Conceive and Believe

God is the God of the Living and not the God of the Dead.

Speaking of Christ return and reign on this earth is sometimes difficult to get thru to people. Many want to denigh that the end is close, many want to denigh that God will destroy what He has created and many still yet want to denigh God all together. City after city from the east to west from north to south has had some kind of destruction based on the revelations of Jesus Christ. For He said when you see these things come to pass know that the end is near, even at the door.

Luke 9:59-60; And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.

As the morality of mankind becomes farther from the Word of God, its hard to find the living among the dead, spiritually speaking. Are there times that we must walk away from people or even city’s that refuse to hear the truth of the Scriptures? Yes. Jesus gave us examples of everything that we, as ambasitors, would encounter.

“Let the dead bury their dead:” Even as New Orleans was reeling from death and destruction, many yet in that city were trying to open up their bars and clubs, homosexuals were dancing in the streets hafe naked and stating that,”Life goes on” Sodom and Gomorrha will rise up to testify against such people. The govermential system has become corrupt, legislators are willing to denigh Gods word and pass laws, legislating sin and debotchery and all manner of filth, we cant even trust what our government says any more. Here are some headlines that I thought were interesting.

1. As in Massachusetts, civil unions in Vermont were granted through court rulings.

2. Assembly-man had called bans on gay marriage “the last frontier of bigotry and discrimination.”

3. “Yet, the truth is that nudity in the home, when handled in a respectful, matter-of-fact way, is perfectly natural and certainly not harmful.” In fact, research suggests that children who have seen their parents nude do not grow up to be emotionally scarred, but instead are more likely to be accepting of their own bodies and comfortable with their own sexuality.

4. Officials braced Thursday for what could be a staggering death toll by readying 25,000 body bags.

5. U.N. corruption cited in Iraq Oil for Food Program.

6. Burma Military Closes Down Evangelical Church, Group Says
7. Eritrea Police Raid Christian Wedding Party Detaining Couple and Guests

8. Uzbekistan Destroys Christian Leaflets for Children.

9. Christian Activists Killed In Philippines
10. Palestinians poison girl for dating Christian, then burn out his relatives

11. Indonesia Christian Women Receive Jail Sentence For Converting Muslim Children.

Luke 10:11 Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.

The Kingdom of God is closer each day to becoming a reality. Man-kinds in-humanity to man will be judged, mans rejection of the truth will be judged, mans whoredoms will be judged. Mar 6:11 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city. [Mat_12:36; Rom_2:5, Rom_2:16; 2Pe_2:9, 2Pe_3:7; 1Jo_4:17]

We must learn how to find the Living Among The Dead. We grieve over the loss of loved ones but this is not what we are speaking of. We must remember that we cant turn back the pages of time and change what has happened in the past. We are looking at today and tomorrow, if Jesus hasn’t returned. Finding the living{Those that are willing to hear the truth} from among those that are dead{those that refuse to hear the truth.} And what is the truth? The truth is that this world will not last much longer. The mortality of man is getting shorter and shorter. Many are dieing today of heart attacks, as the scripture predicted.

Rom 1:28-32; And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;[(Barnes)Rom 1:28 - And even as they did not like … - This was the true source of their crimes. They did not choose to acknowledge God. It was not because they could not, but because they were displeased with God, and chose to forsake him, and follow their own passions and lusts.

To retain God … - To think of him, or to serve and adore him. This was the first step in their sin. It was not that God compelled them; or that he did not give them knowledge; nor even is it said that he arbitrarily abandoned them as the first step; but they forsook him, and as a consequence he gave them up to a reprobate mind.
To a reprobate mind - A mind destitute of judgment. In the Greek the same word is used here, which, in another form, occurs in the previous part of the verse, and which is translated “like.” The apostle meant doubtless to retain a reference to that in this place. “As they did not approve, edokimasan, or choose to retain God, etc. he gave them up to a mind disapproved, rejected, reprobate,” adokimon, and he means that the state of their minds was such that God could not approve it.

It does not mean that they were reprobate by any arbitrary decree; but that as a consequence of their headstrong passions, their determination to forget him, he left them to a state of mind which was evil, and which he could not approve. Which are not convenient - Which are not fit or proper; which are disgraceful and shameful.]
Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

The dead that we speak of are those that use the scripture for their own lust and gain, those that use tragedy to gain unlawfully and those that are without understanding of human needs and desires to build a better life for themselves and their familys thru Jesus Christ. Many are seeking the truth, many are seeking their way in this world of dispare and destruction. All mankind has a knowledge of God, there is no excuse, but the dead are deigning their knowledge, not retaining what they know is right and have turned themselves into the walking dead of spirit and do the best they can to turn others away from the knowledge that they’ve rejected, of these people we can do nothing.

So we seek the living among the dead. Seeking those that are searching for truth, searching for answers. Many are falling away because of difficulties in their Christian walk, but Jesus never stated that it would be an easy life. Many of the good things in life are difficult to obtain and to hold on to. The same way with being a Christian. We are hated and despised by many, especially in these last day.

Christians are being tormented and beaten for their belief in Christ. Persecution and hatred are abounding around the world over Christianity. Jesus said unto him, “Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.” You have a testimony to deliver, deliver it, you have a ministry to perform, perform it, you have a life to live for Christ, live it.

Don’t worry about what people think, don’t worry about what people do, don’t worry about your physical life, go and preach the Gospel. So ; Let the dead bury their dead, go and Find The Living Among The Dead.

Temple of Spirit & Truth Ministries
A.R.Smith Sermons International
http://www.ourchurch.com/member/a/arsmithsermons/

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I truly think gift giving is an art form.  I also think that I have gotten it
down to a science.  Most of the time when I have the opportunity to give a gift,
I already know the person well enough to know exactly what to give them. 
However, what do you do when you have no clue what to give that person, like when you are going to the wedding of two people who are upwardly mobile and seem to already have everything?  Here are some suggestions for you.

Find out if that person is a part of a fraternity or a sorority.  If they are,
then find out about the fraternity or sorority.  Most of them will have special
colors or animals that are associated with them.  You can’t go wrong if you get
them something that is associated with their fraternity or sorority.

Think about what they do for a living and get them something that they can use on a day-to-day basis.  For example when my friend graduated from law school, I got him a mug that pictured some men wearing his fraternity’s colors.  The mug also came with some highlighters.  Judging from the reaction that I got from him, that was the perfect thing to get him.Another example of a good gift is something that I saw at a bridal shower that I recently attended.  The gift was some stamps and some thank you cards.  Pretty clever.

Giving great gifts doesn’t have to be that hard or that expensive.  You just have to use that brain of yours to come up with something that the other person will enjoy and not wind up standing in a long “customer no service” line trying to return or exchange.  One final suggestion.  Don’t even bother with clothes unless you know the person’s exact size and taste.

Copyright DeAnna Spencer 2004

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Learning a few good problem solving techniques can improve your bottom line and your life.

Do you ever run out of good ideas, or go around in circles trying to come up with a solution for a persistent problem? Maybe you just need to learn some simple problem solving techniques, and then start applying them. Choose one or two of the methods below, and get in the habit of using them in your personal life and your business.

Let your unconscious mind do your problem solving. Outline a problem in your mind before going to sleep, and tell your brain to go to work. Einstein had good luck with this technique, sometimes getting the “ah-ha” insight while shaving the next morning.

Next, instruct your mind to keep working on the problem while you do other things. There is more than we know going on inside our heads. An answer may come to you when you least expect it.

Try working on problems when you are in a drowsy state. This can result in more creative solutions.

Challenge assumptions. For example, if you are assuming you need a better or higher-paying job, ask “do I really need a better job?” Maybe you can get a raise, or somehow make the job you have better. A business on the side might be an option. Don’t let your assumptions limit the possible solutions.

Break it down. Buying a house is a big move that is really a bunch of small steps. This is true of many problems. Start by addressing all of the components of a problem individually, and it may not seem so overwhelming. This makes it easier to motivate yourself.

Ask others for advice. They may or may not have good ideas, but in any case this helps you be sure that you are not overlooking anything obvious.

Write it down. Then find another way to express the problem and write that down. Continue with all solutions and ideas that come to mind. Write down everything. Later you can pick the diamonds out of the dirt.

Change your perspective. Imagine you are rich, poor, a child, a visitor from another planet. How would you see the problem from this new perspective? Einstein imagined riding on a beam of light, which lead to his theory of relativity, so this technique has been known to work.

Randomly pick an object, and ask what it can teach you about your problem. If you’re looking for a way to fire a bad employee, for example, a mailbox might make you think of writing him a letter (and a billboard might make you laugh). A tree might give you no ideas, but then a frail roadworker might make you think, “maybe he is just in the wrong position, and he can do a good job elsewhere in the company.”

Using this problem solving technique, you’ll have many silly ideas pop into your head. Don’t be too dismissive of them, as they will sometimes trigger a thought that is more useful. You can use this creative technique anywhere, and it’s great for putting driving time to good use.

One way to solve problems is to ask how you can cause them. This is good technique for personal problems. Too much stress? Think of ways to cause more stress. Hmm…promise too much, don’t sleep enough, allow constant interruptions, leave many decisions hanging there unresolved, and so on. Each of these ways to cause stress can show you something. If you make fewer promises, sleep more, don’t allow too many interruptions, make decisions now (to get them off your mind), you might be more relaxed.

Need customers? How can you scare them away? The point is that if you only look at the problem from the perspective of “How do I solve it?” you tend to see only solutions based on your hidden assumptions. If, for example, you are assuming that your stress is simply due to having too many things to do, you may miss many solutions. So looking at how to cause a problem will show you more ways to solve it.

Try “assuming the absurd.” Putting stores in the homes of consumers was an absurd idea at one time, but isn’t that what television shopping networks and internet stores do? What at first seems crazy may lead to ideas that are useful. Backpackers get tired of carrying heavy packs, so one pursued the “crazy” idea, “What if backpacks had wheels?” It’s for sale now (the “Wheelpacker”), and it can handle most rough trails with its modified bicycle wheel.

Pick a few absurd solutions or ideas related to the problem at hand, and work with them for a few minutes to see what comes to mind. If “assuming the absurd” is difficult for you, start by “assuming the opposite.” Need to lower expenses? What if you raise them instead? Find a way to make sense of that, and you are on your way to creative problem solving.

Steve Gillman has been studying brain improvement, creative problem solving and related topics for years. Some of what he has discovered can be found on his website: http://www.IncreaseBrainPower.com

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(Excerpted from the Jim Rohn Two Day Weekend event - June 22 and 23, 2001)

1) First, life is worthwhile if you LEARN.

What you don’t know WILL hurt you. You have to have learning to exist, let alone succeed. Life is worthwhile if you learn from your own experiences, negative and positive. We learn to do it right by first sometimes doing it wrong. We call that a positive negative. We also learn from other people’s experiences, both positive and negative. I’ve always said it is too bad failures don’t give seminars. We don’t want to pay them so they don’t tour around giving seminars. But the information would be very valuable – how someone who had it all, messed it up. Learning from other people’s experiences and mistakes.

We learn by what we see - pay attention. By what we hear – be a good listener. Now I do suggest being a selective listener, don’t just let anybody dump into your mental factory. We learn from what we read. Learn from every source. Learn from lectures, learn from songs, learn from sermons, learn from conversations with people who care. Keep learning.

2) Life is worthwhile if you TRY.

You can’t just learn; you now have to try something to see if you can do it. Try to make a difference, try to make some progress, try to learn a new skill, try to learn a new sport. Life is worthwhile if you try. It doesn’t mean you can do everything but there are a lot of things you can do, if you just try. Try your best. Give it every effort. Why not go all out?

3) Life is worthwhile if you STAY.

You have to stay from spring until harvest. If you have signed up for the day or for the game or for the project - see it through. Sometimes calamity comes and then it is worth wrapping it up. And that’s the end, but just don’t end in the middle. Maybe on the next project you pass, but on this one, if you signed up, see it through.

4) Life is worthwhile if you CARE.

If you care at all you will get some results, if you care enough you can get incredible results. Care enough to make a difference. Care enough to turn somebody around. Care enough to start a new enterprise. Care enough to change it all. Care enough to be the highest producer. Care enough to set some records. Care enough to win.

Four powerful little words: learn, try, stay and care. What difference can you make in your life today by putting these four words to work?

To Your Success,

Jim Rohn

Reproduced with permission from Jim Rohn’s Weekly E-zine.
Copyright 2005 Jim Rohn International. All rights reserved
worldwide. To subscribe to Jim Rohn’s Weekly E-zine, go to
http://Jim-Rohn.InspiresYOU.com

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It’s interesting to hear the responses from executives when I ask them, “What are the characteristics of a good Leader?”

If I ask that question in a large room of executives, or even upper level managers the answers will be all over the map, and many are conflicting.

A couple of the usual answers are:

The first implies that we let the employees make up their own minds what to do, and how to get the end result. The second implies that we’d better be somewhat of a micromanager and tell everyone exactly what to do and how to do it.

Aren’t those somewhat conflicting?

After we have built a huge list, and almost always the RIGHT answer isn’t there, I’ll point out to them they have put several conflicting statements up there.

So, “If you had to narrow it down to just one thing that defines a really good leader, what would it be?”

Out of all the years I’ve asked that question of executives, I believe only one time has someone even come close to the answer. The answer is “A leader gets results.” I believe that the reason there were so many conflicting characteristics is that most of what we put up there was “situational.” A good leader always knows when to use whatever tool according to the situation to get the results that are needed.

Too many are stuck in one mode or the other because “that is the right way to do it,” such as “empowering” employees. I’ll admit that is usually the best way, but there are employees that need a nudge once in a while, that perform well when given step-by-step directions instead of guidelines.

Too many are focused on activities, and then get frustrated because they don’t get results.

A good leader knows how to find the right tool, when to use it, and always delivers results.

Alan Boyer, President/CEO of The Leader’s Perspective, LLC http://www.leaders-perspective.com is considered one of the world’s leading breakthrough specialists. He has worked with some of the worlds largest companies, on projects in the multi-billion dollar area, and with single proprietor companies. He has worked on many hundreds of projects with companies that have resulted in multi-$100 million savings or gains.

With over 35 years of business, quality, and process experience, he has catapulted businesses lightyears ahead in weeks. Some have doubled and some have jumped 10 times. He claims the key to that is:

He helps companies worldwide reach further than they EVER thought possible….FASTER
mailto:AlanBoyer@leaders-perspective.com

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Deep within each of us lie two things that control our lives and the way we live them. Our behavior and attitudes and lifestyle are governed by them. If we want to change our life then we need to look at these foundational things that have governed us all our lives.
These foundations are our beliefs and our values. They color our lives even though we may not be aware of them. They are deeply affected by our upbringing and the things that have happened to us and the conclusions we have drawn from those things.

Let us look at our beliefs in particular. Our beliefs have a positive or negative influence on us. If we have experienced bad parenting we will have some basic beliefs based on the experience with the first two important relationships in our life. Perhaps your father was abusive, or neglectful. That will have set up a unconscious foundational belief based on that experience that will flow into your perception of all other men. You will compare men to the first role model of a man that you had. You may even have a deep belief that all men are like your father and a response of distrust of men, or an expectation that all men will neglect you.

Here are 3 quotes that demonstrate the power of our beliefs.

“If you believe you can, you probably can. If you believe you won’t, you most assuredly won’t. Belief is the ignition switch that gets you off the launching pad.” — Denis Waitley

“The most important thing about a man is what he believes in the depth of his being. This is the thing that makes him what he is, the thing that organizes him and feeds him; the thing that keeps him going in the face of untoward circumstances; the thing that gives him resistance and drive.” — Hugh Stevenson Tigner

“If you think a certain thought long enough and hard enough, it becomes a fixed belief and you will find yourself behaving on the outside in a manner consistent with it.” — Brian Tracy

Our beliefs will have a positive or negative effect on our life. We do however have a choice. We can choose what we believe, we can change what we believe.

First however we need to uncover what we believe. Take notice of fears and reactions as you live your life. They come from beliefs that you have, but you need to dig down to find the root. If, for example, the root is your experience of a bad father -face that experience and uncover the lie that you have believed from that experience. Your father was only one man; he made choices that were not good for you. Every other man is not your father, every other man does have to not make those choices and behave that way. You can choose to recognize the reality of your experience with your father and his actions, yet at the same time choose to believe that he does not typify what all men are like. He was a bad role model to you of what a man is like, but there are many men who are good fathers and treat their children the way you yourself would have liked your father to treat you.

That belief has been fed by your perceptions and expectations of men colored by your experience over many years and is deeply rooted in you. It will not change over night, but you can make a start to re-evaluate that belief and choose to believe differently. As you choose to change a belief, you will start to see changes in your behavior and responses. Start affirming the new belief that you have chosen, and look for evidence around you that confirms its truth.

Take back the power of false beliefs from your life and see the changes you desire.

Barbara White, of Beyond Better
Development has a passion to help others improve their lives, both
personally and professionally. For more
Self Improvement
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Looking for mindfulness? Who ya gonna call?

Try dialing M.

It’s easy to be mindful. It’s just hard to remember to be mindful. That’s why it’s so important to pick our triggers.

Here’s a great trigger for mindfulness–the letter M. It’s soothing to say: “Mmmmmmm.” Add an H and you’re thinking: “Hmmmmm.” Add an O and you’re chanting: “Ommmmmmm.” It’s hard to go wrong with M.

Okay, but in the course of your day, with all the M-words you hear, say and see, how can you possibly remember to be mindful each time? You can’t. That’s why you need to choose ONE M for your mindfulness trigger, and here’s the perfect one: the McDonald’s Golden Arches.

No, really. Think about it. You’ve already got your own ideas about McDonald’s. Maybe you love McDonald’s food. Maybe you appreciate the convenience of a drive-thru breakfast when you’re on the road. Maybe you hate its corporate identity. Maybe you’ve seen “Super-Size Me” and all you can think about is poor Morgan Spurlock getting hypertension in his month-of-McDonald’s-food experiment. Maybe you feel guilty that you like McDonald’s food. Maybe you feel upset that you feel guilty.
Whether you love to hate McDonald’s or hate to love it, those golden arches are a complex trigger. It’s time for a little piggybacking–intentionally superimposing a new concept on an already loaded one.

Here’s how it works: The first time each day that you see the McDonald’s Golden Arches–the sign itself, the logo on a paper bag, an image on a television commercial–simply say, “I am mindful.” That’s it.

No need to spin your stories. You don’t have to get involved in any mental arguments. There’s no reason to get caught up in any emotion. Just use it as a trigger to be mindful.

By saying this phrase–”I am mindful”–you are actually starting a complex process in your brain. You are creating a powerful link to a visual image, and taking control of what it does for you. You are building a self-fulfilling prophecy–if you notice the golden arches, then you are indeed mindful.
Since being mindful is not something you normally associate with McDonald’s, it serves as a sort of balancing mechanism. Because the only emotion associated with mindfulness is a calm sense of paying attention, you can strip McDonald’s of its “good” and “bad” properties and just note it without judgment.

This is what mindfulness is all about. By picking a trigger that is ubiquitous, you are automatically giving yourself plenty of opportunities to include this brief mindful moment in your day.

You will find that you will begin to be mindful every time you see the Golden Arches. That might expand to other images of your choice–the Coca-Cola logo, the Disney logo, Starbucks, whatever. Choose something you can’t avoid, and take advantage of it.

Take comfort in taking control of your mind.

Mmmmmm. I’m lovin’ it.

Maya Talisman Frost is a mind masseuse offering specialized mindfulness training in Portland, Oregon. She teaches eyes-wide-open ways to get calm, clear and creative. To subscribe to her free weekly ezine, the Friday Mind Massage, visit http://www.MassageYourMind.com

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Before the movie “Finding Nemo”, came out Steve
Jobs the founder of the Apple Computer company
spent millions of dollars promoting it. Before a
major push on merchandise Nike will sign a multi-
million dollar contract with some sports star.
Sometime soon you will see a major player in the
clothing industry hire a celebrity to promote
their product before the holiday rush. These
companies think they have it figured out. How do
they attract you to the product or service they
are selling? The packaging!!

Millions of dollars are spent on researching and
packaging many products and services even before
they hit the shelves. If they can entice you
enough, then they have a better chance to hook you
into owning it. Many of us get the product home
and when we open it up and it doesn’t match the
expectations the outside of the box conveyed to
us. Then in a short period of time we lose our
interest become disappointed and put it on a shelf
only to go try and find another to fore fill our
desires.

Let’s say you have a child and they disobey you.
Do you put them on a shelf and go have another or
borrow one from the neighbor. No. You still value
them, accept them and love them. You accept them
in spite of their behavior and actions at the
time. But why don’t we take that same type of
thinking with adults we know? It doesn’t matter;
friends, dating or married many times we love the
other person because of what they originally
brought to the relationship (the packaging, the
hype). However, once we get to know that person
we realize that they have some things that don’t
line up with our expectations of them or remind us
of a past relationship that went sour. They don’t
fit in our packaged box anymore. We even try to
mold them to fit, and when they don’t we put them
on an emotional shelf with an expiration date. In
the beginning we loved to be around the other
person more and were attracted to them because of
who there were not in spite of who they are.

Jesus Christ is a great example to follow. Did
Jesus die for us and loves us because of who we
are? No! He died for us and continues to love us
in spite of who we are. Even though we may disobey
him or put him second best he still loves us. Even
though at times we do not live up to his
expectations, he realizes each one of us has
things in our lives we could be better at. He
knows we may continue to sin (Romans: 3:23) but
he’s not going to put us up on a shelf and find
another one to love. He will continue to nuture,
love and lead us closer to him. He sticks with us
no matter what that is true love.

Let’s all love our friends and close companions
not because of what they bring to the table of
life or what they can do for us, but love them in
spite of their areas that don’t line up with our
expectations. Don’t take a chance and lose a close
friend, or even mate because they didn’t fit into
your expectation box. Accept them, value them, and
Love them in spite of it all, you may just find a
diamond in the ruff.
Jesus did!

Greg Ryan is a best selling author of the Changing from the INSIDE OUT series. A powerful five step plan to better your life, get healthier, and have more energy! For FREE mini Course click here! http://www.resolutions.bz

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Jacob had sent his family on across the river Jabbok. Now he’s alone in the night with the river; this smooth talking, manipulating, deceiving Jacob. Here he stands in the dark by the river Jabbok; the river that runs in the darkness between the life he has lived up to this point and the new life that could lie on the other side in the land of Canaan – the Promised Land. All he has to do is cross it.

But to cross over into a new life is not an easy thing to do. It is not a simple process because before one can cross, unknown dangers may have to be faced and terrifying battles fought. This is what Jacob discovered. To cross over into Canaan was not just a matter of crossing a stream, because in the darkness a strange and mysterious Presence arises. Ancient tales had it that rivers had spirits which had to be defeated before the river could be crossed. But when we read on in scripture we learn that the antagonist that appeared into the night to seize Jacob for a struggle that would last until daybreak, was not a river spirit, but the God of Righteousness forcing Jacob to his reckoning.

There comes a time in our lives when every soul must give a reckoning by the river Jabbok. This Old Testament story is dramatizing the consequence that comes to every soul that has tried too long to evade the truth about itself. The soul must wrestle with the mystery of existence and the reality of God to whom we must give an account. It is a time in our lives when we cannot manipulate anyone or deceive anyone or con our way out of the situation because no one’s there but you and God.

Jacob is wrestling with the judgment of God flowing through his very core of being. Tomorrow he has a date with destiny; he sees Esau whom he so easily degraded into an object to be used for his own advancement. Jacob saw his world shadowed by his guilt. Old memories awakened; old fears rose up from the past. All his betrayals, deceptions, lies and manipulations converged in on him in fateful battle.

Here, by the river Jabbok Jacob had to find the God within. He had to face up to himself and admit deep down that he did not deserve anything. He had to give up the pride that thought he could work out his own peace of mind by his own wits. Jacob had to struggle with himself to break through himself to the divine. Who will win?

We too must fight many personal battles with our inner selves by the river Jabbok. We cannot cross over to the new life until we come to terms with ourselves and recognize ourselves for what we really are. Then we must make the decision as to which one of ourselves will win the battle by the river Jabbok.
Who will win when we see in one corner dirty, broken, bleeding, unsuccessful people crying out to be loved and in the other corner clean and bright and upward rising stars? Who will win when we hear Jesus’ voice calling us to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him and Satan’s voice offering us power and wealth and prestige? Who will win the struggle when a friend is in trouble or disgrace and to stand by him or her would mean that your own sweet reputation could also be tarnished? Who will win when power and status parade before our eyes and tempt us to betray ourselves and others in exchange for recognition, adulation or a high office? Who will win?

Who will win as we and Jacob wrestle with the God within our souls in the night beside the river Jabbok? Our true selves that were made in the image of God or the fragments of our selves that want to make idols of things like sex and power and money and recognition?

The Presence at Jabbok is stirring within us, calling us to wrestle with our depths until we find our true selves.

Scriptural Reference: Genesis 32:22-32(NIV).

Rev. Saundra L. Washington, D.D., is an ordained clergywoman, veteran social worker, and Founder of AMEN Ministries. She is also the author of two coffee table books: Room Beneath the Snow: Poems that Preach and Negative Disturbances: Homilies that Teach which can be reviewed on her site. Her new book, Out of Deep Waters: My Grief Management Workbook, is expected to be available soon.

You are welcome to visit AMEN Ministries: Your Soul’s Service Station for spiritual refreshing, soul edification, browse our newly expanded mini shopping mall or review our recommended books you may want to add to your personal library.

Blessings to all!

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Many of you come to this site because you are a Seeker. You are looking for something — answers to a problem, a relationship, a better career, more money, and/or the return of a lover. Some of you are trying to strengthen your connection to your higher self or to God. Others just need to talk, get an outlet for you feelings or feel that someone else understands you. Many of you feel lost or abandoned by God, or feel that your faith in the future has been shaken because someone has been cruel to you. You are all looking for solutions or answers to a question of some kind. The important thing is to realize that the answer to any question you may have is actually within you.

Guidance comes and answers are revealed when you learn how to connect to your higher self, and one of the easiest ways for you to do this is to keep a journal. Below I have developed a little journal keeping program that will help you find guidance but also strengthen your faith in yourself and in your ability to handle the future.

First of all buy yourself a notebook that you really like and one with a hard enough cover that you can write sitting in bed. This journal is going to always be at your bedside because you are going to write in it every day for at least ten minutes, once in the morning and once at night. This is the book in which you are going to have your own personal conversations with God.

The first thing you need to do, when you wake up in the morning, is open this journal, and then for ten minutes, just write every thing that comes to mind. This is not a “to do” list although many of you will find yourself writing all kinds of things. I address my journal directly to God. I start each chapter with “Dear God, Ascended Masters, the Angels and the Good Fairies”. Then I start writing exactly what is on mind– example “Dear God, today I really need help with my car because it broke down and I don’t know how I am going to pay for the new brakes, but please help me find the source of money for this and also, my friend Sally has not called me for a couple of days, could you please help me with this one and reveal to me what is going on and this morning I really woke up hating Frank and I hate the way I feel when I feel this jealous, can you please help me with that”… and so on and so on. Do not worry about spelling and so forth, just let it flow.

When you are doing this you are doing two things. You are first of all releasing all the resentments and anxiety that you are holding so that may be blocking you from efficiently continuing on with your day (so you are really clearing your aura and energy field so you can attract good things). You are also giving the problems up to a higher source and asking that power to provide you with a solution. When you are done doing this, then you list five things in your life that you are truly grateful for and thank God for them on paper. It does not matter if these things you are grateful for are big or small “Thank you for great sandwich I had at lunch today. Thank you for the insurance cheque. Thank you for my beautiful pet. Thank you for the smile from the bank teller yesterday.”

Then you go about your day. You will be amazed at how much smoother things go and how usually; solutions to your little problems just seem to miraculously appear. By following this program I have had this happen again and again. I think it is because the writing discipline resembles the discipline of prayer and the cosmos smiles on that.

Later that night, just before you go to bed, you do the same thing. First of all you thank God, in your conversation with God for how he has helped you that day, or question him/her if certain problems still persist. I find it helps to write something like “God please take this problem away, get rid of it. I can’t handle it. Either that or help me find a way to make it better or accept the situation”. Then you do the same thing you did in the morning, pouring out your questions and concerns on the paper. You may also list five people who have wronged you and ask for the strength to forgive them. After that you think of another five things you are grateful for and then list TEN people you know and ask God to give them blessings or solutions to the problems that they have - “for example — Jenny next door is really having a hard time making ends meet and taking care of those kids. Please bless her and help her meet her needs so she can do better”.

This is not as much work as it seems — and it is amazing what ten minutes in the morning and ten minutes at night, just writing in a journal, can do to help you balance your emotions, achieve clarity and manifest little miracles in your life. Later when you look back at your journal, you will be astounded at the number of little requests you have made that have actually been filled, and also at how some things that you used to find upsetting, are not a source of pain and sorrow anymore. You do not have to be a great writer to do this. God does not care about grammar or fancy penmanship. Just write from your heart.

Samantha Steven’s articles have been published in many high-standing newspapers and she has published several books. If you wish to buy Samantha’s books about metaphysics click here
http://www.insomniacpress.com/author.php?id=110
You can meet Samantha Stevens at http://www.psychicrealm.com where she works as a professional psychic. You can also read more of her articles at http://www.newagenotebook.com

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