How to improve your Environment- Part 2

If you would like to be an active part of your community’s growth and revitalization, check out the following ideas.

Environment

1. Choose a family “energy watchdog” to shut off lights, television, and dripping sinks when not in use.
2. Switch your current Internet home page to an energy-saving one, such as Google’s “Blackle”, and turn down the computer screen brightness level as well. (It’s unhealthy for both the environment and your eyes.)
3. Create a children’s nature garden. Create a path, label plants and trees, and schedule guided tours.

4. Purchase recycled products as opposed to generic ones.
5. When buying food or drinks of any kind, it is better to stick to a large jug or tub as opposed to a collection of individually packaged goods.

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Forgiveness Part 2

How Do We Forgive?

We make up our minds and our hearts to let go, knowing that carrying around anger and judgment toward others or ourselves is a burden we no longer wish to bear.

Beginning to Learn to Forgive

By Rev. Bill Englehart

Jesus was once asked how often one should forgive. Seven times? His response was, “Not seven times, but, I tell you seventy-seven times” (Matthew 18:21-22). 

Seventy-seven is not a magic number. Earlier translations say seventy times seven, or 490. It was simply Jesus’ way of saying forgiveness can be infinite.

To understand forgiveness, we need to understand what it is not. It is not about condoning bad behavior or saying we must trust those who have mistreated us. It does not mean that there will be no justice for bad acts.

Consider this from H. Emilie Cady’s Lessons in Truth, written more than 100 years ago:

“To forgive does not simply mean to arrive at a place of indifference to those who do personal injury to us; it means far more than this. To forgive is to give for—to give some kind of actual definite good in return for evil given.”

This may seem like a tall order but when done, we can see the results straightaway. I have known parents who forgave the person who killed their child. When I asked why, they said that if they had not, they would be consumed with anger and bitterness. Forgiveness was the answer.

Special thanks to https://www.unity.org/resources/practices/forgiveness?gclid=CjwKCAjw-7LrBRB6EiwAhh1yX0KeEIRi4RrZm70idqab_q5tp-YGOqqFNl3-qiPSlBkSqhORZT-mTBoCTVcQAvD_BwE

Shut UP Devil

Our minds are incredibly powerful tools that can either propel or deter the future. To gain power, or dominion on this earth you have to learn how to shut negativity up.

How do we do such a thing? By learning and speaking the word of God. When we know what God declares over our life, it is harder for the devil to manipulate our thoughts and distract us from the provisioned path God wants us to walk down. Heres a prayer I love to use from a book titled: The Prayer Book.

“Daily Confession of Faith”
In Christ I am anointed and a powerful person of God.
I am a joint-heir with Jesus and more than a conqueror.
I am a doer of the Word of God and a channel for His blessings.
If God be for me, who can be against me?
I am blessed coming in and I am blessed
Going out. My enemies are fleeing before me. God has commanded
His blessing on my storehouses. He has opened His
Good treasures and I shall lend and not borrow.
I am the head and not the tail.
He has given me power to make wealth.
I dwell in the secret place I have
His protection and provision. God is my refuge, my fortress
I am not afraid of the snare of the fowler. No
Evil shall befall me and no plague shall come nigh
My dwelling. God has given his angels
Charge over me and they are bearing me up in their hands lest
I dash my foot against a stone, as declared in Psalms 91.
I Peter 2:9 establishes I am a chosen generation,
A royal priesthood, a holy nation.
I am a peculiar person called out of darkness
Into His marvelous light.
I Peter 2:24 states, I have been healed by the stripes of Jesus.
Cancer, sugar diabetes, heart disease, sickness,
Afflictions, infections, or any other disease cannot enter my body.
I am without spot or blemish,
An intercessor, the righteousness of God, saved, and washed in the
Blood of Jesus.
“No weapon formed against me shall prosper, and every tongue
Which rises against me in judgment You shall condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their
Righteousness is from Me,” Says the LORD.
I am saved from wrath by Him and justified
by the Blood of the Lamb.
Lord I pray that those may prosper that love Jerusalem and that peace will
be within them and prosperity in their houses according to Psalms 122:6-9.
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah!

Shout out to the MIDDLE Man

Have you ever watched a dynamic movie or read a compelling book about success? During the story, you follow the dreamer through the worst of times and then into the best of times. While you feel sorry for the dreamer as the description of poverty, sickness, or misfortune plages the character in the middle, you are still pleasant through the story because, in the end, the character achieves success.

I want to encourage someone right now who is in the middle of their success in life because the middle of the success story absolutely SUCKS lol. And that’s ok …if the middle didn’t suck you and I would be content in our old habits, and continue down the road we are on even though God wants more for us.

I want to encourage the middle man! You, my friend, are great! To be on such a journey takes tremendous courage, and drive. Don’t give up, keep walking through the mud and before you know it, you’ll be at the top of the mountain! You will make it through this don’t give up now, because the story is not yet complete. Selah #SLiM

Meditation Monday

Alright, family and friends its time to close your eyes, thoughts, and anxiety and learn how to channel Gods uncomparable peace into your life. We all have good days and bad days, but guess what… you can learn how to turn those bad days into good ones. It’s called having a healthy perspective. Did you know that you can learn to give your thoughts, fears, and worries to God? God wants to hear your concerns but you have to be still, talk, then listen. Check out this powerful segment from Dr. Beckwith. Selah #SLiM

Rocky Roads

One of the greatest challenges in being “great” is developing patients. Patients to keep learning, keep pressing, keep smiling, keep being kind, to keep being hopeful even when things look to be going opposite of your way. Patients is one of the fruits of the spirit which is love.

True love says that “For God so loved the world that He gave” so giving is the personality of God and the personality of love. Why is it important to know this??? Because if you are in a relationship with God, then you must understand that love makes you wait because love perfects your gift before giving it to you.

For example, I can run to Walgreens and pick up any card and any gift, put it in a random bag and give my husband the present.  But… because I love him, I go to the store look for a gift that would make him smile. I take the time to go up and down each aisle until I find something he would love and enjoy. Lastly, I choose a bag to wrap this gift into something that makes the present shine.  If I love my husband enough to do all of this, how much do you think God loves us.

Yes, God wants us to have what we need and desire, but He doesn’t want to give it to us haphazardly. God takes His time, chooses the best gift with the best wrapping delivered in the best time so that it’s not only appreciated but cherished. Today, exercise patients and watch God bless you with a gift greater than you ever expected.

Selah #SLiM

http://www.intimacychurch.org

This song perfectly depicts the journey of a winner! enjoy

There is fortitude in victory!

There are going to be both high and low days on the road to success. Take each day with fortitude, know where you are going by making a plan … then on the days where your faith is being tried, you can put the vision in front of you and muster up the strength to keep moving. Sometimes you must tell your feelings to take a seat so that you can stand in the midst of your oncoming victory!

Peace… Selah

#intimacychurch

#SLiM

How do I become a person who prays? #keepitreal

Too many times in our life, situations pile up like five o clock traffic, and while we’re in the midst of feeling stuck and aggravated, we do what comes naturally to us. Call a friend, scroll twitter, facebook or other social media. So today I want to talk to you about making prayer a natural reaction to life. Just like any habit, prayer is something you work at until your muscle memory defaults to prayer. You can train your thoughts to be on God when things are happening in your life. How? Start with 5 minutes a day; there is an amazing prayer app called “ the prayer app” that has tons of prayers for every occasion. Most of the prayers are less than 2  minutes long, download the app (it’s free) and find five minutes of your day to stop and pray. It has been said that it takes 21 days to create a habit, so if you can commit today to taking 5 minutes to pray for 21 days, I guarantee your life will never be the same. Let me know if you can commit 5 Minutes to pray for 21 days!

Peace

#SLiM @intimacychurch @Senaahr

God loves you

Occasionally the trials and misfortunes we come across in life attempts to overshadow the love God has for us. I am here to assure you that no matter how many times you have messed up, or what is going bad in your life today, God still loves you.

In church you are encouraged to read your bible because the bible gives a roadmap of how God loves you through every situation that you may be going through. The bible is bursting with examples of the brilliant way God loves us past our issues. So I encourage you today to dig into the great book and experience the life changing love of God. Still Don’t believe God loves you… read Romans 5:8. Peace

#SLiM @intimacychurch

http://www.intimacychurch.org

Work for it!

The statement “you don’t get something for nothing” is beyond true, it’s a winner’s mentality. The bible uses the analogy of a farmer planting a seed then reaping a harvest. When you look at your life, if it’s not what you want it to be, evaluate the seeds being planted. If you want to be an entrepreneur, are you taking small steps towards owning your business? If you would like to be a writer have you enrolled in a class to learn how to effectively convey your message?

No matter what it is that you want in life, it will require of you. Make a plan for your future, then intentionally run towards it. I guarantee there will be struggle, but after enduring you will march into a world where your life become your wildest dream.

http://www.intimacychurch.org

@intimacychurch, @s3naah