One of my favorite things on this earth (besides my family and friends) is baseball. As of March 31 a new season is upon us. Besides the excitment of my favorite sport being available to watch regularly for the next 7 months, I enjoy this time for other reasons as well. The start of a new baseball season represents several things, such as:
1. Renewal - There is no better time for such a wonderful sport like baseball to start than in Spring. The dead of winter is now becoming the growth of Spring. The grey is becoming green again; flowers are beginning to bloom; the sound of singing birds is returning; warmer temperatures enable us to return to the beautiful outdoors. These are several examples. I'm sure you can think of others that appeal to you.
2. Hope - My favorite team is the New York Mets. If you read the pre-season reports, many are saying the Mets will not do well this year. Unfortunately, they are probably right. However, at this time, there is always hope. No matter how poorly they've done in the past or are are predicted to do this year, every team is just as good as the other right now. Every fan can dream World Series. Yes, for some reality hits fast, but for now everyone has a chance. It's like the New York lottery slogan..."hey, ya never know". In many cases, the teams that get to the World Series are not the ones people expected to be there in the beginning of the season.
3. Excellent competition - Yes, there are 162 games. However, each one can make a difference in the end. The thing I like about baseball players is they play most games as if it were the last. The results are not always there, but I rarely get the feeling a player or team is not taking the game seriously. Besides, baseball is the type of game I can enjoy o any beautiful afternoon or evening, especially with a bag of chips or peanuts in one hand, and a cold drink in the other.
These are just a few reasons I enjoy the game so much. I love it for what it is and for what it represents. Now the wait is over. So take me out to the ballgame, buy me some peanuts and cracker jack, and PLAY BALL!
Enjoy!
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Affirm Greatness
I see a lot online and in books these days about something called affirmations. Affirmations are things that we tell ourselves over and over again. For example, if you are seeking more confidence, you can keep affirming, "I am confident". If you want to feel more healthy, keep affirming, "I feel great". The point is to convince our subconscious that it is true, and we eventually believe it and act accordingly.
Do affirmations work? Will my subconscious be smart enough to believe something I tell it over and over again? Can I change my life just by telling myself things? From my experience affirmations do work. Whether you realize it or not, you are telling yourself things all the time anyway. And you believe it. For example, if you are not as healthy as you would like to be, you may be telling yourself (consciously or unconsciously) how tired you are, or you are focusing on the aches and pains or stress in your life. If you are lacking confidence, you are somehow telling yourself that you are not good enough. It is human nature, and we do it all the time.
Instead, tell yourself how great you are! Tell yourself that you have all kinds of energy and you feel great. Look in the mirror and tell yourself how great you look. Tell yourself that you deserve that promotion at work and the extra money that comes with it. Tell yourself what a great romantic partner you are, or would be. Also very importantly, remind yourself that God is with you always and you can't fail with Him by your side.
The key is to tell your mind what you want it to hear. What happens is that you ultimately believe it, and become what you want to be. There is nothing wrong with teling yourself great things and looking for big things. It positively affects all areas of your life. You will be blessed and be a blessing to others. Everyone wins! Affirm greatness. It's there if you want it.
Have an excellent day : )
Do affirmations work? Will my subconscious be smart enough to believe something I tell it over and over again? Can I change my life just by telling myself things? From my experience affirmations do work. Whether you realize it or not, you are telling yourself things all the time anyway. And you believe it. For example, if you are not as healthy as you would like to be, you may be telling yourself (consciously or unconsciously) how tired you are, or you are focusing on the aches and pains or stress in your life. If you are lacking confidence, you are somehow telling yourself that you are not good enough. It is human nature, and we do it all the time.
Instead, tell yourself how great you are! Tell yourself that you have all kinds of energy and you feel great. Look in the mirror and tell yourself how great you look. Tell yourself that you deserve that promotion at work and the extra money that comes with it. Tell yourself what a great romantic partner you are, or would be. Also very importantly, remind yourself that God is with you always and you can't fail with Him by your side.
The key is to tell your mind what you want it to hear. What happens is that you ultimately believe it, and become what you want to be. There is nothing wrong with teling yourself great things and looking for big things. It positively affects all areas of your life. You will be blessed and be a blessing to others. Everyone wins! Affirm greatness. It's there if you want it.
Have an excellent day : )
Monday, March 28, 2011
Let Your Light Shine
You may remember the old church song..."this little light of mine. I'm gonna let it shine." I always liked it. It's a catchy song and it has great meaning.
The question people sometimes ask is, "how do I let my light shine?" It's a great question. In the Bible it tells us to avoid hiding our light, but to let our light shine brightly instead. However, the instructions for doing so are not easily found. In thinking about this lately, I believe I can condense it to 3 simple steps:
1. Know that God is always with us - He is the light of the world, and is a part of our being. The more we consciously realize this, the more positive and powerful are lives can be.
2. Be the best person you can be - Notice how I didn't say be perfect. That's impossible for us. However, the more we focus on being the best person we can be, and use our unique God-given talents without fear of what others may think, the more positive impacts we can make.
3, Let God do the rest - His power is far greater than anything we can ever muster up. When we allow His work to be done in our lives, His light comes shining through ever so brightly.
As you can see, there is not a whole lot we have to do. One may ask, what about the action part? Great question. It is part of the equation. However, I find that the more I try to do, the less I actually accomplish. When I follow the guidelines above, and I pray for direction, I am often directed to the next steps. If I obey that direction and take those next steps, it is much easier to take action. This is because instead of doing what I think I should be doing, I am taking God-inspired action and I have His complete power backing me up. It is then that I can accomplish anything.
If you are looking to let your light shine brightly and positively affect those around you, I recommend these steps. I can only recommend them because this formula has worked very well for me. I know because I can see the positive reactions of the people around me. I also know that it's not me, but that Godly light shining through me that they are seeing. All because I have increased my awareness of it and let it shine in every area of my life. If it is true for me, it is true for anyone.
Have an excellent day : )
The question people sometimes ask is, "how do I let my light shine?" It's a great question. In the Bible it tells us to avoid hiding our light, but to let our light shine brightly instead. However, the instructions for doing so are not easily found. In thinking about this lately, I believe I can condense it to 3 simple steps:
1. Know that God is always with us - He is the light of the world, and is a part of our being. The more we consciously realize this, the more positive and powerful are lives can be.
2. Be the best person you can be - Notice how I didn't say be perfect. That's impossible for us. However, the more we focus on being the best person we can be, and use our unique God-given talents without fear of what others may think, the more positive impacts we can make.
3, Let God do the rest - His power is far greater than anything we can ever muster up. When we allow His work to be done in our lives, His light comes shining through ever so brightly.
As you can see, there is not a whole lot we have to do. One may ask, what about the action part? Great question. It is part of the equation. However, I find that the more I try to do, the less I actually accomplish. When I follow the guidelines above, and I pray for direction, I am often directed to the next steps. If I obey that direction and take those next steps, it is much easier to take action. This is because instead of doing what I think I should be doing, I am taking God-inspired action and I have His complete power backing me up. It is then that I can accomplish anything.
If you are looking to let your light shine brightly and positively affect those around you, I recommend these steps. I can only recommend them because this formula has worked very well for me. I know because I can see the positive reactions of the people around me. I also know that it's not me, but that Godly light shining through me that they are seeing. All because I have increased my awareness of it and let it shine in every area of my life. If it is true for me, it is true for anyone.
Have an excellent day : )
Powerful Prayer
Are you looking for a way to add power and effectiveness to your prayer? Some time ago my church handed out a prayer pamphlet. I never paid much attention to it until the other day. It had a great prayer formula that I am happy to share:
P - Praise. Begin by thanking God for all of the greatness He has already shown in your life. It's amazing how even more blessing shows up when you do.
R - Repent. We all make mistakes. When we acknowledge them an ask for forgiveness, He is quick to respond and forget. It's amazing how much better we feel after we confess our shortcomings and know that they are forgiven for good. It makes it much easier to move on and avoid repeating the same mistakes.
A - Ask. Do not be afraid to ask, and to ask big! Most importantly, ask that His will be done in our lives. It's not always what we expect, but always as good or better. Ask and believe for great things. Remember, the bigger we ask, the bigger we receive.
Y - Yield. Know that He has heard our prayers and will answer in His time according to His perfect will. Know that when your situation, trial, or hope is in His hands, you can rest easy. It's all good!
Many times people hesitate to pray because they don't know how, or don't know where to start. I believe this formula is an excellent one, as it covers most aspects of Godly communication. It can be done quickly, or over a longer period of time. I try to use it several times a day, and I find it very effective. It is equally effective even if you can only do it once. Either way, the bottom line is that you are utilizing the amazing power of prayer in your life. God appreciates the time and so will you.
Have an excellent day : )
P - Praise. Begin by thanking God for all of the greatness He has already shown in your life. It's amazing how even more blessing shows up when you do.
R - Repent. We all make mistakes. When we acknowledge them an ask for forgiveness, He is quick to respond and forget. It's amazing how much better we feel after we confess our shortcomings and know that they are forgiven for good. It makes it much easier to move on and avoid repeating the same mistakes.
A - Ask. Do not be afraid to ask, and to ask big! Most importantly, ask that His will be done in our lives. It's not always what we expect, but always as good or better. Ask and believe for great things. Remember, the bigger we ask, the bigger we receive.
Y - Yield. Know that He has heard our prayers and will answer in His time according to His perfect will. Know that when your situation, trial, or hope is in His hands, you can rest easy. It's all good!
Many times people hesitate to pray because they don't know how, or don't know where to start. I believe this formula is an excellent one, as it covers most aspects of Godly communication. It can be done quickly, or over a longer period of time. I try to use it several times a day, and I find it very effective. It is equally effective even if you can only do it once. Either way, the bottom line is that you are utilizing the amazing power of prayer in your life. God appreciates the time and so will you.
Have an excellent day : )
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