Running this Race

I heard a really simple, yet challenging teaching on Sunday about the "Race" we are running. While this is something that we are in some way or form doing, we hardly take the time to assess our journey. A lot of us have a goal in mind, or have a target as to where or what we want to be in life. The distance between where we are today and where we want to be, is what I call the "Race". The basics are obvious: starting point and finishing point, but the space between both is the hardest part. Some of us are currently in our starting point, some of us are somewhere in the middle or away from the starting point but I doubt that any of us are at the finishing point. The starting point is where we make the decisions, its where we set some goals, its where we anticipate the end, its where we are fired up! It is here that we pick a purpose; and then train towards that purpose. Then, we set off! And we somehow shoot off into the future....and we then, begin to face different challenges, obstacles, roadblocks, crossroads etc. How we handle these are very critical. At this point, we might feel the need to compromise or we might feel a little bitter with life or the people in our way or both :). We start losing sight of the goals we set in the starting point. We start bending a little here and a little there. We start losing the grace of God, due to the seed of bitterness that we have allowed to germinate in our hearts. We tend to forget that we are in a training season and the training eventually produces a reward, if we stay focused and unwavered. We start giving ourselves up to things that are not proper to our bodies; and to things that can and will contaminate our physical and emotional state. Before we know it, we are no longer training to win the race....we are now trying to run the race. Training is beneficial to the spirit, mind and soul; because it produces discipline! Training teaches you to deny yourself of what your body wants, and only feed it what it needs. Its like a diet...you naturally want to eat what will destroy your body, but you really should eat what will help you fulfill your long-term goal. It's just like in a race, the last lap is the most important. This is where your training is tested. It is the determinator of your training. How focused can you get? Can you hang on until the end? Will you give up and give in? Will your habits along the way, up until this point, cause you to be disqualified? It's just like our faith. Our faith is always challenged along the way, but what will you do with that challenge? Will you submit to this world? Will you stay focused and stand your ground? Like the Hebrew boys in Daniel 1. They openly decided NOT to partake of the King's meal, as it was not appropriate for their diet. In fact, it was contaminated and they chose to decline. Ladies, whatever goals you have set for yourself, or whatever life-changing decisions that you have made, or whatever steps you have decided to make; remember to stay on track...stay in your lane...as your race is yours and yours alone and MUST be completed. You cannot afford to be disqualified! Self Builders:

• What kind of race am I running?
• What type of training is needed for this race?

Filing your Taxes

http://www.daveramsey.com/article/the-dangers-of-not-filing-your-taxes/lifeandmoney_taxes/ (original site) We all sweat a bit at tax time, no matter how confident we are in our record keeping. The stakes are high, and one little miscalculation can bring a world of trouble. Sometimes, fear and embarrassment can prevent us from filing a return at all! That’s what happened to Sheri Lawrence. “I had always completed my returns faithfully. Then, because of some difficult things I was going through, I fell behind filing for three years,” she explained. “I was supposed to be a responsible adult!” Sheri continued. “By the time I faced it, I was so afraid—the tension just kept getting worse.” Sheri had good reason to worry. Failure to file a tax return is a crime punishable by a fine up to $25,000 and one year in prison for each year you don’t file. While jail time is rare, you’ll pay in other ways: •Penalties – If you owe taxes, you’ll be hit with a “failure to file” penalty and interest on the amount owed, adding as much as 25% to your tax bill.

•Loss of Refund – If you’re due a refund, you won’t be penalized, but you won’t be able to collect your refund, either.

However, you do have three years to file a return and receive your refund. The IRS may file a return for you. It won’t include any additional exemptions or deductions, so you’ll get a bill, including penalties and interest, that won’t represent your true tax liability. Sheri knew she needed help catching up, but she had previously been burned by her CPA. “My CPA left the company, and I was dropped,” she said. “I had signed over power of attorney to them to handle this for me, and they didn’t.” She wanted a professional she could trust, so she went to daveramsey.com. “I had listened to Dave (on the radio),” Sheri said. “Anyone he would endorse would bring that trust level I needed.” Sheri met with Darrel Ingram, a tax services Endorsed Local Provider (ELP) in her area. “After meeting with them for 10 minutes, I knew they would be there to guide me through the whole thing,” she said. “They told me my situation was not that bad, that I was not the only one, and no matter the situation, there was a fix,” she added. That was great advice. The IRS says if you haven’t filed, do so as soon as possible, even if you don’t think you’ll be able to pay all you owe. Pay as much as you can as soon as you can to minimize charges. So what’s Sheri’s situation now? “The experience has been such a blessing,” she said. “The process is moving—letters have been sent to the IRS, back taxes are getting paid. It’s a great feeling.” She continued, “If anyone’s considering using an ELP, you can feel confident that it really works. These people are what they say they are!” Need help with your taxes? You don’t have to be in a situation like Sheri’s to benefit from the help of a tax services ELP. Dave’s team can find a tax professional with the heart of a teacher in your area today.

Outspoken Blessing

Words of blessing communicate care and high regard for someone you care about or something you know. Of all the ways people express love, speaking words of affirmation is one of the most important. Words of affirmation are statements that show you value someone. "You look nice today," "Thanks for taking care of this." These statements focus either on something the person did or something that they are.

I hear people say all the time, "I didn't grow up in a home where we expressed feelings. Or I am not a verbal person." In my opinion, these are just excuses that we have picked up through the years to validate our own personal choices. There are lot of things that don't come naturally to us, of course, but we learn to do them anyway. Even if it's difficult, you can learn to express your feeling in words. If we want to do something new, we spend time learning to do that thing. And as they say, practice makes perfect.

When you hear someone pay a compliment to you or to someone else, write it down. Or as you read things, pick out expression of gratitude and love and start making a list. Then practice reading your list out loud. After a while, it'll begin to feel more comfortable. Then, of course, start saying these things to a friend, a co-worker, a family member, a loved one etc. Once you start, it becomes much easier.

Genesis 49: 28 - All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and ths is what their father said to them when he blessed then, giving each the blessing appropriate to him.

Blessing Builders:

• Tell someone three things that you value about them
• Describe to someone close the types of expressions that make you feel most loved and appreciated.

Set some goals

We had an exceptionally great start today! I encourage you to get acquainted with your behavior profile (see below), set some goals for yourself (not your family, not your spouse or boyfriend/fiancee), but for yourself...and THEN do all that you can to achieve those goals. Pace yourself, of course. And don't forget to pray for your fellow righteous women, as we all strive to accomplish our short/long term goals. We will be working with a new curriculum - "Living with Unmet Desires". Let me know what arrangements you want to make to get yours...as we'll start using it at our March 19th meeting. They are $7 each. Have a great day ladies and be good... QQ _____________________________________________________________ YOUR BEHAVIOR PROFILE: Behavior profiling began in the late 1920’s as a result of psychologist Dr. William Marston’s theory that there are four basic personality types - D for Dominant, I for Influencer, S for Steady and C for Compliant (or DISC for short). Over the years, different versions of the same theory developed including BEST (Bold-Expressive-Sympathetic-Technical) and Dr. Gary Couture’s version using bird names (Dove, Owl, Peacock and Eagle). The ‘bird’ version has become quite popular as most people can relate easier to a visual object like a bird, rather than just a descriptive word. For this reason, we’ll go with Dr. Couture’s ‘bird’ version – besides, wouldn’t you rather describe yourself as an ‘Eagle’ or ‘Dove’ instead of ‘Dominant’ or “Compliant’? You and I fit into one of these basic personality types, which define the way we interact with other people, the way we go about life, our personal drivers and how we succeed. We will often relate better to people who have a similar behavior profile, and find other behavior patterns annoying and maybe even a little intimidating. But more importantly, these behaviors have a major impact on how we progress through life. So what are the 4 behavior types? In a nutshell they are: Dove The compassionate and peaceful dove. The dove is people-orientated, loyal, friendly, hardworking and a great team player but tends to avoid change, confrontation, risk-taking and assertiveness. Owl The wise owl. The owl is logical, mathematically minded, methodical and sometimes seen as a perfectionist. The owl can be slow to make decisions and inflexible if rules and logic says otherwise. Owls are not big risk takers but love detail. Peacock The showy peacock. The peacock loves talking; being the center of attention has passion/ enthusiasm and is happy/ optimistic. Peacocks can be accused of talking too much, and aren’t good with detail or time-control. Eagle The bold eagle. Eagles are dominant, stimulated by challenge, decisive and direct. Eagles can be blunt/ stubborn, can lose sight of the big-picture and can be insensitive to other people’s needs. Eagles are natural achievers. Think about yourself for a minute. Do you fit any of the above profiles? Perhaps you have traits of a couple of profiles (which is more than likely)? If one of these behavior types fits you perfectly, then start working on your goals and see how your behavior type may affect your goal setting process. www.achievegoalsettingsuccess.com

Communication

How many non-verbal conversations do you have in your head?

Statistics show that our nonverbal communication accounts for 58% of the total message. Our tone of voice - the way we say things - makes up 35% of the message. The actual words that we do say account for only 7% of the total message. WOW! Now, think about the ways you, and the people around you communicate without using words. Think about what your nonverbal actions ACTUALLY mean....then, consider how that action is perceived. Is the perception accurate to what you were thinking or is the receiver completely off! Now, think about those results. Isn't is just safer to say what you really want to say? If your nonverbal communication is not safe to communicate, then you need to deal with that..and then re-visit the conversation. On the other hand, if it is safe to say what you are thinking mentally, then you need to just come out and say it. Either way, if you keep it inside, you will be mis-heard or un-heard. Nonverbal Actions vs What Those Actions Mean - 2 very different things..

Psalms 139:23

Search me, God, and know my heart. Try me, and know my thoughts.

Powerful or Pitiful

I read this article this morning and thought it'll be nice to share it with you wonderful ladies! :) Are your thoughts powerful or pitiful? Sometimes thinking correctly seems to be a battle - and I'm here to tell you that it is a battle! The mind is the battlefield where we win or lose in life. Thoughts are powerful, and according to Proverbs 23:7, they have creative ability. If your thoughts affect what you become, then it should be a top priority to think right thoughts. And I want to make sure you understand the absolute necessity of getting your thinking in line with God's word. Here's the bottom line: you cannot have a positive life and a negative mind. A couple of positive power thoughts:

• God loves me unconditionally - Psalm 139
• I will not live in fear - 2 Timothy 1:7
• I am difficult to offend - Proverbs 19:11

Meditate on these power thoughts, as meditation is being interactive with information. Meditating on a scripture simply means to roll it over your mind, apply it to your life and visualize the scripture in action. We can choose our thoughts by exercising self-control, which is called "on-purpose thinking." Power thoughts, when applied, will help you gain more control. See for yourself how this practice will radically transform your life.

Practice the Presence

Genesis 28:16 - When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it.”

We need to give God a time slot in our lives every day, but even more than that, God needs to be a presence in our lives all day long, every day. I have decided to establish a habit of practicing the presence of God; and I pray you will too. If it helps to set a timer/watch to remind you every 10-15 minutes, then do so. When your timer goes off, stop and think on God. I heard of a lady who wrote "Jesus" in huge print on a piece of paper and put it on the floor beside her bed, so that when she swung her feet out of the bed in the morning, she'd be reminded to turn her attention to Him. I'm beginning to be more aware of God. I talk to Him about my tensions, and my intentions. I desire to move from knowing theoretically that Christ is in my heart, to desiring intensely a conscious awareness of His nearness. I was like Jacob in Genesis 28:16 who said, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it." I still fall on my face. At times, my busyness and all my distractions take me far off. In that place, away from His presence, I get uptight, upset and totally ungodly. But by a deliberate act of my will, I submit, re-direct my thoughts and return to His presence and think upon His Word. Self Builders:

• Why is it that a sense of God's nearness is so difficult to keep foremost in our minds?
• What steps can we take to remind ourselves to rejoice in God's presence all day long?

Full Passage: Genesis 28:10-17

Be Encouraged

Forwarded by Debra King-Cooper, a fellow RW I'm too blessed to be stressed Too anointed to be disappointed I refuse to be discouraged To be sad, or to cry I refuse to be downhearted And here's the reason why I have a God who is all-mighty Who is sovereign and supreme I have a God who loves me And I am on His team I refuse to be defeated My eyes are on my God He has promised to be with me As through this life, I trod What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like. ~ author undisclosed

Overpowering Love

I was reading Romans 8:31-39 this morning and was really blessed by how much God's overpowering love will never change....no matter what we do or don't do. There are so many things that try to sway us away from our love with God; there are other things that just happen to us in this life that can easily distract us and cause us to doubt God and His love for us; BUT, this paragraph of scripture is so encouraging and gives a sense of peace that embraces all fear and overpowers all doubt. God is still God, and that's that! NO MATTER WHAT. Whether He does want we want Him do or not...the fact remains that HE is still who HE said He is.... - our Father, friend, and comforter. Sometimes, we may be feeling stale and dry, or too busy, or physically exhausted, or guilt from not spending time alone with God. The guilt starts to remind us of all the teachings we have received, all the Bible College classes we have taken, all the great sermons we have heard - or even preached at times, all the notes we have taken - but never studied them again, all the powerful books we have read - but yet to apply them to our day-to-day lives, all the people we know - that we have learnt nothing from, all the critical things we have done or said, all the lazy moments we have had, all the unkind words we have spoken or thoughts we have entertained etc..... Then it begins to get really clear to us that we are not the saint that we want to be, or the saint that we have been portrayed to be. When we get all these feelings bundled up in one, its the best time to read Romans 8:31-39 - to remind us AGAIN, and bring to our consciousness that God's love is with us...no matter what. God loves you in spite of you! Sometimes, as ladies, we think that the less we deserve God's love, the more we have of it. If you have kids, you know that the one child who struggles the most, is the one that you reach out to the most. If you have any friends, the same logic applies - you find yourself emotionally or physically present with the friend(s) that struggles the most. Now imagine if you are exerting this kind of love and attention to a struggling person, how much more does our Heavenly Father love us even when we've fallen flat on our faces? Love Builders:

• When have you felt spiritually dry?
• When have you felt like a failure?
• How does receiving God's enduring love encourage you in times of staleness or spiritual dissapointment?