptcy..Now you have NO credit. Besides, when I was growing up, I was taught that it wasn't worth having if you didn't earn it yourself! 5. Exercise consistently. You can decide if it is DAILY or a couple times a week. Just do it consistently! 6. Drink water. Drink unsweet or drastically less sweet tea. Stop drinking all the soda and energy drinks that are loaded with sugar. I personally sell and use XS energy drinks. They have a ton of B-12 and no sugar. They taste awesome! They are like 15 flavors! I am not trying to sell them right now I am just trying to remove your excuses and tell you that you can make a choice to be healthy and still enjoy your drinks. However, if you are interested in them check them out at www.amway.com/vsm . 7. Read self help/leadership/people skill/personality growth type books all the time. They will help your friendships and your marriages. They will improve your relationships with co-workers. 8. If all you ever do is work and watch TV then your life will have no meaning. You will start escaping into the TV shows and characters and living through them. You deserve more of a life than pretending to be someone else! 9. Get out of your comfort zone often. That is the only way to grow and change. It is how you find out who you really are on the inside... So remember it is not just about what you do DAILY but about what you chose NOT to do DAILY! Habits define you. They define your character! So I leave you with one last habit I think you should develop..MAKE LIFE FUN DAILY!

July Word of the Month: CURIOUS

CURIOUS means eager to learn. It also means extraordinary or unusual. Being eager to learn is a good thing. If you are not learning you are not growing. You should always be growing and changing. Why does everyone try so hard to be normal? What are we afraid of that we feel we have to be like everyone else? It is good not to be normal. What does normal even mean? Normal people are average. Average people are not growing. My awesome pastor, PK Bowman of The Rock of Asheville, says, "God made you because he wanted a you." According to the bible I was designed for a unique purpose that only I can fulfill. Clearly, I was not meant to be normal. I was not meant to be like everyone else. I cannot fulfill my purpose if I do not continue to grow into the person He created me to be. Besides consider where would the world be if everyone tried to be normal. What would have been invented? Would we have gone to the moon? Also, think about the things in this world that we consider to have value. It is the rare and limited quantity things that we consider most precious. Diamonds are a good example. It is because the are scarce, hard to create, and a limited quantity that they are so valuable. If you are different and you get laughed at by others, brush it off. They are only tying to make themselves feel better about letting go of their dreams! You are removing their excuses and they don't like that! So don't pay anyone attention. Go out there and be weird! Be CURIOUS! Study math and science! Pursue whatever you are good at doing! Build to your strengths! Go after things with passion! Be courageous enough to explore all things in life! CURIOSITY and learning will keep you mind and your heart young!

June Word of the Month: COURAGE

COURAGE is the quality of mind that enables one to face danger with self-possession, confidence, and resolution. This definition tells us four things. 1. First, courage is not a trait born to us. It is something that we acquire. 2. Courage is not something we have to go through physical struggle to obtain. It is acquired simply by making a decision in your mind. 3. Courage is not a one time event. It requires that you be resolved. Or in other words that you stand firm on that decision on a daily basis. 4. Having the confidence to make and stand by a decision on a daily basis comes from having a certain quality of mind. Quality means an essential, excellent character. Having character means you have a moral and ethical strength. So it would be essential for a quality mind to have an excellent or strong moral and ethical code that it used to make decisions. That code is what gives you the confidence to make a decision and stand by it, even in the face of danger! So let me ask you..Do you have the COURAGE to pursue your dreams? Do you have the character to make the hard decisions when that candy bar says. "Come on you have been good all day. One bite won't hurt." Have you got the confidence to stand by a decision day after day when that alarm goes off at 5 a.m.? Or will you hit the snooze button? Will you shrug off the comments like, "It may be a good business plan but it won't work for you."? Or is your resolve as stiff as tissue paper? COURAGE is knowing that you have already won! COURAGE charges into the lion's den on faith!

May Word of the Month: CONTROL

Control means to exercise authority or influence over. It's the power to manage, direct, or dominate. The only things you can control are your attitude and actions. You are the only one besides God, who created you, that has authority to direct your life. You can influence your circumstances merely by thinking about them differently. All you have to do is stay positive. However your quality of life will not change just because you dream of a better life or pray for one. God moves through us. Therefore we have to take action. Only then can prayer be answered. However action without prayer in usually dramatically less effective as well. Everyone knows a united team is stronger than any one man. Team up with God. Pray. Take action. Stay positive. Be persistent and keep an ear open. Sometimes God shouts, other times he whispers.

April Word of the Month: Conquer

CONQUER means to defeat or subdue by or as if by force of arms. The bible says, "...If God be for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31) It also says, "...In all these things we are more than CONQUERORS through him that loved us!" (Romans 8:37) You can overcome circumstances if you know they are temporary. That knowledge gives you confidence in your ability to CONQUER things. Your confidence allows you to be persistent in pursuing your goals. Your persistence allows you to CONQUER obstacles by force. Anyone can side step a problem. When I say CONQUER, I mean moving mountains. The ability to CONQUER comes from a purpose and a need. To move a mountain you have to have a strong purpose for moving it. It can't be a desire or a want. You have to have so strong a purpose that you say, "I'm going to move this mountain or die trying!" People don't realize how important it is to CONQUER their fears. Fear is the only thing that limits your potential. The fear of what others will think and of failing are two of people's most common fears. Fear is lies made up by the devil and whispered in your ear over and over until you assume they are truth. Can I ask you a personal question? What do you want most? I know that right now you want not to be embarrassed. I know that now you want to be comfortable. (Man I HATE that word!) But what do you want most? Would you trade what you want now for what you want most? What price are you willing to pay for your dream? CONQUERING your fears also help you grow as a person. Years ago I was afraid to return an item at the store. I was afraid that the cashier would yell at me or think badly of me. I was afraid they would ask for information I didn't have and I would be embarrassed. Now I am loud, confident, and very social. I changed and grew when I was forced to try new things. The next time you fear something, lie to yourself and others! Boldly proclaim how easy and fun it is and do it! Once you face your fear you may love it. If you fear something it has control over you. You are in control of your life. Live a life of victory! That doesn't mean go succeed. It means live a life knowing that you have already won. God has a plan of abundant life for you! God is for you! All you are doing is walking through the steps to claiming your reward. So enjoy the journey. Take in the view. Make some memories along the way. Find some new friends along the path. Then when you finally reach your destination in heaven you will realize that your life was your reward. Heaven is where you go home and thank God for loving you enough to give you such a precious gift!

March Word of the Month: CONNECTION

CONNECTION means unity, a link, association, and or relation. This is a powerful tool that everyone needs to learn to leverage. Whenever you start a group ventur you need to act in unity. A focused effort is much more likely to succeed in achieving your goals. Whenever you are trying to achieve a goal, the best way to learn to succeed, is to associate. with others who have achieved that goal. If you want to be a master chef, you don't intern at McDonald's. If you want to be a millionaire, you don't take business advice from broke people. You look for people that have fruit on the tree. People who offer advice may be well intentioned. Not taking it doesn't mean you don't care about or even respect the person. It just means that you are smart enough to get your advice from a source with current creditability. Getting a job these days really is about networking. What does that mean? Have you ever heard the phrase, "It's not what you know but who you know."? You make connections with people. You serve them. You form friendships. They help you out, you help them out. CONNECTION is the key. Have you ever recommended a restaurant or a movie to someone? Businesses count on word of mouth advertising. All of that is based on your CONNECTIONS. How many people you know and the quality of your friendship determines how many people listen to your recommendations. If you were to get into a seriously bad situation who would your call? Do you have other CONNECTIONS? People you know but aren't close friends? Why do you open up more to one person than another. One of my personal philosophies is that I treat everyone the same. My heart is on my sleeve for the world to see. I would drive out to help anyone that has my number. Life is really about CONNECTIONS. When we die that is the only thing that outlives us. Don't just live, live by standards. CONNECT. Live a life that matters.

January Words of the Month: CAPACITY and POTENTIAL

The word CAPACITY means the ability to receive or hold. It also means the power to learn or retain knowledge. It means the POTENTIAL for growth, development, or accomplishment. Which is why when we talk about CAPACITY we should also talk about POTENTIAL. POTENTIAL means the CAPACITY for growth and development. You have the CAPACITY to grow and learn anything! What gifts you do not already possess your can receive as gifts from God. You can learn the things needed to reach your goals. Or people who have those gifts can be placed in your life. People think when you say, " You can do anything!" Or "Your dreams can come true!" that it means now or never. They think either they are fully capable now to do what they desire or they just don't have the ability. For example, my dream is to teach people to cook. I know nothing about how to start a class. I know none of the laws or regulations involved. I know nothing about how to advertise the class. I don't have the ability to start a cooking class. However, I know someone that is starting a small food related business that has told me about a class on USDA regulations. I can do research online. I know how to call a local college with a culinary program. Once I expressed interest in this goal. People who knew helpful things started to appear in my life. Reaching a goal or dream should take time. Part of what makes it so satisfying is the knowledge of your struggle to victory! Don't let the process intimidate you out of reaching your dreams! Rejoice in your POTENTIAL to develop into the person who does what you dream! Walk tall knowing you have the CAPACITY to achieve greatness!

Transformer

          I aplogize. I just got a new tablet. It is the Asus Transformer. It has a writing application called Supernote. I am trying to write a post in it and import it to blogger. However at this time I am unable to figure out how this is done. As soon as I make sense of this I will post my next Word of the Month.
          I appreciate your patience. Also, I am reading a great book!, It's called Chicken Soup for the Soul:Think Positive. I am going to be doing a series of posts on the awesome lessons I am learning from it!
          Thanks for reading! See you soon!

December Word of the Month: BELIEVE

          This month's word of power is BELIEVE! The word is what this blog is all about. BELIEF is what gives your words power! Even if what you speak has not come to be yet, you BELIEVE it will come to be! You BELIEVE and speak the best into yourself, others, the world! This one thing really is the only thing that determines the boundaries of your world!         
          BELIEVE is defined as, "To accept as true or real." Do you see? It's not understanding what is real because you see it in front of you.. It what you accept and hold to be true, no matter what the world suggests. You are limited only by your vision and BELIEF.
          BELIEVE is also defined as, "To have confidence or trust in something or someone." Trust yourself. God says that everything that you need to succeed is already within you. Trust Him. for the last definition of BELIEVE is, "To have firm faith!" Remember, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! Philippians 4:13 NLJV

November Word of the Month: BALANCE

The definition of balance is, " A state of equilibrium. Emotional stability." Or "taking everything into consideration."
          BALANCE actually comes from emotional stability. To have emotional stability, you must realize that your feelings are not meant to be your only resource for making decisions. We are supposed to weigh our feelings and reason. When we have taken "all that into consideration," we can make a good decision. Purely emotional decisions, don't consider the consequences of our actions, and are usually bad decisions. Have you ever said something stupid and/or hurtful in anger? Didn't you wish you could take the words back?
          To have BALANCE you have to understand the nature of feelings and make decisions based on standards/principals. Then decision making is easy. You have clarity on what you're trying to achieve. You know what's important to you. You know what kind of person you want to be. Any decision that could lead you away from that is discarded. For example, if you want to lose 30lbs., you don't eat McFlurry's and french fries for lunch. It may sound good but it puts you farther from your goal.
          Hard times financially and sacrifices made to reach goals can seem impossible to withstand. You have to have vision. Believe you can overcome anything because it's only temporary. This peace in knowing the harvest will come is BALANCE!

October Word of the Month: AUTHORITY

          AUTHORITY means the right and power to command and judge or determine things. It also means confidence. This definition makes an important distinction. It says you have the right to the power to command! God says, "If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you could say unto this sycamine tree, Be plucked up by the root, and be planted in the sea; and it would obey you." Luke 17:6. KJV You have the right and power to command! You just need faith and with that comes confidence!
          This word should hold great power in your life. Any time fear holds you back, remember your God given authority! Remember, just as negative thoughts can snowball into a pity party, positive action can multiply. Action towards your goal or dream will bring confidence and a sense of relief. Then you can work towards the things that really seem impossible. Then you can have one of those moments. "I've had my moments, days in the sun. Moments I was second to none. Moments when I knew I did what I thought I couldn't do...Lookin' at me now you might not know it. But I've had my moments."(Moments by Emerson Drive) Remember, "I can do all thing through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13 NKJV

Outwitting the Devil

In the book, ”Outwitting the Devil” the author claims that he was able to force the devil into honestly answering questions. This may or may not be true. However, if you can get past the question of the source, you can learn to think about your thoughts in a whole new way.

            The book states that the devil does not dwell in some cave or other dwelling that is called hell. He lives in your thoughts and fears. He grows in strength when you do something he calls “drifting.” He has no actual physical body. No horns and red skin like in all the movies.  He is simply negative energy that lives in the minds of those who fear him. The devil claims that the 6 most effective fears for controlling human thought are poverty, criticism, ill health, loss of love, old age, and death. The biggest lie he uses is that, “I am standing just beyond the entrance gate of the next life, waiting to claim them after death for eternal punishment.” Then he points out, “Of course I cannot punish anyone, except in that person’s own mind, through some form of fear..” When we die and go to hell, we don’t just roast in a fire. We are, “taken over be me and their mind power is added to my being.” The devil is constantly working to control our minds so that later they will become his.

            I said that the devil grows in power when you “drift.” Let me try to define this word for you. Drifting is a habit.  “A drifter is someone who permits himself to be influenced and controlled by circumstances outside his own mind.” “A drifter has lots of opinions, but they are not his own. Most of them are supplied by me.” The devil says, “I enter the minds of people through thoughts which they believe to be their own.” In other words he starts when you are young and whispers little negative lies to you until you start to take them as truth. He tricks you into going through life without direction or purpose.

            Here are some examples of drifting: 1. Going into a marriage without a plan on how to live in harmony. This causes arguments over money, nagging about chores, and arguments over social activities. 2. Drifting from job to job or in and out of school. This causes a fear or poverty and keeps you with a lack of purpose. 3. Not saving and budgeting. This takes away hope for the future and really causes a fear or poverty. 4. A thought process dominated by negativity. This causes a snowball of negative actions and makes people constantly feel like a victim.

            The sad part of what the devil does is that he enslaves people. In my last post I said this post would explain how people can act contrary to their soul their whole lives because of fear. That is because they have been drifting their whole lives. For example, once I did something clumsy and my mom said, “Geez, you are so clumsy.” Then the devil came into my head and repeated that to me over and over. Without me realizing I adopted that as a personal trait. I would describe myself that way! It made me expect to drop things and trip up. Then the world delivered what I asked for until I was convinced that it was true. When I learned the power of words I realized what had happened. I have since started dancing and catching balls and playing game that require coordination. Guess what, I’m pretty good. I am not calling it a talent (gift given by God so you can fulfill your purpose in life). Still, all that time I was giving power away to the devil!

            So my plea to you is simple. Please realize the power you have over your world through your mind and use it. Don’t give it away or let it be used against you. Remember, “Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as
your soul prospers.” 3 John 1:2.

September Word of the Month: ASSOCIATE

          The reason that this word is powerful is because who you chose to do it with defines who you become as a person. It doesn't shape your soul. People can act contrary to who there soul is all their lives. This is usually done out of several fears. My next post will explain this in detail. But who you chose to ASSOCIATE with determines your thoughts, desires, interests, and goals.
          Lots of people seems familiar with the phrase, "You will be and average of the 5 people you spend the most time with." But writers all over blogs and websites are giving credit to the speakers that used it. Let me first set the record straight and point out that it was Napoleon Hill in the book "Think and Grow Rich." Secondly, let me point out that the book is called "THINK...and Grow Rich." If you master your words and therefore, your thoughts, you can succeed in anything!
          So let's talk about ASSOCIATION and how it affects who you are as a person. People are just wired this way. Remember in high school. Didn't everyone have small groups of friends. Football players all hung out together. Cheerleaders at my school were like the "it" crowd. All guys wanted to date them. Later you go to college and you have fraternities, sororities, and all the pot heads. You get into the real world and you get a job. You start hanging out with co-workers. Or you have college buddies over to watch football/NASCAR. You get older and you have kids. Now you hang out with all people with kids and talk about kids. When you are old you have friends over and play bridge or go to book clubs. When you make a friend you are looking for what you have in common.
          If you start hanging out with someone for a book club you may discuss things about the books. But then, you start to pick up each others speech patterns. Perhaps you don't have kids yet but all your friends do. How long will it be before those cute clothes, smiles, and sappy stories make you want kids too? If you hang out with people that are on unemployment and don't want a job. People who trash talk the government but want government to pay for everything. You will eventually develop a little entitlement mentality or start to dislike the government as well. You might hang out with a wiccan person and suffer some doubt about your christianity.  I'm not saying that you can't be christian and have a wiccan friend. I'm saying that if your do, you need to be positive of your beliefs. You need to be able to hear that friend and still keep your thoughts centered on your principal beliefs. Decide what is open for debate in your mind and what is not.
          Just as having someone be negative around you can hurt you by ASSOCIATION. Having someone positive around you can help keep you positive. It can give you a place to explore possibilities. John Maxwell once said that he doesn't build his weaknesses. He builds his strengths. Then he surrounds himself with people that are strong in the areas that he is weak. This method of ASSOCIATION is amazing! It makes you constantly feel as if you can do anything. It frees you up to just be the best you that you can be.
          Given all the we have just said about ASSOCIATION, I want you to stop and think for a minute. First, who are the 5 people you ASSOCIATE with the most? Is that really the ASSOCIATION that will get you what you want? Second, are you on someone's top 5 list? What impact is your ASSOCIATION having on their life?...

August Word of the Month: APPRECIATE

          APPRECIATE is a powerful word simply because you need to learn to do it. You need to have an attitude of gratitude. Learn to APPRECIATE everything. Time, money, possessions, relationships, family, and even your talents and abilities.
           Time with family is precious and needs to be APPRECIATED. Even if you only have a small amount of time with family, make it quality time. Life is a series of moments. When we leave this earth people remember and tell stories about those moments. So make them great stories. Remember to laugh and to cry and to laugh so hard that you cry!
           Many people don't APPRECIATE their money. All they think about is needing more. If you don't APPRECIATE what you have and mange it well, you will not be trusted with more.  So learn to budget money. Put your money towards things that show your priorities in life. Don't dwiddle away money on small immediate gratification. The bigger price you pay in immediate gratification the large a harvest you will reap when it's time to bring in your crop.
           If you APPRECIATE things, then you take better care of what you have and you work harder for the things that you want. You also have more respect for other people's property. For example, if you own a book, how do you treat it? Most people dog ear the pages. The binding of their books is split and pages are almost falling out. However, if they borrow a book from a library they return it in good condition. They don't want to have to pay for the book because of damages. Some people are so selfish that this works the other way. They treat their stuff like it was made of precious gold. Other peoples stuff doesn't matter to them. Therefore, they treat other people's property poorly. They throw it into a dirty seat in the car. They mark on the pages. They tear pages as they turn them. Other people just don't care about anyone's property. They will trash their stuff and other people's stuff. These last two type's are the people who write on bathroom stalls. There is a sub-group of these people that really bother me. They always write W.W.J.D. on the walls. My thoughts when I see that are, "Probably NOT write on public property!" If you APPRECIATE things and are grateful for what you have and the blessing people bring to your life, then you can truly appreciate the things you don't have and will work harder to get them. Plus, like I said before, the better you take care of what you have the more with which you will be trusted.
           Learn that everyone in your life can teach you something. Everyone you meet has value for that reason. Then you APPRECIATE everyone that comes into your life. Show that you appreciate people by having an attitude of gratitude. You show this attitude by listening to and serving them. When they express a need, try to fill it. That attitude of gratitude will make others APPRECIATE you more as well.
          Also APPRECIATE your own work. Take pride in what you do. If you live a life of significance that is based on principles, you will take certain actions. Gratitude that you are able to take that action and an APPRECIATION for the significance of that action gives you a sense of purpose!

July Word of the Month: AFFECT

          This word has power because it is your power. AFFECT means to influence or change or to touch the emotions of something. You can control you attitude and your actions. You can AFFECT them. Likewise you can AFFECT people around you. You can influence them by your attitude and actions. You can AFFECT what type of things happen to you. When you sow good actions you reap good reactions from others. This translates into opportunities and even material gains.
          I have talked many times about speaking thing into existence. You can speak how you feel about yourself and different situations. You can use your words to change your attitude. Your words AFFECT your thought process and with that, your emotions. The way you feel AFFECTS the way that you act. The way you act AFFECTS the way others perceive you.  The way others see you gives you influence over them. If you have a positive influence over them, you have power to AFFECT them.
          When you sow good seed, do good things, and stay positive you AFFECT the world around you. You start to attract good things and new opportunities. For example, your boss and other co-workers watch how you treat people at work. If you are good to a co-worker your boss may see you as a possible canidate for a management job. Or if you donate to American Cancer Society you might later receive a kidney when you need it. Sometimes you sow seed in one area of your life and reap a harvest in a different area. Maybe you help a friend with a place to stay while he is broke and laid off. However, maybe you reap a harvest by being blessed with a healthy family.
          So the next time that you feel stuck in a situation that makes you unhappy, look at the situation again. Maybe your actions can AFFECT it. If not you can always change you attitude about it. Lastly, maybe you aren't as stuck as you think. Maybe you are being pushed to move in another direction that you can't see yet. Remember AFFECT also means to change...