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What is Love?

What is Love?

No matter the sacrifice, whatever the cost, love will not fail you.

What is love? A burning question that for some, is fully answered from the first moment they can remember until their very dying breath. Those who are blessed to be surrounded by love often have never even contemplated this question. All they have ever known is the love of their parents, then the love of their siblings, the love of their friends, the love of a spouse, followed by the love of their children. A life surrounded by love is truly a blessed life.

Yet there remain those who have somehow been less blessed. Or worse, perhaps even cursed when it comes to experiencing an uninterrupted continuum of love. For these less fortunate souls, the burning question still remains. It resonates like a gong, filling the void within their soul that was made only to be filled with love.

What is love?
Baby, don’t hurt me
Don’t hurt me no more

 Haddaway (©1994)

Haddaway were edging onto something as they sang those lines. Is love simply to not hurt? Or is love more intricate, more nuanced in its complexity?

What is love? 

Let us turn to ancient wisdom, there perhaps we will find the answer.

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails. 

1 Corinthians 13:4–8a NKJV

The above quote from the New Testament of the Holy Bible was written around the year 53 A.D. by the Apostle Paul (born Saul of Tarsus). He gives an in-depth description of what love isn’t and also alludes to what love does. But does he fully answer the burning question… 

What is love?

He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

1 John 4:8 NKJV

The above quote also from the New Testament of the Holy Bible was written around the year 95 A.D. by the Apostle John (born the son of Zebedee & Salome). Here he gives an absolute corker of an answer. God is love! So from that can we permit ourselves to deduce that love is God?

What an incredible thought! I think that answers the burning question quite nicely. Personally to me it makes a lot of sense. 

When we experience love, we experience something so profound and remarkable. That we can often struggle to find words to express the depth of the emotion, the unfathomably deep connections of joy, peace, acceptance, security, contentment, satisfaction, and enlightenment. 

Love causes our hearts to swell, at times taking our breath away, flooding our eyes with tears of joy. And even leaving us tingling with excitement, filled with the anticipation for more. 

What better way is there to describe it? God is love — Love is God! Love connects us with the divine. Love connects us with the infinite, the eternal. Love opens the door for us to experience our spiritual reality. When we love we are moving in the essence of our creator. 

Now we know why love feels so good!

How else would you describe love?

What is The Power of Forgiveness?

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Developing a Healthy Work Ethic: Tips and Strategies for Success

Dealing with the lethargy that lures us into mediocrity.

Developing a strong work ethic is vital for success in any job. A good work ethic will help you stay motivated, focused, and productive at work. It can also help you establish a great reputation among your coworkers and employers, resulting in better job chances and career progression.

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Understanding the reasons why we should have a strong work ethic, is naturally the first step towards actually cultivating a strong work ethic.

Work ethic is the set of beliefs and concepts that guide our behavior and attitude toward work. It comprises qualities like punctuality, dependability, self-discipline, and accountability. A strong work ethic is defined by a dedication to excellence, a desire to put in the necessary effort to attain your objectives, its that roll-up-your-sleeves attitude. That sense of accountability for your actions and their repercussions.

Key Takeaways

  • Building a strong work ethic is critical for success in any job.
  • Understanding your work ethic is the first step toward developing a strong work ethic.
  • A strong work ethic is defined by a dedication to excellence, self-discipline, and accountability.

For further reading or for a free Audio book on developing good work habits take a look at the book Atomic Habits by James Clear. 
I have also written a book summary for this book that you can read here.

Understanding Your Work Ethic

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Definition of Work Ethic

As we discuss having a good work ethic, it is vital to first explain what that term means.

work ethic (noun): a belief in work as a moral good : a set of values centered on the importance of doing work and reflected especially in a desire or determination to work hard — Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Work ethic is a set of moral ideas, values, and attitudes that determine how people approach work. It includes activities that are acceptable and appropriate in the workplace. Punctuality, dependability, accountability, and dedication are all common characteristics of a strong work ethic.

Historical Perspectives

The concept of work ethic has a long history, dating back to prehistoric times. Work was regarded as a virtue in ancient Greece, and people were expected to put forth extra effort to help society. Similarly, in ancient Rome, hard effort was prized, while being sluggish or idle was frowned upon. During the Industrial Revolution, work ethic became even more crucial as factories and mass manufacturing demanded discipline and efficiency from workers.

Cultural Variations in Work Ethic

Work ethic varies among nations and societies. For example, in some cultures, such as Japan, working long hours and being committed to your work are highly prized. In contrast, certain European countries, such as France, place a larger focus on work-life balance, encouraging people to take time off to pursue recreational pursuits. Understanding cultural differences in work ethic is essential for working well with people from various backgrounds.

It’s worthy to note here that there is a stark difference between a Generation Y or a Millennial gamer, who hardly manages to tear themselves away from their gaming console in their parents basement. To an overachieving busybody who has zero life balance, makes everyone else around them feel like crap and is making strides following their personal road to a monumental burnout. The bulk of people fall somewhere in the middle and cultural backgrounds, whilst they do account for some variance, are not an excuse for either extreme. However, understanding their nuances will help us to work better with them.

Overall, developing a healthy work ethic requires an awareness of the definition, historical viewpoints, and cultural variances. People who recognize the value of work and maintain a positive attitude toward it can become more productive, efficient, and successful in their jobs.

Components of a Healthy Work Ethic

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As someone who has built a strong work ethic, I feel that several critical components contribute to a successful and productive work ethic. Professionalism, responsibility, honesty, and accountability are some of these components.

Professionalism

Professionalism is an important component of a strong work ethic. It entails keeping a cheerful attitude, being punctual, dressing appropriately, maintaining personal hygiene and personal grooming and interacting successfully with coworkers and clients.

We’ve all met the guy who might dress appropriately, but absolutely reeks of body odor. Perhaps he visits the gym before work without taking a shower afterwards and has an aversion to wearing any underarm deodorant. Will this hurt his career? From a distance no. But as soon as he gets within whiffing distance to close a deal he will naturally suffer losses.

We’ve also all met the proverbial Karen, who refuses to maintain a cheerful attitude. She might be at times the best sales lady on the floor, but due to her refusal to maintain her cheerfulness, she loses out big time on so many potential sales.

Therefore, professionalism also entails respecting others around us. Respecting people and their perspectives, as well as being receptive to feedback and constructive criticism.

Responsibility

Taking responsibility for your actions is another essential component of a strong work ethic. This includes accepting responsibility for your faults and taking steps to fix them. If an employer sees this quality in you, they will be much more likely to forgive your transgressions. Their patience with you will be greater, knowing that your failings are a temporary situation, and are simply a part of your training cost.

Responsibility is also modelled by being proactive, by taking the initiative to do duties without being asked. A boss will always smile upon the employee who picks up the broom and sweeps the floor, when all the other workers just stand around and talk amongst themselves. Guess who the boss will promote when the time comes? Responsible people are reliable, dependable, and trustworthy, all of which are highly prized in the job.

Integrity

Integrity is a necessary component of a strong work ethic. It means remaining honest, ethical, and transparent in all areas of your work. You would have heard it said: “A man is only as good as his word” or “a woman is only as good as her word”. If your boss can’t trust what you say, they definitely won’t trust what you’ll do. People with integrity are distinguished by their strong moral values and dedication to doing the right thing, even if it is difficult or unpopular.

It’s found in the little things, like turning up on time. Being there when you said you would be. Not wasting other people’s time. And not claiming pay for time you didn’t work. These are the things that employers notice. People with integrity are known for their trustworthiness, which is critical when developing great relationships with coworkers and clients.

Accountability

Accountability is the final component of a strong work ethic. It’s hallmarked by taking ownership of your efforts and being accountable for the results. In order to overcome your problems you must first own them. By owning them you gain the power and authority to do something about them. This involves creating specific goals, tracking progress, and making necessary adjustments to guarantee successful accomplishment. Accountable people are proactive, results-oriented, and determined to achieve their goals.

In summary, developing a healthy work ethic requires numerous critical components, including professionalism, responsibility, honesty, and accountability. People who focus on these factors often become more productive, successful, and valued members of their workplace or organization.

Developing Your Work Ethic

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Developing a healthy work ethic is critical to success in any job. Here are some tips I have found useful:

Self-Assessment

If you’re really serious about growing your work ethic into one of your strengths, you should begin by evaluating your existing work habits. Take a deep breath and take a good, long, hard look at yourself. Be honest with yourself and consider your strengths and weaknesses. Identify areas for improvement, things such as time management, workplace attitude or your ability to remain task focused. If you’re courageous enough, tell a trusted work colleague that you’re trying to improve your work ethic and ask them to be brutally honest with you. Once you’ve identified your areas in need of adjustment, use these insights to develop a strategy for improvement.

Goal Setting

“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail” — Benjamin Franklin.

Setting objectives is a key step toward developing a strong work ethic. It’s critical to have specific, quantifiable goals to work towards. Break down your goals into smaller, more manageable activities. This will help you maintain motivation and attention and will keep you moving forward.

“If you don’t fail, you’re not even trying. To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did. If I’m going to fall, I don’t want to fall back on anything, except my faith. I want to fall forward. At least I figure that way I’ll see what I’m about to hit. Fall Forward!” — Denzel Washington

Time Management

Effective time management is essential for building a strong work ethic. Make a schedule and prioritize your responsibilities. Use calendars and to-do lists to keep organized. Avoid procrastination. Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can achieve today. Time waits for no one. Stay focused on your goals.

Continuous Learning

Success in developing a good work ethic requires ongoing learning. Stay up to date on industry trends and best practices. Attend conferences and workshops, study professional magazines, subscribe to industry blogs or email lists and look for mentorship possibilities. This will keep you motivated, increase your abilities and will give you the edge over you competition when it comes to the next job promotion.

Creating a good work ethic requires time and effort. Rome wasn’t built in a day and nor is your character perfected in a week. Good things take time and building a quantifiable, notable work ethic is akin to this. By applying yourself and following some of these suggestions, you will position yourself for success.

Challenges to Your Work Ethic

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Developing a strong work ethic is not always simple. There are numerous challenges that can interrupt our development and potentially impede our capacity to remain focused and productive. Let’s examine some of the most prevalent difficulties to our work ethic and hopefully offer some solutions to overcome them.

Procrastination

“I never put off till tomorrow what I can do the day after.” –Oscar Wilde

Procrastination is something I have come to accept as a necessary evil. It’s a part of all of us, and is what I would call a form of coping mechanism to relieve an imbalance of stress. Someone once said I’d amount to nothing. I replied “Just wait and see”. Unfortunately though it’s still one of the most significant impediments to having a good work ethic.

It’s easy to become distracted by social media, emails, and other non-work-related activities. One method for overcoming procrastination is to set and stick to a schedule. This might help you stay focused and avoid distractions. Another method is to divide larger jobs into smaller, more manageable chunks, like the rungs of a ladder. If you break it down to a step at a time, eventually you’ll be at the top. This helps you avoid feeling overwhelmed and reduces the reliance on and prevalence of procrastination.

Burnout

Burnout is another issue that can affect work ethic. Take breaks and prioritize self-care to avoid burnout. I believe we are created in the image of God as triune beings. I believe we have three aspects that make up our being: Spirit, Soul and Body.

Imagine for a moment that each of these aspects are like three tanks that can be filled or emptied. For us to function at full capacity we need all three tanks to be full. If any one of these tanks is emptied, we will grind to a halt.

Empty your spirit and you’ll become lifeless, running on autopilot, directionless, lost, acting like a zombie. Empty your soul and you’ll be passionless, loveless, lacking motivation, depressed and unable to focus. Empty your body and you’ll become tired, lacking energy, and eventually even sick and diseased.

Keeping your tanks full is the antidote to all of these afflictions. This can involve eating healthy, getting some exercise, going for a walk, practicing mindfulness, or participating in hobbies outside of work. Keeping your spirit ablaze with the light and life that comes from a relationship with Christ. Joining a faith community. Doing things that refresh your soul: watching a sunset with a loved one or watching a funny movie. All of these things will give you greater resilience against burnout.

Setting reasonable goals and expectations will also assist in avoiding burnout. It’s critical to know when you need a break and even more important to actually take the time to refresh.

Distractions

Distractions can take various forms, such as emails, phone calls, and social media updates. Your boss might have a flexible phone policy set in your workplace. Whilst this is nice, you don’t want to be the guy or gal who is always found on your phone, as it smacks of a slack work ethic. To reduce distractions, switch off notifications and set aside a specific time to check your emails and messages. On top of this, creating a calm and organized workstation will help you to eliminate distractions and boost your productivity. Now you’ll be noticed by the boss for the right reasons.

Creating a strong work ethic can be a hard road to hoe, it’s difficult, but it’s doable. You can boost your productivity and achieve your objectives by recognizing and tackling typical issues like procrastination, burnout, and distractions.

Maintaining Your Work Ethic

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Maintaining a good work ethic is just as vital as developing one. Let’s go over a few suggestions and tactics that will help you retain your work ethic.

Work-Life Balance

Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is paramount if you desire to remain motivated and productive. It’s crucial to establish boundaries and prioritize your time between your work and personal life. One strategy to attain work-life balance is to establish and adhere to certain work hours.

The age-old ideal of 8+8+8=24 still rings true today. 8hrs of work, 8hrs of play and 8hrs of rest is the perfect daily balance in a perfect world. However, as we all know, this world is no longer perfect. Aiming for the ideal is still ideal. But the reality is that you’ll probably burn the candle at both ends, to make those ends meet. Do your level best to maintain a balance. This will help you prevent overworking and eventual burnout.

Stress Management

Stress can be a significant barrier to maintaining a healthy work ethic. It is critical to identify stressors in the workplace and devise stress-management measures. One successful strategy is to take numerous breaks or what I like to call micro-breaks during the day to refuel and refocus. Micro-breaks can be as simple as standing up from your desk and stretching. Or changing tasks from something physically demanding to complete the necessary paperwork before returning to the original task. Mindfulness, prayer and meditation can also aid with stress management and attention.

Motivation Techniques

Staying motivated is essential for having a good work ethic. Beyond the motivational posters often adorning workplace walls, setting realistic objectives and tracking your progress is one way to stay motivated. Popping some corks and celebrating minor accomplishments along the road will also help you stay motivated and interested. Finding a mentor or accountability partner, whether your boss or a co-worker, can also help you keep on track by providing support and encouragement.

Maintaining a good work ethic really does necessitate a dedication to work-life balance, excellent stress management, and continuous motivational strategies. Implementing these tactics will help you stay focused, productive, and motivated in your workplace.

Work Ethic in Different Scenarios

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As someone who has worked in a variety of contexts, I can tell you that work ethic varies tremendously depending on the circumstances. Here are some observations I’ve noticed in various work environments:

Remote Work

Remote work can be an excellent approach to attaining a decent work-life balance. But it necessitates discipline and a solid work ethic. When working from home or a remote location, it might be more tempting to procrastinate or to become distracted by personal tasks or YouTube and Netflix! To combat this, make a schedule and keep to it. Creating a defined office space and eliminating distractions can also help you to remain focused.

Team Environments

The group dynamic in team settings can have an impact on work ethic. A good teamwork culture can increase individual accountability and push team members to work harder. There’s nothing like watching the AllBlacks play good rugby. As a team they work together like a well oiled machine. 

The team as a whole, synergizes their individual efforts, extracting star performances out of each player, culminating in a winning performance that multiplies their individual efforts, to see the entire team work as one to thrash the competition. On the other hand, a poor teamwork spirit can result in decreased productivity and accountability. Do your best to encourage open communication and set clear expectations to help build a strong teamwork attitude.

Leadership Roles

As a leader, it’s on you to set a good example for your team in terms of work ethics. Leading by example can motivate teammates to work harder and be more productive. It’s also imperative to establish clear expectations and provide regular feedback to your team members, if you want to promote accountability. As a leader, I’ve seen that delivering constructive criticism and rewarding hard effort goes a long way toward developing a strong work ethic amongst team members.

When you need to bring correction, try using what I like to call the “Rebuke Sandwich”. It goes like this: Encouragement, followed by correction or rebuke, followed by encouragement. You’ll open them up and lower their defences with the first encouragement. Then you can hit them up the side of the head with your correction. Then from there you can quickly smooth it back over with the second encouragement. Before they even know what hit them, you’ll have them purring again like a Cheshire cat. And you’ll be able to walk away singing the Michael Jackson song… “You’ve been hit by, you’ve been hit by, a smooth criminal”. dun diggy diggy dun dun, diggy dun dun, diggy dun dun dun.

Overall, work ethic is a critical component of any employment. Individuals who understand how work ethic varies in different circumstances can design ways to maintain a strong work ethic and contribute to a productive work environment.

Measuring Work Ethic

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Developing a strong work ethic is like money in the bank when it comes to success in any job. But how do you assess work ethics? Here are a few various approaches to assessing your work ethic:

Performance Reviews

Performance reviews, whilst almost universally despised, are an excellent technique to assess work ethic. Rather than seeing them as a threat to your existence in the workplace, see them as an avenue to assist you in understanding how well you are doing your work and more importantly, how you might improve.

During a performance review, your supervisor or boss will assess your job performance, including your work ethic. They will usually give you comments on areas where you can improve while also recognizing your talents and where you’re doing well. If they’re good at their job, they’ll probably use something like the “Rebuke Sandwich” I mentioned earlier on you, so when the first encouragement comes, steel yourself, get ready for the coming hits.

Self-Evaluations

Self-evaluation is another approach to assess your work ethic. It provides an opportunity to reflect on your work performance and evaluate your own work ethic. As mentioned earlier you should take a deep breath, take a good, long, hard look at yourself and assess your working habits, time management abilities, and productivity. By doing so, you can discover areas for improvement and come up with a strategy to improve your work ethic.

Peer Feedback

Feedback from colleagues, co-workers or teammates is a great tool to evaluate your work performance and work ethic. They can give you useful information about your work habits, time management abilities, and productivity. When this is offered spontaneously it can easily be seen as a personal attack. Regardless of the intent, you can utilize this feedback to improve your work ethic and become a more effective employee. See it as constructive criticism. You might need to filter out the destructive bits if the person offering the criticism is a real Karen.

Measuring work ethic will ultimately help you to cultivate a good work ethic. Performance assessments, self-evaluations, and peer feedback are all effective approaches to assess where you’re at. Using these strategies, you can identify areas for improvement and create a strategy to improve your work ethic.

Improving Your Work Ethic

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As I’ve discovered from personal experience, developing a healthy work ethic is tantamount to professional success. Here are some ways that have helped me enhance my own work ethic:

Professional Development

One strategy to improve your work ethic is to prioritize your professional growth. This can include taking classes, attending conferences, or looking for mentorship possibilities. Investing in your own growth and development allows you to become a more skilled and knowledgeable worker, which will lead to increased job satisfaction, success and eventual promotion. If you’re running your own business, investment in yourself will eventually result in a healthier bottom line. You are your greatest asset!

Mentorship

Another strategy to improve your work ethic is to seek guidance from more experienced colleagues or an industry influencer. A mentor can offer direction, support, and advise as you progress in your profession. Learning from someone who has already achieved success in your industry allows you to obtain vital insights while also developing the skills and habits required for greater success.

“If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” — Sir Isaac Newton

Feedback Cultures

Additionally, establishing a culture of feedback in your business can potentially help you enhance your own work ethic. By soliciting feedback from co-workers and managers, you can identify areas for improvement and work to fix them. By providing feedback to others, you can further assist to foster a culture of continual growth and support at your company. Remember to utilise the “Rebuke Sandwhich” if you’re going to provide constructive criticism. And try not to overdo it, so that you don’t come off as a workplace busybody or worse, a real Karen. First and foremost ensure that you lead by example and drive a culture change.

Overall, strengthening your work ethic is a continuous process that takes commitment, effort, and a desire to learn and progress. You can acquire the habits and abilities required for work success by focusing on professional development, seeking mentorship, and developing a feedback culture.

The Future of Work Ethic

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As the labor market evolves and technology develops, the importance of work ethic grows. Let me explain how technology and the changing employment market will more than likely affect work ethic going into the future.

Technological Impact

Technology has altered how we operate and will continue to do so. While technology offers numerous advantages, it can also have a negative impact on work ethic. For example, constant connectivity and access to work via technology can result in burnout and a lack of work-life balance. Furthermore, the usage of technology might cause distractions and a decline in productivity.

However, technology can also help to increase work ethic. For example, project management tools can assist individuals in staying organized and on track. Time-tracking software can help people better manage their time. Conversely, remote work technologies provide greater flexibility and may lead to better job satisfaction and improved work-life balance.

Evolving Job Market

The employment market is continuously changing, and it is critical to keep up with the current trends and expectations. In recent years, there has been a trend toward a more entrepreneurial mindset, with a focus on creativity and invention. This transition has resulted in an increased emphasis on self-motivation and self-discipline.

In addition, the gig economy has grown in popularity, with many people preferring freelance or contract work over regular jobs. This transition has resulted in an increased emphasis on self-management and accountability.

Overall, the future of good work ethics will be molded by technological advancements and a changing job economy. Staying informed and adaptive is crucial for success in an ever-changing market.

In Conclusion

All said and done, when it comes to work ethic there’s still nothing like the satisfaction that comes from knowing that you did your best. When you’ve worked hard, and have the results to prove it. The hard work brings the success you desired. The job satisfaction that comes as a result. The camaraderie, backslapping and high fives from team members who shared in the work and success, all make the efforts worthwhile. Build that great reputation among your coworkers and employers, resulting in better job chances and career progression. Work hard and the rewards will be yours in abundance.

For further reading or for a free Audio book on developing good work habits take a look at the book Atomic Habits by James Clear. 
I have also written a book summary for this book that you can read here.

___

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You can find our socials here. If you’d like to stay up to date with what we have in the pipeline, you can subscribe to our mailing list here. Thank you for reading, you’re amazing!

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And Then…

And Then

Curiosity killed the cat. Our susceptibility to suggestibility

Have you ever seen the movie “Dude Where’s My Car?” specifically the scene where they pull up to order some Chinese Takeaways. The hilarity ensues as one of the characters, Jesse (played by Ashton Kutcher) places his order. The Chinese woman on the other end of the intercom simply says: “And then”.

Agreeably he adds rice to his order of garlic chicken. She then continues with another: “And then”. Looking up at the menu he sheepishly suggests to his companions: “Want some wonton soup?” They all agree and with a look of determination and finality in his eyes, he adds the soup to his order. Unfazed, she simply continues with: “And then”. The fun continues again and again until eventually he destroys the intercom.

Where am I going with this? Nowhere really! I was just reminiscing about a funny movie scene that I watched some 20 odd years ago. But hey! It is the morning! And the morning is when I like to simply write whatever is on my mind. I afford myself the freedom of just flowing. I let my thoughts spill onto the keyboard, simply seeing where it all ends up. It just so happens that “And then” is currently on my mind.

So in the noble effort of redeeming the time. What can we learn from “And Then”? What nuggets of gold or pearls of wisdom can we extract from this tiny slice of the collective consciousness of populist culture? 

Perseverance perhaps?

Yes, that’s a good start! The literary flatulence I could exhaust about that! No, no, no! It’s far too early in the morning for motivational diatribe.

Hmm, let’s see, less obvious, but far more consequential in its impact, might be the whole suggestibility of “And then”. Yes! That’s it! 

Suggestibility! Now there is an interesting topic.

Just how suggestible are we really? How open are we to being influenced to buy things we didn’t initially want? To do things we didn’t initially intend to do? Say things we didn’t intend to say? Write things we didn’t intend to write?

I never intended to write this article, yet here I am. Was I influenced to write this article? Perhaps you could say I was influenced by a movie 20 odd years ago. But more importantly, what suggested the current remembrance of it? What triggered my brain to regurgitate the amusing memory of “And then”?

It’s a known phenomenon, that hanging a portrait behind an honesty jar, increases the rate of honest payers. It’s the psychological effect of knowing those eyes are watching. Regardless of whether they are alive or just printed on photo paper. Either way those eyes are watching, piercing the would-be thieves dishonest soul. 

There it is right there. The suggestion that someone is watching, reminds the would-be thief that they might get caught. This in turn causes their return to morality and the restoration of their honesty. Its classic cause and effect.

Ohh the power of suggestion! It’s the power of the upsell, the downsell, the sideways sell. I’m tempted to grab a sound bite of “And then” and add it to my add to cart buttons, so that whenever someone clicks add to cart, it simply plays in the background. What a hoot that would be! Funny. Yes! But it most likely would result in a flurry of abandoned carts. Sorry, I digress. Back to the topic at hand. Suggestibility!

What did you want when you drove up at my window and clicked on the title of my article? You’ve placed your order of curiosity. But now I’m asking you “And then”?

What else will you order from my menu?

“And then”.

Perhaps a like?

“And then”.

Ohh yes! A follow.

“And then”.

Perhaps a few reads of my articles?

“And then”.

Maybe a purchase or two from my affiliate links.

“And then”.

And then what? What else do I want from you? And then, And then, And then, And then, And then!” Gosh I think it’s time for my morning coffee. Sorry to seem so cynical, but isn’t that just what society has become. A neverending treadmill of consumerism. Where we are all being collectively used for our purchasing power, our clicks, our attention and views.

Can I suggest this morning that you unplug from the suggestibility matrix for just a few moments. Simply go out of your way today to make someone else’s day. Send the “I love you” message. Order the flowers. When ordering your coffee, pay for the next person in line and leave enough change to tip the barista. Book the restaurant. Schedule the focused quality time. Call your Mom. And then?

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It Is Written

As we are all well aware, writing is a creative outlet that allows us to express our mind, our will and our emotions – our soul as we like to call it. In a way that is tangibly unique. It allows us to vent, to express, to emote, to share. Writing is good for the soul. 

The phrase “The pen is mightier than the sword” is true on many levels, including the desire to express oneself in a much less bloodthirsty way. Recently I was somewhat shocked to learn through an Ancestry DNA test, that I have a sizeable chunk of Norseman blood flowing through my veins. 

At least now I can understand why I seem to glaze over, that glint in my eye, every time I go to split some firewood or chop some kindling. It’s the feel of that axe in my hand, the way it flows, the way it moves so easily through the air. That satisfying impact as it splits the log. It just feels so good in my hands. Who would have thought that it may actually be  an ancient genetic disposition?

Whilst I rarely hold an actual pen at all these days. Oddly enough, I feel the same rush that I do when I’m holding an axe. As my fingers slowly extend, ever so delicately settling upon the keys of the keyboard. The sensation, as each fingertip sensitively detects the edges of each key, feels somewhat electric. 

My hands instinctively positioning themselves with full autonomy. Each finger finding its station, like a pianist readying themselves, finding the notes necessary to commence making music. With my fingers now poised. My mind is clear. I listen to my soul. 

That familiar sense, like some old genetic trait flowing back to life, comes flowing down my arms, through my hands, down my fingers and just like that, I’m typing with voracity and impunity. 

Writing allows a form of expression that is hard to replicate. And typing in particular, adds a mechanical flair, a touch of uniformity and precision, that is ill afforded by my messy handwriting. Not only that, but typing adds a level of efficiency, and in my case, the often necessary correct-ability, that only a true typist can fully appreciate. 

When one can type faster than one can speak, entering a mystical realm of productivity where moments can stretch into minutes, minutes into hours and hours into a whole day, quicker than you can say: “Ragnarok!” as you start your epic saga.

Writing can be likened to turning the tap and opening the way for the built up pressure in our souls to flow. Freeing the creativity caged within us. Ushering it through the labyrinth of our mind. We gently nurture it, encourage it, coaxing it along, ever so gently out of the safety and comfort of our internal world. 

Then suddenly, like a rude awakening, we shove it out into the harsh, exposing light of reality to meet its fate. Leading it to find its way out of us. We unleash its new found, innocent joy into the wild of this world. 

For a brief moment we feel its power, we feel its life, its essence as we let it go. Whilst we’re ultimately oblivious to where it will end up, nor are we sure if it will ever return to us. We set it free like a child finally leaving home, to venture into the great unknown.

Armed with this understanding, we begin to comprehend the power of the written word. We begin to perceive its natural flow from spirit to speech, from spoken word to written word. And then from the written word, back into spoken word. It’s here that we see its true form, its essence, its power and its life. It was with this spiritual authority, that even Jesus Himself spoke, as He said the famous words: “It is written…” 

But He answered and said, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”

Matthew 4:4 NKJV

When dealing with the devil, Jesus did not lean on His own authority, yet He had every right to do exactly that. No instead He leaned upon the power of the written Word and used the surety of such, to speak the spoken Word, thereby driving away the devil with all of his deceitful trickery.

Personally, I think we often underestimate the true power of our words. So let me take this opportunity… Please afford me this small pleasure, as you read these living words of mine. Let deep call unto deep – Allow me to remind you…

You are loved. 

You are treasured beyond the scope of what my limited vocabulary can express. There is a place for you. You belong. You’re accepted. You are valued. And yes you really do matter. You are making a difference for everyone around you. You were created to shine the light. So let your light shine! There has never been another you, nor will there ever be another like you. The people of this world need you. Without you this world would be lacking, unfulfilled and empty. We need you. We want you. 

Just like that creative thought that was once let loose through the labyrinth of my mind. Expressed through my soul, my mind, will and emotions. Unleashed upon the vast wilderness of this earth. Likewise God Himself is waiting for that day, when you, His masterpiece of creative expression, will one day return to Him.

The real question is; What will you discover along the way? What marks will you leave on this world? What legacy will live on beyond you? What words will you leave behind for others to read? Your words speaking into the recesses of their minds, formulating thought. Breathed back into words, to yet again speak.

Will someone, one day, read your words and say: “It is written”?

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Living a Balanced Life

Golden Scales

Moving Forward into Maturity in Christ. Becoming a Balanced Believer.

Written for GetThe.info by Joe Millman.

I believe that this year is going to be the year of so much more! I want to encourage you to reach for more this year. Won’t you come on a journey with me today? Follow me, as we open up the Bible, the Word of God. Oh it’s good to be in the Word of God! Hallelujah! Let me share with you one of my favorite passages of scripture…

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

John 10:10 NKJV

This is one of my favorite passages, because I particularly love the second half. The first half pales in comparison to the second. We’ve seen the results of the first half, for most of our lives. It’s all over the 6 O’Clock news. The shootings, the looting, the raping and pillaging, the violence and murders, the death and destruction. The doom and the gloom. We’ve seen it all before, we know there must be more!

The first half of the verse states: “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.” We understand that, we know that! Don’t we? We know that the devil is out to get us. He’s trying to do his absolute darndest to try and wreck our lives. 

But the second half of the verse, that’s where it’s really at! Jesus said: “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” What life? Abundant life! We’re coming into some amazing abundant life this year! 

An Abundant Life

God wants you to have an abundant life! Don’t be so worried about what the devil chucks at you. Because he will keep chucking it, things will go wrong, problems will come your way! This I can guarantee you! Consider it my money back guarantee to you today. That you are going to face trials in this life. 

It’s my money back guarantee to you today, you’re going to have a hard time this coming year, but Jesus said: “I have come to give life and life abundantly.” There is abundant life for us! And all that’s required is for us to tap into Jesus, because He is the source of that life. Remember what He said to the woman at the well?

but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

John 4:14 NKJV

He is the source! Jesus! There is no other source that will quench your spiritual thirst, there is no other source that will bring you to the Father and eternal life. It was Him who said this:

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

John 14:6 NKJV

There is no other way! He’s the only way to The Father. So if we can just simply come to Jesus, if we can simply connect ourselves with Him, on a daily basis, our lives will be completely changed. 

Balanced Believers

I want to share with you a word about being “Balanced Believers”. This is the message I have for you today. And a part of that message has been speaking to me personally, and I believe that there’s something in it, that I could really grab ahold of. So I want to share this with you, because I know it’ll bless you. 

It’s probably something you’ve heard many times before. But I think it’s something that we tend to forget. And it’s a good time to mention it around the beginning of a new year. You know, the whole thing of another year. It’s like a fresh start isn’t it? Even though we’re now only a few weeks into January… It’s going to be Christmas before we know it! 

This year marks a fresh start! It’s a fresh year! This is the year of so much more! I believe God wants us to not only focus on the destination. Don’t just focus on the destination or the goal. Personally, that’s one of my weaknesses. I tend to get focused on where I want to be. Tending to become focused on what I want to achieve. I tend to get focused on the goal or on the destination, and I sometimes forget to enjoy the journey God wants me to enjoy. 

Enjoying the Journey

The journey! Did you know that the journey is often just as important as the goal? In fact sometimes you can get more enjoyment out of the journey, than what you might get out of the goal. I know, that you know, the ultimate goal is heaven! Isn’t it? But you know what? We’ve already got Heaven! The day that you gave your life to Jesus Christ, you entered into the Kingdom of Heaven! If you haven’t yet made that great exchange… Your life for His! Your filthy rags for His glorious riches! Then today is your day! Simply ask Him into your life, and give your life to Him. He is standing at the door of your heart and is politely knocking. Won’t you open the door of your heart and let Him in?

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

Revelation 3:20-21 NKJV

If you’ve never accepted the sacrifice Christ made for you, and you’d like to, then simply pray this prayer with me right now, say it out loud and pray it from your heart…

Father God, I thank You that You sent Jesus for me. Thank you Jesus that you came and died on the cross for me. Thank you that You defeated death and rose from the grave for me. Thank you that I can enjoy eternal life because of your shed blood. Thank you that You paid the punishment for my sins and have made me right with God the Father. Jesus I accept You into my life. I give my life to you. I ask You, Jesus, to be the Lord of my life. Lead me and guide me into all that You have for me. Fill me with Your wonderful Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen!

Heaven on Earth - The Mountain or Valley
Image from kittl.com

Heaven On Earth – The Mountain or the Valley

Now you’re experiencing heaven on earth! Yes you’ll still face your trials, you’ll face your tribulations. You’ll face your problems but you’ve got heaven with you! You’re an overcomer! And you will overcome! An abundant life! Ohh you’ve got to love it! So don’t just focus on the destination, or the goal. Make sure you enjoy the journey along the way. Because there is so much to be had in the journey even in the hard times. 

Even when we’re facing the horrible trials, the things that are really savaging us. It’s in those moments that we can experience the presence of God, in a way that we don’t experience, when we’re on top of the mountain and enjoying everything. You know? It’s down in that deep dark and lush valley. That’s where we grow! You know? We often want to be on the mountaintop experience, don’t we? We want to have the view. To be up there, where we’re up in the clouds, enjoying the massive and amazing view. Closer to God, on the top of the mountain, that’s where we want to be! 

But if you’ve ever been up the top of an actual mountain. I’ve climbed both Mt Robert and Mt Arthur. Two beautiful mountains in New Zealand. If you haven’t yet climbed a mountain, I encourage you to. It’s good! But once you get up there. You’ll notice that the trees start getting shorter and shorter the higher you go. And in the end, particularly near the snowline of Mt Arthur. They look like Dr Zeus trees. They’re all kind of contorted and looking funny. And then you get right to the top and there’s nothing! It’s barren. 

It’s on top of the mountain that we want to be! But it’s unfortunately on top of the mountain that there’s really no growth. Where do we grow? We grow when we’re down in the dark, deep, lush valley. And you know sometimes we don’t want to go through that dark valley. You know about king David from the bible. He prayed that prayer didn’t he? About walking through the valley of what? The shadow of death! It wasn’t the valley of death, it’s just the shadow of death. 

You see, you can conquer death with one thing. And that’s Jesus! Simply understanding who you are in Him, makes the valley so much more enjoyable. It’s in that place that we will grow. It’s in that place of the trials, the tribulations, the problems that we actually experience. What we need to become more Christlike. 

Finding the Balance

If we’re just up on the mountain the whole time, we’re going to miss out on all of those experiences, that really bring us into that place of growing our character and developing into who God has called us to be. You see we can become so heavenly minded up on the top of that mountain. We can become so heavenly minded, that we’re no longer any earthly good. But you know there’s a balance to that statement as well. And that is “we can become so earthly minded, that we’re no heavenly good.”

God wants us to find the balance between the two. Where we’re not, you know? Nut rolls or chocolate flakes. God doesn’t want us to be a nut roll or chocolate flake. He doesn’t want us to have our head so high in heaven, that the people around us can’t even relate anymore.

He wants us also not to be so engaged with the world around us, that we’ve lost touch with who we’re meant to be, following Jesus. We’ve got to keep our eyes firmly fixed on the author and perfector of our faith! Amen! Because He will perfect what He began in us. He will complete the work He started in us. But we’ve got to keep our focus on Him. 

You see, there’s that balance God wants us to have. A little bit of both, with where we are heavenly minded, yes! But also still attached to what’s happening here, if you know what I’m saying. So that we can reach those around us. You see, that’s the heart of God. He wants us to mature into balanced sons. He wants us to be a people who know what it is to be “naturally spiritual and spiritually natural”.

Naturally Spiritual and Spiritually Natural

To know what it is, where we wake up in the morning and the first thing we do is just praise God. Because naturally we’re spiritual. We wake up in the morning and the first thing we do is seek Him because we’re awake now and it’s just natural for me to seek my God. It’s just natural for me to spend time with Jesus. It’s because I’m naturally spiritual. I don’t have to try anymore to seek God. He’s just right there. He’s Here. He’s within me. I just have to Incline my mind and bam! There He is. I just have to turn my heart and boom! There’s His love! Naturally spiritual! 

But He also wants us to be spiritually natural. Where we’re not nut rolls or chocolate flakes, but we’ve got our feet still firmly planted on the ground and we’re able to reach people with the truth and the love of Christ. Amen! Hallelujah! You see God wants us to mature into balanced sons. 

”Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God,”. 

Hebrews 6:1 NIV
Maturity in Christ
Image from kittl.com

Moving into Maturity in Christ

God wants us to be taken forward into maturity. There is a progression in our walk with the Lord. There is a growth that we develop in, as we spend more time with Jesus. What is it that makes someone a mature believer? You know, some people think, oh it’s the amount of years we spent walking with Christ. No actually, it has nothing to do with physical years. What makes us a mature believer is that we’ve become more Christlike! That is spiritual maturity! It’s Christ likeness that makes you more like Christ! It’s one simple thing… 

Remember when they came across the disciples, and they marvelled that these ordinary uneducated men spoke with such Authority and power! They noted that these men had been with Jesus! 

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.

Acts 4:13

What makes you spiritually mature is simply the time you spend with Jesus. Nothing else will do it for you. Yeah, you’ll gain some wisdom along the way. And you might become mature in wisdom, but you’ll still be lacking spiritual maturity, if you haven’t spent time with Jesus. 

If you spend time with Him, I guarantee you, you will grow. If you spend time with Him, I guarantee you, your life will develop and change. It will become better and better and better and better! And better!

Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God,

Hebrews 6:1

Let’s be taken forward to maturity. Not laying again, get this! Not laying again, the foundation of repentance, from acts that lead to death and of faith in God. So how? What’s one of the hallmarks of someone who’s still a babe in Christ? Someone who’s still wearing spiritual nappies, as it were.

They’re still laying, again, the foundation of repentance. They’re still having to come back and put things right with God again and again and again. And don’t get me wrong, we all do. We all have to on a daily basis. I need to make sure I’m keeping short accounts with the Lord. 

Particularly when I’m driving in behind some poor little old granny, who’s doing 40 in a 70 zone. They don’t deserve any of the wrath that’s coming out of my mouth. But it’s coming out of my mouth and I’m resisting the temptation to lift that middle finger. But I don’t! Because I’ve learned at least some self-control. I’ve got to tell you, it’s a great time when I’m driving! That’s when I learn, you know, do I need deliverance today? Yeah ohh yeah! There’s one! Got to get that thing out! Go from me in Jesus name! 

Trigger Points

We all have our trigger points. Don’t we? For some people, I’ve noticed during supermarket shopping. You know the way they push their trolley, with more aggression than you could ever… Than even a prize fighter. Even an MMA cage fighter doesn’t have the kind of aggression, that some people do when they’re behind a shopping trolley! I remember once getting rammed right in the back of the ankles with a shopping trolley. I turn around in agony,  only to discover that it’s this little old lady, all of about 4 and half feet high. The scowl on her face was worse than the emperor from Star Wars! As she proceeded to try and ram me again… How did we get here? Righto… Moving right along! 

Therefore let us move beyond elementary teachings about Christ. So God wants us to move on from laying that foundation again of repentance. You know, how would you feel parents? How’d you feel if your little Sally or your little Johnny. How would you feel if they came to you every day, begging for your forgiveness for something they did a year ago? Mom, I’m so sorry! Every morning when they wake up out of bed, the first thing they do is burst into tears saying they’re sorry! Forgive me! Forgive me please! Please forgive me! I mean you would feel like a complete ogre wouldn’t you? Yeah you sure would! 

So God wants us to move on from laying again, that foundation of repentance. And believe me, this is not a licence to sin! Because we should have moved on from that whole thing, of having a major problem with sin. We should get to the point where we’re no longer even wanting to sin, because we’re head over heels in love with God, following The Holy Spirit. 

Walking by the Spirit – Its a Choice!

Because He’s filled us with His passions and desires and we are tuned into Him. Wanting to walk with Him. Wanting to keep in step with Him, even to the point when I’m driving behind that 40 an hour driver in the 70 zone. And I can just feel the rage coming. It’s a choice! It’s still a choice! Do we choose to sin and let out a bunch of horrible words? Or do we control it and say I’m not going to go there today! And in fact, this ain’t going to wreck my day! Why am I in such a hurry anyway? I’ve got all the time I need, to do what God’s called me to do. 

So it’s okay, but the hallmark of someone who’s still a babe in Christ is this whole thing of having to constantly say sorry to the Lord. Yes we do on a daily basis, to keep short accounts with Him. But there is a moving on, where we suddenly grow and realize that Jesus, You filled me with Your presence. I no longer have to deal with those drugs. I can be free from that addiction. In fact, I don’t want that addiction! I don’t want those drugs. I don’t even need them anymore! 

You know, when we get free from the lust and go “I don’t want that dirty thing! It’s foul anyway!” Every time I go to that, it makes me feel so filthy. I’m not going to go there! I’m no longer going to struggle with lust! In fact I’m going to choose to have a pure mind. Every time the enemy tries to fill my mind with filthy things and filthy thoughts. I’m going to think: “Praise Jesus!”. I’m going to turn it around and praise my God. 

Turning it Around

Every time I see an amazingly gorgeous woman. I mean, this time of year! Wow! I was walking down the beach the other day. And wow, just gorgeous! Gorgeous creations before me! What do I do with that? Do I go for the second look? Because it’s the second look that kills! The first look is not a sin. It’s not a sin to be tempted. It’s the second look that will take you down! 

So when the enemy of your soul, puts the gorgeous woman in front of you (or the handsome man, if you’re a woman). Yes! You might notice that she’s gorgeous (or he’s a stud). Don’t go for the second look! It’s that second look that’s going to lead you down the garden path. That second look that’s going to lead you to cheat on your wife or husband. It’s that second look that’s going to destroy your marriage. So what are you going to do with it? 

Well, I turn it around, into praising my God! I go, “Wow God! Wow Jesus! You did a great job on her! She is incredible! I just start praising my Lord! And it takes away the lust, out of my mind. Just like that, I’m back to praising Jesus! You see, you can turn it around! You can turn it around! It’s up to you! It’s purely a choice. But Jesus, He wants us to move on. He wants us to move forward. Forward! Yes! Jesus wants you to move forward!

Onwards & Upwards
Image from kittl.com

Onwards & Upwards!

Jesus wants us to move forward! “Onwards and upwards!” You’ve got to love those words! Because that’s really what encapsulates the will of God for you. That He’s going to work all things together, for the good of those that love Him and those who are the called according to His purpose. Ohh yeah! 

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Romans 8:28 NKJV

He wants us to move forward this year! No longer caught up in our mud puddle of sin. We’re not going to stay in that rut any longer! We’re going to move forward! Amen! Into all that He has for us. Hallelujah. Ooh! He’s a good God. 

I’ve got another passage of scripture for you. Ecclesiastes chapter 7. Who wrote Ecclesiastes? It was King Solomon. He was known as the wisest man who ever lived, outside of Christ. But you who are in Christ. Guess what? You’re wiser than him, because you’ve got access to the Holy Spirit of God! 

Avoiding All Extremes

In fact you don’t even need a teacher. You don’t need me today, teaching you anything from the Word. Because you’ve got The Holy Spirit. But I’m here anyway, to help encourage you. To help lift you. And to help move you forward! Amen! Into a whole greater way. 

Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise—why destroy yourself? Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool—why die before your time? It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes.

Ecclesiastes 7:16-18 NIV

That was Solomon, he said this: “Do not be over righteous… What?! That’s an interesting passage of scripture! Do not be over righteous, neither be overwise… How can you be overwise? This was written by the wisest man who ever lived, outside of Christ. Do not be over righteous, neither be overwise. Why destroy yourself?

Ahh you see, there’s a tipping point with the balance, right? God wants us to live a balanced life where we grow in Christ. Sometimes we can tip that, one way or the other. We can easily tip the balance towards what I believe is religion. Where it’s about having to be right. Where it’s about having to be correct all the time. 

Or we can actually tip the balance the other way, where we become worldly and get tangled up in sin again. Jesus, He wants us to hold the balance right down the middle. Where we’re not falling into religion. Where in fact, that’s the worst place to be! I guarantee you, religion will take you, all the way to hell. But He also doesn’t want us to fall back into our sin, where we get tangled up again in the cares of this world. He wants us to walk that fine line, right down the middle, in a living relationship with Him.

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

Matthew 7:13

Narrow is the way that leads to life, few find it. Few are travelling on it. Easy is the path that leads to destruction. And many are on it. It’s a hard thing to follow Christ! Because it requires us to crucify our sinful nature with its passions and desires. You’ve got to love what the wise king Solomon said after this. Where he said: “Do not be over righteous, neither be over wise, why destroy yourself?” He goes on and here’s the balance: “Do not be over wicked and do not be a fool, why die before your time. It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other.” 

And then He says this statement: “Whoever fears God”. How many people do you know that fear God? We fear God don’t we? Because we know that He has the power to throw us into hell, if He so desires. He has the power to bring a whole heap of turmoil to our lives if He so decides. Or He can bring us into His blessing if He decides. So we fear our God, because He’s infinitely powerful. Whoever fears God… But it comes out of that worshipful reverence. We fear Him because we know who He is. But we also know that He loves us intimately. “Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes.” 

You see it’s when we get tempted to head into some form of an extreme, that we’re in dangerous territory. And this comes from the wisest man who ever lived outside of Christ. But if you’re in Christ today and filled with His Holy Spirit, then you are wiser and so you need to be led by the Spirit of God. 

What Makes You Right?

What makes you right with God? Can anyone tell me? What makes you right with God? Is it the things you do? Is it the things you say? Or is it how much effort you put in? How dedicated you are to study? How many notes you take? Is it how many prayer meetings you attend? Is it that you’re involved in every ministry under the sun? Seven days a week you just go go go go go! 

Guess what? None of that actually makes you right with God! The only thing that makes you right with God is Jesus! That’s it! Nothing else! Just Jesus! Just the fact that He shed His blood and paid the ultimate sacrifice for you and I. And then gave us that as a free gift! Right now He’s asking: “Won’t you accept My free gift?” And if you simply accept Jesus and accept the gift that He gave, the sacrifice that He paid, you’re made right with God! What an incredible exchange! 

What’s the greatest fear known to man? Stepping aside from the Word of God for just a minute, and into modern psychology. What is the greatest fear known to man? It’s the fear of death. What is the second greatest fear known to man? It’s the fear of rejection. Or they say the fear of public speaking in other circles. But it’s really rejection. 

So it’s the fear of death. And the fear of rejection. The two greatest fears known to mankind. Those are what I’d call strongholds. They are principalities in the spiritual realm that try to govern our lives. They try to rule us. 

How many people reading this, or how many people do you know, that cast out demons? It’s an awesome, exciting thing. Isn’t it? When you realize that even the demons are subject to you, in His name! That you just have to mention the name of Jesus and they can’t stick around. 

Casting Out Demons
Image from kittl.com

Casting Out Demons

You can cast out demons with just the name of Christ! In jesus’ name! Simple as that! It’s an exciting thing! But when you’re casting out demons, sometimes you’ll notice that there’s more than one. And you pray and you might get one out of the person, but then next thing you know, they’re writhing on the floor again. And so you keep praying and some more come out. That’s quite often how it rolls! It’s often like a nest of demons and they’re all under one strongman. 

If you deal with the strongman, you’ll get the whole nest. If you deal with the strongman, you’ll get the whole lot! So when the man, the demoniac came running to Jesus. Why did he come running to Jesus when he was filled with demons? Because he wanted to be free! The demons tried to bind him, tried to stop him, but he came running and he fell worshipping at Jesus’ feet. Take a look in Matthew 8:28-9:1, Luke 8:26-39 and Mark 5:1-20.

But then who was Jesus speaking to? He wasn’t speaking to the man, He was speaking to what called itself “Legion for we are many”. The strongman. So Jesus spoke to the strongman. Dealt with the strongman. And out came so many demons out of that man, that they were enough to fill a herd of pigs, throwing them to their deaths down off a cliff. You’ve probably read the story? 

So deal with the strongman and you’ll get the whole lot. One of those strongmen is the spirit of antichrist. Deal with the spirit of antichrist and you’ll also get witchcraft, you’ll get Jezebel, you’ll get the spirit of control, manipulation, intimidation, domination. You’ll get all those things and you’ll get them out! That’s one of the strongmen, antichrist. 

Another one is the spirit of rejection. And some people often think that it’s just a human weakness that they’re dealing with. That they’re just afraid of rejection and it’s just their fears. No, it’s a demon! And God wants to set you free of it! If you get the strongman and you’re able to deal with the strongman of rejection. You’ll also deal with guilt. That’s the next one under it. You’ll deal with shame. But if you get that one as well, then you’ll also get the demon of condemnation out as well. So the devil, he knows that if he can get you on that journey. Where he starts to condemn you. 

If he starts to condemn you, that’s the thin edge of the wedge, he’s not going to finish with just condemnation, he’s then going to bring in guilt. And with the guilt, he’s going to bring in shame. And he’s not going to stop there. He’s going to try to fill you with another demon as well, which is the biggie. Rejection. If he can get that one into you he’s got you. 

Saved through Faith

But how do you get free of it? You simply deal with the strongman! You deal with the rejection! What’s the opposite of rejection? It’s acceptance. We are accepted in the beloved today. We’re accepted in the family of God today. I’ve got to tell you, what makes you right with God? It’s the blood of Jesus Christ! It’s the fact that He poured out His blood for you. And gave you that free gift. That’s what makes you right with God. Not by works, least man should boast! 

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

Ephesians 2:8-9

Get a hold of that! So we think oh well, I made the decision to follow Christ. Did you? Because it’s not actually of ourselves it is the gift of God! Not of works, lest anyone should boast. It is purely the generosity of God that we are here today, right with Him, it is purely His great grace, that He chose us out of this world and brought us to a place of making a decision to follow Christ.

It was the will of God that brought us here. I’m so thankful for a start! I am so thankful that He chose me and plugged me in. I was once a wild olive branch, and He took me from the world and grafted me into His cultivated olive tree. It’s a beautiful thing! 

And, “But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.” But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.

Hebrews 10:38-39 NIV

You see, there’s a balance. See it’s not by works that we’re saved. It’s not by our effort that we’re saved. We can’t do enough, we can’t do enough outreaches, we can’t do enough meetings, we can’t do enough to earn our salvation. We can’t, you know, go to church enough. There is nothing we do, we can’t read the Bible enough. We can’t pray enough to be saved, except for the one prayer that says: “Jesus, yes! I give my life to you and I accept what you did for me”. Boom! There it is, right there! 

Living Your Life for Christ

That’s in fact all that’s required. And if you’ve truly given your life to Jesus and you’ve truly committed yourself to Him, it’s about making Him Lord of your life. You no longer want to live for yourself. You want to live for Him. You want to know everything there is to know about Him. Then you want to read the Bible like you’ve never read it before. Because you’re alive in Him! And you want to find out more about Him. 

Can I encourage you to pick up the Bible. Open it to the Book of John. Because John was the disciple who was closest to Jesus. He had a relationship with Jesus that was just on fire! To the point that Jesus would come and rest together with the disciples.But guess who He’d recline with and rest His head upon? Who would He lean up against? It was John. That’s how close their friendship was. Their bond together was that tight. 

So have a read of the Book of John, because it’ll Foster in you a heart for Jesus where you’ll just want more of Him. You’ll just want to know Him more! Hallelujah! 

You see, there is that balance though, to the whole thing of understanding that it’s not by works that we’re saved. Because He goes on and says. In fact we know from the book of James…

For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

James 2:26

Faith without action is dead! So Faith requires action, for it to be alive, for faith to actually be Faith. It requires action. But you see, there is that balance, it says there: “But my righteous one will live by faith and I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back”. Why? Because faith causes us to move forward. Faith, it ushers us forward! It’s like it tugs on us and pulls us into God’s destiny. It pulls us into what God has for us. It pulls us into His future for us.

What’s the opposite of faith? It’s doubt. What does doubt do? It brings fear and unbelief. What comes with that? Shrinking back! God doesn’t want you to shrink back this year. He wants you to add to your faith, action! It requires a bit of action. Remember Peter in the boat, while Jesus was walking on the water. There’s Peter in the boat with the other 11 disciples, they’re all in the boat together. 

Facing the Storm & Walking on Water
Image from kittl.com

Facing the Storm & Walking on Water

They’re all facing the storm and here’s Jesus water skiing out to them. He’s barefoot water skiing! Well He might have still had His sandals on? Probably did, so here He is, sandal water skiing out to the disciples. They all freak out thinking it’s a ghost! But then one of them recognizes it’s Jesus. Peter exclaims: “it’s Him!” And then Peter calls out to Jesus and says “Master just say the words and I’ll come out on the water with You”. Jesus says: “Come!” You know what? This year Jesus is saying the same thing to you: “Come!” 

You know you’ve heard the saying: “Hey we’re all in the same boat”. I don’t necessarily agree with that saying, because we’re not all in the same boat. We’re in the same storm! We’re all in the same storm together. But we’re not neccessarily all in the same boat. The disciples were. They were all in the same boat and we should all be in the same boat together. But unfortunately some people are in a different boat altogether and some people’s boats are a little bit like rafting down the river on a tire tube. 

While we’re all called to be on the luxury liner of His Church. We’re called to be on the boat with Christ. Which is literally like a cruise liner at times and sometimes more like a warship! It’s like a cruise liner with some big guns! Boom! He’s able to drop the enemy with just a word. But you know what? When you walk with Christ, life becomes blessed and it can become a bit of a cruise. And it gets to that point where you start to hear Jesus calling, saying: “Why won’t you come out on the water? Why don’t you come out and step into the storm.” 

It’s a choice for us. Do we, like Peter, get up and get out of the boat? Do we walk on the water? And I believe you know Jesus. He’s calling us this year. He’s saying: “Come!” He’s saying come and all it requires is for you to put some action to your faith! You know? To not just say: “Yes Lord, here am I, send me!” To not just say: “Yes I’m willing to go”. But to actually go! To actually step out of the boat, to actually step out onto the water, to step into what seems impossible!

Give it a shot! Give it a go! What’s the worst that could happen? The worst that could happen is you sink! What happens if you sink? Jesus will catch you by the hand and lift you back up! You can’t lose! Ohh! It is beautiful! Hallelujah! So we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed! We don’t belong to those that are caught up in the fear and the doubt. We have overcome the fear! We’ve overcome the doubt!

Led By The Holy Spirit

Maybe you’ve been a bit of a doubting Thomas? And maybe you need to stick your finger in His side, your finger in the hole in His hand. Maybe you need to experience something of God to break your doubt? Well you can have that here right now! If you haven’t experienced the power of God, then simply ask Him to reveal His presence to you. Let’s pray! Let’s get you filled with the Spirit of God! Filled with The Holy Spirit, so you can experience His power. Because there’s nothing impossible to Him and nothing impossible to those who believe! 

You know what? This year! This year is so much more! He’s calling us, calling us into more! He’s calling us into more! We’ve got to be led by His Spirit! Amen! We’re not of those who shrink back and are destroyed. But of those who have faith, faith that has action. And through that faith in the Son of God, we’re saved! 

We’ve got to be led by the Spirit… 

“The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

John 3:8

You’ve got to be led by God! You’ve got to be led by Him in this life. There’s too much in this life that’s setup to rip you off. Too much in this life that’s set up to distract you from the call of God. There’s too much in this life, that’s set up to ease you into religion. There’s too much in this life, that is set up to snare you back into the world. 

You’ve got to be led by God to get around the potholes in life. You’ve got to be led by The Holy Spirit to enter into everything He’s called you to. You know, when you read the Bible. When you read through some of the chapters. Like I was reading the Book of Judges the other day. My goodness! Wow! These men and women of God were just doing incredible things for their nation. Incredible things for the Lord! 

Those Who Know Their God Will Do Exploits

Like the man named Ehud. I haven’t got time now to go into it. But look up Ehud. Wow! Full on! I was sharing it with some young people the other day. What an amazing man of God! God wants us to be led by His Spirit into doing exploits for Him! God wants you to experience exploits this year! Those who know their God will what? Be strong! And what? Do exploits! God wants you to do exploits this year! But you’ve got to be led by his Spirit. 

but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.

Daniel 11:32b NKJV

The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from or where it goes, so is everyone born of the Spirit. That’s you and I today! We’re being led by Him into all that He has for us! Yeah! 

He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.

John 21:6

They were out there fishing all night. I was watching the series “The Chosen” on the old telly yesterday, and it was that scene of Peter standing in his boat. And there’s Jesus asking to borrow the boat so He could push out and have a chat with the people on the shore. And then He says to Peter: “Hand me the net Peter” and there He is, holding the net and sharing a parable with the people. 

Then He gives the net back to Peter and says: “Cast it, cast the net on the other side”. Peter’s busy arguing with Him, saying: “But I’ve been fishing all night and didn’t catch a thing”. Then he looks into the eyes of Christ and realizes. He says: “But because You said it, I’ll do it”. And he chucked that net, he was led by the Spirit of God, led by the Son of God. He threw that net out and pulled in so much fish that it started ripping the nets. They filled two boats full of fish because he was led by the Spirit. 

Living Life With The Living God

So are you going to be led by God this year? Are you going to step into the supernatural like you never have before? it’s really your choice! You can go back into the mundane. You can go back into that, really it’s just religion. And I’ve got to tell you, that if you stay in what is just religion, and fail to cultivate a living and active relationship with Christ. Then I’ve got to warn you! 

I’ve got to warn you, if you stay in religion it’s going to drag you to hell. You’ve got to have a relationship with God. And if you’re in a relationship with the Living God, guess what? You’re going to do some living! Because He’s the Living God! If you’re in a relationship with my Jesus, you’re going to have an abundance. You’re going to experience an abundant life! 

You see, I remember having a vision years ago. It was a vision of a wharf. And on this wharf, there were two fishermen, one on each end of the wharf. And on the one end of the wharf, there was a fisherman with a beautiful rod and reel. I mean, like the sort of thing you’d pay $1,000 for. Like the best of the best, top of the line, had all the tackle, had all the gear, had the best spool. You know, the best line, the best sinkers, the best hooks, he had everything! All the top gear. 

Meanwhile, down the other end of the wharf, was another fisherman and he had a handline. And you see, the wealthy fisherman with the wealthy reel with the best rod, with all the gear. He was casting his hook way out there! You know, reeling that thing in. He was looking the part, but guess what? He wasn’t catching a thing! The guy down the other end of the wharf with the handline, was just dropping it off the wharf, and just ripping in fish after fish. Every time he dropped that hook in the water. Bam! There’d be another one and he’d pull it out and onto the wharf. 

This was all in a vision I had. And God spoke to me, and I saw, and I looked, and I realized. That both fishermen were me! I looked at the man with the fancy rod and reel, and it was me! And then I looked at the other end of the wharf, the guy with the handline. It was me! And God spoke to me: “If you’re not catching them at that end of the wharf, go down the other end!” 

God is so wise! Good point Lord! You’ve got to be led by the Spirit. You can have all the best of everything and it doesn’t mean squat! You can have next to nothing and just do what God’s called you to do and you’ll bear fruit baby! Fruit like no tomorrow! You’ll be ripping in the fish like Peter in the boat. You’ll have so much fish, you won’t know what to do with them! 

Moving Forward
Image from kittl.com

Moving Forward!

You’ve just got to be led by God! What’s He speaking to you for this year? Well I’ve got to tell you, He wants you to move forward for a start! I’ve got a word of prophecy for you! The Holy Spirit is saying to you: “Move forward!” What does He want you to do this year? What are you hearing from the Spirit? 

You’ve got to inquire! You’ve got to say: “Lord, please reveal to me what You want me to do for this year”. That’s the most important thing you can pray for, at the start of a new year. Not so much the New Year’s resolutions. I’m going to do this. I’m going to do that. Just say: “Lord, what do You want? What do You want me to do this year?” 

Be led by the Spirit! And if you’re able to step out on that. You’re going to have an exciting year! You are going to have a large, great Spirit-filled year! Hallelujah! 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV

We know this passage of scripture well. but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and what? Self-control! Ohh! You know we all focus on the first three. Don’t we? Love, joy and peace! We all want love, joy and peace! We all crave love, joy and peace! The whole world is chasing after love, joy and peace. 

But guess what? You can’t have love, joy and peace for long without the next six! Longsuffering! Ooh! Who likes suffering? Who likes suffering for a long time? The English Standard Version or ESV puts that word in a softer light and translates it as “patience”. That’s a little easier to swallow. How about the next word in the list. Kindness? That’s going to cost me! What about goodness? Really? When I’m driving, I’ve got to be good!? Faithfulness, ooh! God wants us to be faithful! Gentleness, that’s just like God! He is so gentle with us. He’s the ultimate Gentleman!

Patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and the biggie right at the end… “Self-control”. If we can have the last six in our lives in abundance, then you will have more love, more joy, more peace than you could ever hope for! You got to love this passage of scripture, right? It goes on and says: “Against such there is no law and those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires”. Because our flesh does have its own passions. It does have its own desires.

Walking in The Spirit

But the Spirit also has its passions and its desires. And it’s to serve Christ! It’s to do His will. To follow His Spirit. It’s to walk in step with Him. In fact it goes on and says…

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Galatians 5:25 NKJV

That if we live in the Spirit. There is that nagging statement of “if”. If we live in the Spirit, which we do if we’ve been filled with Him. Then let us also walk in the Spirit. Which means that’s a choice! A choice we need to consistently make. Let us not become conceited. Which is really just stinking pride! Let us not become conceited, provoking one another. 

I was reading a couple of scriptures the other day. They were about fathers provoking their children… 

And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.

Ephesians 6:4

And also

Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

Colossians 3:21

Through these passages of scripture, God is giving the command: “Fathers do not provoke your children”. Because if you do, you’ll basically destroy them. Don’t provoke your children to anger or to wrath. You’ll just dishearten them. Stir them up! Yeah, for sure! But don’t provoke them. Encourage them! Help them to become more this year. Help them to enter into what God’s called them to. Try to help them to move forward this year.

You and I both know, it’s hard sometimes. Dads, when you come home and you’ve had a hard day’s work. And the boy is just glued to that Playstation or Xbox. None of the chores have been done. The lawn’s still unmowed. The dishes are filling the sink. Nothing’s been done. Wood’s not chopped! Whatever it is? And so you go in there full of anger and provoke them! Sometimes it’s deserved. But try not to provoke. Try to encourage! Do your best to lift them. Try to encourage and to pull them forward! And the result will be incredible!

Count it ALL Joy!

You see, in the Book of James chapter 1, where it says this…

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

James 1:2-4 NKJV

God wants us to increase the latter six. The patience, the kindness, the goodness, the faithfulness, the gentleness and the self-control in our lives. He wants those to increase, because those are the hard things, that we try to avoid. But the very things, that bring about love, joy and peace in an abundance. 

So He says: “Let patience have its perfect work”. Why? Because He goes on and says: “That you’ll be complete and lacking nothing!” My goodness! 

I was walking around one of the huge hardware stores just the other day. I’d gone down there to buy some paint. Unfortunately I made the mistake of not giving the guy the colors that I had chosen. And so I get there and I said: “Oh yeah, I need to get them tinted”. He replies: “Oh yeah, no worries”. I gave him the colors and I was just standing there for a while, still watching what he was doing. And I think, you know, he was like oh this guy’s just going to annoy me. So he says: “Have you got any shopping to do?”. “Oh yeah, no, not really”. He then says: “It’s going to take 10-20 minutes”. I’m like “Oh right! No worries. See you soon.” So I go walking around the megastore, packed full of stuff. 

There’s so much stuff in there. I mean good quality tools, amazing tools! They’ve got all sorts of equipment in there. They’ve got all the battery operated stuff. You know the gardening equipment. They’ve got leaf blowers, they’ve got mowers, they’ve got everything! They’ve even got kitchen stuff! I was in there looking at the kitchen stuff, I was looking at the garden center, looking at all this stuff for 20 minutes. And I was bored stiff! Walking around this shop looking at stuff! 

Complete, Lacking Nothing.

Suddenly, I had a revelation! And this was the beauty of what took place for me that day. It was that God spoke to me and said: “There’s nothing you need, is there?” And I’m just looking around the shop going: “Wow!” And I had the realization, there’s literally nothing that I need! All my needs are met in Christ! All my needs! 

He’s met my needs! And I’m walking around the shop, not even any wants! Maybe I picked up a couple of tools and looked at them; “Well that’s cool, that’s a pretty cool tool”. I just put it back, didn’t really want it. I walked around that whole shop for 20 minutes and didn’t buy a thing! Because there’s nothing I need! God’s fulfilled my needs! God wants to fulfill your needs this year! 

God wants to fulfill your needs! He wants you to have more than an abundance so that you can be generous on every occasion. But you know what? You’ve got to have the last six to get the first three!

Do you want more love in your life? Then practice patience and kindness! Yeah! You want more joy in your life, then practice goodness and faithfulness! If you want more peace in your life, then definitely practice gentleness and self-control! 

Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.

Proverbs 25:28 NIV

And you know what sometimes it’s like that. Sometimes, because we’ve lacked self-control, it’s like the fortified walls of our lives have come crashing down. It’s like they’ve been battered by the trebuchet of the enemy. Where he’s been smacking us up the side of the head, with whatever it is. Problems, addictions, lust, porn, gambling, uncontrolled anger, road rage, whatever! Whatever’s been smacking you up the side of the head. The enemy keeps throwing it at you. And he’s not going to stop. Unless you do something about it!

Enough of the Birds Nests
Image from kittl.com

Enough of the Birds Nests

You can do something about it by simply invoking the name of Jesus! There’s all power and authority found right there! So you can stop the enemy from battering you, by simply invoking Christ’s name. By simply saying to the enemy that’s enough, in Jesus name! That is enough! No more of this! I’m not going to allow you, devil, to fill my mind full of the stones of this world. You can chuck all the stones you like. But they’re no longer going to… 

You know, it’s like the birds of the air. They can perch on your branch, but they can also nest in your tree. And it’s up to you whether those birds make a nest in your tree, or whether you just flush them back out! Because they’ll still land. You’ve got no real control over the thoughts that sometimes land in your head. But are you going to let them nest there? Or are you going to flush those suckers out? Flush them out! 

Flush them out! Don’t be like a city whose walls are broken through. We need self-control! Amen! We need to practice self-control, more this year than we ever have before. 

With practicing self-control, the payoff is out of this world! More love than you could ever imagine, more joy! I mean that’s what the world wants. That’s why they’re smoking the meth. They’re looking for joy, but they can’t find it in the meth pipe. More peace! You know what? You don’t need another fidget spinner! If you’re struggling with anxiety, you can just practice patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. You’ll have more peace than you could ever imagine! You’ll sleep like a baby! 

Productive & Fruitful

But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1:5-8

But also for this very reason, giving all diligence! So how much does God want us to focus on this? How much of your time does He want you to invest into this? He says all diligence! That’s a pretty full-on kind of a demand isn’t it? But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith! And how many people here have got faith? Yeah we’ve got faith! We believe in Jesus! Amen! We’ve got faith! He says: “Add to your faith virtue and to virtue knowledge and to knowledge…” Ohh! Here it is! Self-control! To self-control perseverance! Ooh! It gets better doesn’t it!? 

How many people reading this today like perseverance? Not a single one!? Oh no, we got one! No, we got two! Good man! Good woman! There’s a wise man and a wise woman right there! They love perseverance, because what does it bring? It brings about some amazing breakthroughs! And to perseverance, yeah you gotta love this! Godliness! That just gets deeper and richer, and stronger! 

And to godliness, brotherly kindness, to brotherly kindness love! For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. So you want to be fruitful, you want to bear forth fruit for our King!? Just add to your life this list. To your faith – virtue, to virtue – knowledge, to knowledge – self-control, to self-control – perseverance, to perseverance – godliness to godliness – brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness – love! For if these things are yours and abound, in other words in an increasing measure this year, you will neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. You will bear forth a harvest for our Lord. 

A Balanced Lifestyle. 8 + 8 + 8 = 24

You see, He wants us to have that balanced life. God wants you to live a balanced life! That means a balanced lifestyle! You know what? 24 hours! You know we live in a 24-hour system, don’t we? Every 24 hours you can break it up into three sets of eight. That’s 8 hours of work, 8 hours of rest, you need your rest. And 8 hours of play! Make sure you’re having a good time! Whether it’s watching a movie, walking down the beach, going to a cafe, going to watch a show. You know, some concert, a drama or opera, or whatever it is you’re into. Going to the speedway, watching the cars rip it around the dirt track. 

Make sure you’re getting your 8 hours of play! Make sure you’re getting your eight hours of rest, and limit your work to 8 hours if you can. I know we’ve got ends to meet. It’s tempting isn’t it? To work the 10 hours? It’s tempting to even work the 12, because of the financial payoff. But it’s cutting into the balance, and if we do that for too long, it’s going to cause problems. God wants us to live a balanced life! Eight, eight and eight. 

Nice and easy! This makes up 24 hours. 8 hours of work, 8 hours of rest, 8 hours of play. There’s a balanced lifestyle. Making sure you take a sabbath one day a week. Pick a day, Saturday. Some people say that’s the only day. Well I don’t necessarily agree with that…

And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”

Mark 2:27-28 NKJV

Pick a day. Any day! Pick a day that you devote to God, a day that you don’t work. A day that you take off. And put your feet up! Recuperate! Use it to seek the Lord. And you’ll have a good balanced lifestyle. 

Balanced Socially

How about being balanced socially. It means spending an equal amount of time with those that drain you. There are definitely people out there who drain you! And with those who refresh you! God wants you to have an equal balance, spending time with those that suck the life out of you, those that you pour the life back into! Yeah! And those that pour the life back into you! So God wants you to have that balance! A balance of those that drain you and those that refresh you. Because, it’s important! Amen!

The generous soul will be made rich, And he who waters will also be watered himself.

Proverbs 11:25

It says this the generous soul will be made rich! And I know everyone still reading this are generous souls! You are a generous people. Generous of your time first and foremost. Generous of your love! Generous of your commitment to the community. Generous of even your finances to sow into others. I mean, there are some incredible people here. The dedication that you find here is astounding! The generous soul will be made rich and he who waters will be watered himself. 

So God wants to make sure you’re getting refreshed. But He also needs you to make sure that you’re refreshing others! Having that balance! That’s being balanced socially. 

Balanced Financially
Image from kittl.com

Balanced Financially

Then there’s being balanced financially. Not spending more than you earn. Ohh that’s a good one isn’t it! Not spending more than you earn! Living within your means. That means, if you’re earning $1,000 a week you’re not spending $1,100. Because if you are, you’re going to go backwards! God wants you to go forward! So if you’re earning 1,000 bucks a week, make sure you only spend 900. And put the other hundred away for a rainy day. Put it away into what I would call an investment fund. 

Because God wants you to move forward. That means making some wise Investments, at the right time, in the right thing. And then watch that thing grow! Watch that nest egg become a whopping great golden egg laying goose! Yes, the goose that laid the golden egg. 

Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.

2 Corinthians 9:10-11 NKJV

You probably know this one well? Now may He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food, supply and multiply… Ooh! You gott love this word! I know it’s shared often! But you’ve got to love this passage of scripture! Now may He who supplies seed to the sower. Who’s that? Who is it that supplies? It’s God! Now may He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food… He’s going to supply to you the ability to sow. He’s going to supply to you the ability to eat. He’s going to give you the ability to sow seed. And bread for food! He’s not going to let you miss out! 

Now may He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown! So it requires you to sow it! You’ve got to put it into where God wants you to put it! There’s None! No better place than sowing it into the House of God! But there’s other places as well. You’ve got to be led by the Spirit! Led where He wants you to invest. 

Be Sure to Invest Wisely

Sow the seed! Because if you don’t sow the seed, you’re never going to get the harvest! But then don’t just sow the seed and forget the harvest, like a fool! Because some people do that! They sow the seed and then they walk away. And they expect nothing! Foolish person! When I sow seed, I’m expecting a return! And I’m going back there to collect, because I know that God brings a harvest! 

Now may He who supplies and multiplies the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, oh yes! God wants to increase your fruit, while you are enriched! Ooh! Just say the word “enriched”. Let the word roll off your tongue. Even just speaking it make you feel good doesn’t it!? This is the year of so much more! God wants to enrich you. God wants to enrich you! How does He? How is He going to enrich you?

He’s going to enrich you through what you sow! He’s going to bring a harvest in for you. He wants you to be enriched in everything! So not just in your finances. We’re not just talking financially. Although for this point, we are focusing on having a balanced life financially. 

Blessed To Be a Blessing

Living within your means. Saving some for investment and then sowing it! Investing, because if you do God’s going to enrich you in everything! For all liberality! Why? Why is He enriching you for all liberality? So you can be generous! So you can have more than enough. So you can help those around you. You can do a bit of philanthropy. So you can bless people. 

So you can see people when you’re walking through the supermarket, and you see the solo mom. Unable to really scratch two sticks together! She’s like the poor widow, you know? Gathering up the sticks to make the last meal! You can go in there and hand her a couple of hundies, a couple of C notes, a couple of $100 bills and say there you go! Go and enjoy your grocery shopping today! And then walk away. You don’t even need to say a thing! Don’t even bat an eyelid. Just walk away! Simply say God bless you as you walk off! She or he knows! They know that God’s love is moving through you. They’ve just firsthand experienced His provision through you. 

You’ve got to love that passage of scripture! While you’re enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God! God wants you blessed this year! He wants you blessed! it’s God’s heart to bless you. The only thing that’s going to stop the blessing is your own disobedience. So make a choice! 

Balanced Spiritually
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Balanced Spiritually

Make a choice to move forward. One last point. And that’s being balanced spiritually. And this is another great quote. One that my pastor spoke so many times when I was a young believer. He still speaks it today. You’ll hear it in his messages now and again. He likes to sprinkle it throughout the year in a few of his messages. It’s a quote that was passed on to him, some 40 odd years ago now by his pastor before him. So it’s now an old saying, it’s stood the test of time and it’s tried and proven to be true. It’s simply this…

“Too much Word and you’ll dry up. Too much Spirit and you’ll puff up. A balance of the two and you’ll grow up!”

Pastor Barclay Miller

God wants you to grow up this year! He wants you to be effective at moving forward into all that He has for you! So don’t get too stuck in the Word. Don’t get too stuck in the Spirit. Have a balance of the two! Amen! Stay in the word of God! Amen! Stay filled with the Holy Spirit! And you will have that awesome balance of growing in God! Awesome stuff!

How about we pray together right now as I’m writing this and right now as you’re reading this. God is able to traverse time and space. And our two prayers are in agreement. And He promises in the Bible this promise.

“Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

Matthew 18:19-20

If you want a touch of God today, He’s here! Right now! By the power of His Spirit! Perhaps for you, you’re more like doubting Thomas? Perhaps you need to stick your finger in the socket? If you need to stick your finger in the hole, there’s electricity there waiting to flow! All you’ve got to do is say: “Yes Lord that’s me, I need some proof”. Well if you need proof today, let’s pray. Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to give you the answer. And He’s more than able. 

He is more than able! Maybe you’re needing a financial breakthrough today and your heart has been hearing some of the stuff I’ve been writing and sharing with you. For some of you, it’s almost like I’ve been rubbing you the wrong way. Because you haven’t had the breakthrough you’ve been wanting. Well I gotta tell you! The breakthrough is waiting!

It’s right there waiting for you all you gotta do is believe! And say: “Yes Lord! I accept it, I receive it!” And then you’ve just got to apply some action. Simply apply some of that wisdom. Living within your means to the best of your ability. And you might say that’s impossible! I can’t do that! Yes you can! There’s always a way! There is always a way, you’ve just got to be sensitive to what God’s leading you to do to achieve it. Simply pray and say: “Yes Lord, I’m willing!” And He will make the way! There’s help available. More than you realize. Right here in your city. 

Let’s pray

“Thank you Lord! For Your people here today. Thank you Father for your people. Thank you Lord, that you are rocking us forward into this year of so much more!”

“Lord, You’re calling us to move forward as balanced sons! God, You’re calling us to move forward! Lord God, as balanced believers. People who would know what it is to walk that fine line. To walk between this world and religion. To walk that fine line of active faith. Lord, that we wouldn’t be distracted left or right, by this or that. But we will keep our eyes firmly focused on you Jesus! The author, the perfector of our faith!”

“Thank you Lord God, for this year! The Year of so much more! That we will enter into all the enrichment You have for us. And everything good that we can be filled with. Liberality on every occasion! Father, we thank You for it! This year! For that awesome breakthrough! Lord, in Jesus name! Help us Lord God, to have that simple faith. Where we would just focus on You Jesus. Where we would just have that intimate encounter with you. Lord, that we could be everything You’ve called us to be in Jesus mighty name! Yeah in Jesus mighty name! Hallelujah!” 

“Father! Right now Lord! I take authority over every strong man! Every spirit of rejection, that would try to tell us that we don’t belong. I bind that demon in the name of Jesus Christ! I bind you rejection! And I bind with it every spirit of guilt and shame. I bind with it every spirit of condemnation. I bind and break its power and command it to get off your people in the name of Jesus Christ!”

“Thank you Lord, we are accepted in the beloved! Accepted in our relationship with Christ! Lord, You are all we need! It’s You! So Lord we thank You for Your presence and power. Thank you Lord God, for everything You are. And thank you Lord for everything you’ve called us to be.” 

“Thank you Lord, this year, for the massive breakthrough, the massive harvest Lord, that we can simply get out there and be who you’ve called us to be. To simply be who we are, to be the person that You anointed us to be. And through that Lord God, through being naturally spiritual and spiritually natural. Lord God, we’re going to draw in such a harvest! All we have to do is put the hook in the water! We’re going to haul out the fish in the name of Jesus! Yeah!!! And everyone said Amen!”

Well there you have it, together we’re in agreement! And where two or more agree in His name it shall be done!

Have yourselves an awesome time out there. An awesome adventure today, this year and every year in Christ!

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“Can’t Hurt Me” by David Goggins — Book Summary

The inspirational memoir “Can’t Hurt Me” was written by ultra-endurance athlete and former Navy SEAL David Goggins. 

The book details Goggins’ amazing transformation from a tragic childhood plagued with racism, poverty, and abuse to becoming one of the toughest men alive. Goggins discusses his mental toughness techniques and how he overcome tremendous obstacles — both mental and physical — to become a wonderful person.

The inspirational memoir “Can’t Hurt Me” was written by ultra-endurance athlete and former Navy SEAL David Goggins
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Chapter 1: The Toughest Man Alive

Goggins describes his difficult upbringing, which included an abusive father and a hostile home. He talks about how racism and poverty affected him personally and how these hardships changed the way he thought about resilience.

Goggins describes his difficult upbringing
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Chapter 2: The 40% Rule

In this chapter he presents the idea of the “40% Rule,” which says that you’ve only actually used around 40% of your potential, when your mind indicates that you’re tired or exhausted. He stresses how crucial it is to go past your apparent boundaries in order to realize your own potential.

Goggins presents the idea of the “40% Rule,” which says that you’ve only used 40% of your potential
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Chapter 3: Taking Souls

In his discussion of his experience as a Navy SEAL, Goggins emphasizes the demanding training, mental fortitude, and mindset required to succeed in such a competitive setting. He describes his adoption of the mindset he dubbed as “taking souls” through superior performance.

David Goggins describes how his adoption of the mindset of “taking souls” through superior performance
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Chapter 4: The Accountability Mirror

Here he presents the idea of the “Accountability Mirror,” he explains how he looked in the mirror and faced his fears and shortcomings. He stresses the value of introspection and accepting responsibility for one’s life.

Goggins presents the idea of the “Accountability Mirror,” in which he looked in the mirror and faced his fears and shortcomings.
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Chapter 5: The Most Powerful Weapon

Goggins highlights the mind’s strength in this chapter, calling it the most powerful tool at one’s disposal. He discusses the several mental techniques and approaches he employed to overcome the challenges he faced, leading him to succeed.

Goggins highlights the mind’s strength
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Chapter 6: The Cookie Jar

He presents the “Cookie Jar” method, a mental tool that allows him to remember earlier victories and wins in trying circumstances. He describes how thinking back on prior successes can give you the courage to face challenges head-on.

Goggins presents the “Cookie Jar” method, a mental tool that allows him to remember earlier victories and wins in trying circumstances
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Chapter 7: The Great White Shark

Here, Goggins talks about the value of becoming “obsessed” with your objectives. He compares the unwavering pursuit of achievement to the relentlessness of a great white shark.

Goggins talks about the value of getting “obsessed” with your objectives
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Chapter 8: Uncommon Amongst Uncommon

Here in this chapter, Goggins offers his advice on how to be unique and how to stand out in a crowded field. He exhorts readers to pursue greatness, put in more effort than everyone else, and embrace discomfort.

Goggins offers his advice on how to be unique and stand out in a crowded field.
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Chapter 9: Armored Mind

Building resilience and mental toughness is the main topic of this chapter. Goggins discusses his own experiences and methods for developing an “armored mind” that can withstand great adversity.

Goggins discusses his own experiences and methods for developing an “armored mind” that can withstand great adversity
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Chapter 10: Calloused Mind

Goggins expounds on the idea of the “calloused mind,” a condition attained by continuously facing hardships and suffering, which eventually fortifies the mind to face more serious difficulties in the future.

Goggins expounds on the idea of the “calloused mind”
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Chapter 11: Taking Control of Your Mind

In this chapter he stresses the value of exercising self-control over one’s ideas, feelings, and behavior. He offers helpful guidance on how to take control of your life and how to reframe pessimistic thoughts.

Goggins stresses the value of exercising self-control over one’s ideas
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Chapter 12: The Process

In this chapter Goggins emphasizes the need of accepting the process of development and progress, as opposed to concentrating just on the final results. He discusses how perseverance and commitment produce long-term success.

Goggins emphasizes the need of accepting the process of development and progress
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Chapter 13: What If…

Goggins challenges readers to ask themselves, “What if I don’t try?” In order to get over their fear of failing. He inspires others to step outside of their comfort zones and pursue their goals with tenacity.

Goggins challenges readers to ask themselves, “What if I don’t try?” in order to get over their fear of failing.
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Chapter 14: Life Is Not A Hallmark Movie

Here Goggins talks about how difficulties in life are inevitable, and how it’s important to meet obstacles head-on. He highlights that hard work and unwavering desire are necessary for success. He drums home the point that it doesn’t come easily.

Goggins talks about how difficulties in life are inevitable and how it’s important to meet obstacles head-on.
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Chapter 15: The Unheard Voice

In this chapter, Goggins stresses the value of paying attention to the “unheard voice” that calls for personal development, improvement, and change. He exhorts readers to consider their inner goals and objectives.

Goggins stresses the value of paying attention to the “unheard voice” that calls for personal development, improvement, and change.
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Chapter 16: Taking Souls From The Couch

In this last chapter, Goggins invites his readers to apply the lessons learned from his life, to their own circumstances. He urges people to go out on a path to greatness, by taking the initiative, and not settling for anything less than excellence.

Goggins invites readers to apply the lessons learned from his life to their own circumstances
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Conclusion:

“Can’t Hurt Me” is an example of the strength of the human spirit and intellect. Anyone looking to overcome challenges, cultivate mental fortitude, and realize their full potential in spite of difficult circumstances, will benefit from David Goggins’ inspiring narrative and useful counsel. In order to overcome the odds, the book encourages readers to accept discomfort, go past their comfort zones, and take charge of their lives.

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Crack the Code to Affiliate Success: Temu’s 20% Commission Unleashes Your Earning Potential

Who needs a marketing degree to pay the bills anyway?

All hail the battle worn and weary affiliate warriors, drowning in the vast sea of marketing jargon, feeling like you need a Ph.D. just to understand how to make a buck online? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. In the realm of affiliate marketing, where the promises are as high as the moon landing, many of us have found ourselves lost in the digital catacombs of low commissions and irrelevant products. But fear not, because in this dreary graveyard of crushed ambitions, a shining beacon called Temu has emerged, offering up to a glorious 20% commission per order. This is a figure that might just rescue you from the abyss of affiliate marketing mediocrity.

All hail the battle worn and weary affiliate warriors, drowning in the vast sea of marketing jargon
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“Supercharge your income with Temu’s Affiliate Program — Dive into a world of 20% commissions and financial empowerment!”

The Affiliate Struggle: A Comedy of Low Commissions and Irrelevant Products

Welcome to the affiliate circus, where the reality is more akin to a tragi-comedy and the big top tent is filled with false hopes for passive income. You’re not alone if you’ve ever felt like the unsung hero of the internet world, working nonstop to promote things for pennies on the dollar and wondering who the heck buys these strange gadgets you’re selling anyway. The big theater of affiliate marketing is where the typical participant is kept in the dark and forced to flip hamburgers while being lambasted into promoting goods they wouldn’t touch themselves with a ten-foot barge pole.

Welcome to the affiliate circus, where the reality is more akin to a tragi-comedy and the big top tent is filled with false hopes for passive income
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Temu’s 20% Commission: A Comedy Makeover

Enter Temu, the backstage performer, prepared to turn this tragi-comedy into a heart-filled comedy that plays to your advantage. Temu is rushing to the rescue to remind you that you don’t need a marketing degree or a fancy PowerPoint presentation to earn a respectable income online, as they offer up to a handsome 20% commission on each order. It’s time to leave your low commission clown shoes behind and take center stage with a commission structure that genuinely values your hard work.

Enter Temu, the backstage performer, prepared to turn this tragi-comedy into a heart-filled comedy that plays to your advantage
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Breaking Down Temu’s Commission Bonanza

Temu’s 20% Commission: A Lifeline for the Uninitiated 

With up to an unparalleled 20% commission available, Temu is the hero of our story, the maverick in a world where 1–10% and the usual 4–5% from the online retail giants is the standard. It’s similar to hitting real gold in a river that’s chocka block full of fool’s gold. Whilst the other affiliate marketing prospectors are getting all excited about their fake gold discoveries. Trying their best to pump it up and make it sound amazing. You’re quietly pulling out those genuine 20% nuggets. Speaking from experience, it’s like discovering a unicorn amongst a huge herd of donkeys.

it’s like discovering a unicorn amongst a huge herd of donkeys.
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No Marketing Degree Required

Imagine for a moment, juggling blazing torches whilst riding a unicycle on a tightrope that’s no longer tight… Yep that’s pretty much what it’s usually like to be an affiliate marketer. But fear not! My fellow entrepreneurial friend, because Temu has a pretty straightforward commission structure. You just need to bring your enthusiasm and let Temu manage the rest; no marketing degree required. Ahh what a breath of fresh air! It’s like discovering your favourite icey cold beverage in the middle of a scorching hot desert.

It’s like discovering your favourite icey cold beverage in the middle of a scorching desert.
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Strategies for the Humble Affiliate

Selecting Relevant Products… Wow! What a Novel Idea!

Have you ever had the impression that a monkey with a dart gun is the one selecting your affiliate products? Its amazing to be able to say that I think Temu gets it! Someone in their leadership structure has taken the time to understand. By selecting goods that are relevant and in demand, you can actually transition from being one of the herd of donkey affiliate marketers, to becoming the unicorn! An empowered curator of interesting content. Who would have guessed?

Have you ever had the impression that a monkey with a dart gun is the one selecting your affiliate products?
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Building Your Online Presence: No Rocket Science Needed

Building a blog or website that is profitable for you, doesn’t have to be like decoding hieroglyphics from antiquity. These days you can just start writing articles like this one, on wonderful platforms like Medium, add your affiliate links to products that people actually want. And hey presto, you’ve got yourself a digital representative that’s out there selling for you like a store clerk on steroids, 24/7 no breaks required! The affiliate program from Temu is meant for the typical person. Refreshingly, an IT degree is not required. Allow your individuality to shine through, have fun with it, share your humour and creativity and observe how the audience — your audience — begins to value your uniqueness and your genuine appeal.

And hey presto, you’ve got yourself a digital representative that’s out there selling for you like a store clerk on steroids
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Creating Entertaining Content — Less Yawn, More Yippee!

Loose those chains of injustice, the chains of bondage that have shackled you to writing endless book summaries and boring product reviews! With Temu’s huge selection of hot-selling products and even games, it makes it easy to venture into a wide array of engaging entertainment options. Add some laughs, some creative storytelling, and you’ll find yourself transformed from another donkey affiliate marketer into the hero of the show, a stand-up comedian with a new and effective side hustle.

“Transform your side gig into a profit powerhouse — Temu’s Affiliate Program offers a refreshingly decent 20% commission for unparalelled earning potential!”

The Temu Effect — “Turning Frowns Upside Down and Letting the Good LOLs Roll”

SEO Without the Splitting Headaches

Affiliate marketing and the search engine optimization required, to gain the free traffic that tips you over the profitability edge. Doesn’t have to be like trying to understand a computer language. Temu has crafted their SEO on all their landing pages in a way that works as reliably as a salt shaker, making your SEO woes seem insignificant. No more key wording headaches, just results. Write your article, post your links, set it and forget it, spray and walk away!

No more key wording headaches, just results. Post your links, set it and forget it, spray and walk away!
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Email Marketing That Doesn’t Annoy Everyone

It’s not necessary to treat creating an email list like the modern version of making cold calls. Whilst everyone you’re calling is trying to enjoy their roast chook at dinner time. Your email marketing efforts can be more of a pleasant conversation rather than a bothersome disruption.

With Temu’s wide range of product options you can write engaging content that links to engaging products, that people are actively buying. People usually are not bothered by you promoting something they actually want. It’s when you’re promoting something they’re not interested in, that they will treat you and your email list like the village idiot, unsubscribing quicker than a greased piglet.

It’s when you’re promoting something they’re not interested in, that they will treat you and your email list like the village idiot, unsubscribing quicker than a greased piglet.
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Paid Advertising Without the Buyer’s Remorse

With Temu’s 20% commission, purchasing sponsored advertisements is no longer such a gamble. It’s similar to holding a royal flush while playing poker — you need confidence, strategy, and a sure win. Now go ahead and roll the dice without worrying about constantly losing. It doesn’t have to be 2 steps forward and 3 steps back when you factor in the advertising spend. With these kinds of profits you can factor in the inevitably costly, cost per click, and still turn a handsome profit.

Maximizing Earnings and Scaling Your Side Gig

Real-Time Analytics Without the Headaches

Examine Temu’s data as if you were Sherlock Holmes cracking a case. Monitor results, spot patterns, and modify your approach. All of a sudden, you’re a data-driven marketing master rather than just another affiliate donkey.

Examine Temu’s data as if you were Sherlock Holmes cracking a case
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Scaling Without the Stress

As your affiliate business expands, add further products like a pro. Work together with influencers, investigate cutting-edge marketing avenues, and create with the assurance that Temu’s 20% commission serves as a safety net. The affiliate marketing circus has been transformed into a skillfully performed dance.

​​”Break free from the 1–10% humm drum — Join Temu’s Affiliate Program now for a thrilling journey of 20% commissions and respectable success!”

Challenges? Temu’s Got Good Times for That

Market Saturation: Like Finding a Needle in a Haystack

In a saturated market, identifying your niche can feel like looking for a needle in a haystack. But hey, with Temu’s vast product assortment, your needle just turned into a sparkling diamond. Now it’s time to let your light shine, my fellow hard-working affiliate marketing friend.

In a saturated market, identifying your niche can feel like looking for a needle in a haystack
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Commission Changes: Temu’s Got the Punchline

Stay informed about Temu’s updates, because, unlike that predictable knock-knock joke, their changes come with punchlines that will actually make you smile. Often adding bonuses for bringing new customers or new app users. You can effectively diversify, negotiate, and keep the conversation going, because, with Temu, it seems the show really must go on.

It’s just so easy to promote… For instance, if you’re new to Temu and have never downloaded their app, by clicking this link, you can access a free $100 coupon bundle as a welcome to their site, to spend on whatever your heart desires. Additionally to that, add this code: aal65925 at checkout and you’ll get a further 30% off. How amazing is that?! This is simply unheard of with the other online retail giants. Promoting this is as easy as falling off a log!

And now for the finale

So, fellow jesters of the affiliate circus, Temu’s affiliate program isn’t just a breath of fresh air; it’s the smile inducing comedic twist we all needed. With up to a jaw-dropping 20% commission, a product catalog as diverse as your favorite candy store, and a platform that speaks the language of the average affiliate, your journey to affiliate stardom can start right here. Embrace the laughter, dance with the commission checks, and let’s turn this affiliate tragedy into a Temu comedy — it’s showtime!

“Unlock your earning potential: Join Temu’s Affiliate Program for a game-changing 20% commission!”

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“The Psychology of Money” Timeless Lessons on Wealth, Greed, and Happiness by Morgan Housel — Book Summary

“The Psychology of Money” by Morgan Housel studies the complex connection between our actions and our financial achievement.

It goes beyond traditional financial advice by examining the psychological aspects that influence our financial choices. The book helps readers rethink their ideas about riches, greed, and happiness by combining psychological insights, real-life stories, and financial concepts.

“The Psychology of Money” by Morgan Housel
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Chapter 1: “No One’s Crazy”

In his opening remarks, Housel emphasizes the volatility of financial markets as well as the variety of human actions that affect them. He highlights how different people have inherent beliefs about money and risk tolerance. Even though they may appear illogical to others, people’s financial decisions are frequently influenced by their individual viewpoints and life experiences.

Housel emphasizes the volatility of financial markets as well as the variety of human actions that affect them.
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Chapter 2: “Luck & Risk”

This chapter examines how risk and luck play a part in achieving financial success. Housel highlights the hazy boundaries between the two, stating that although chance affects results significantly, risk management is under our control. Individuals who are aware of this disparity are better able to make judgments and refrain from overestimating their potential when things are going well.

Risk and luck play a part in achieving financial success.
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Chapter 3: “Never Enough”

In this passage, Housel examines the idea of “enough” and how it pertains to finances. He contends that the key to financial contentment is knowing what is sufficient. Despite gaining wealth, the quest of “more” frequently results in unending unhappiness and prevents enjoyment.

The idea of “enough” and how it pertains to finances.
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Chapter 4: “Confounding Compounding”

Despite being a basic financial concept, compounding is frequently misinterpreted. Housel emphasizes the value of patience and consistency in wealth-building by illuminating its strength and long-term ramifications.

Compounding is frequently misinterpreted.
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Chapter 5: “Getting Wealthy vs. Staying Wealthy”

This chapter makes a distinction between the ways in which wealth is acquired and maintained. Housel talks on the behavioral characteristics that affect these stages and the reason that effective wealth preservation frequently necessitates a different attitude than wealth accumulation.

A distinction between the ways in which wealth is acquired and maintained
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Chapter 6: “Tails, You Win”

Housel presents the notion of “fat-tailed distributions,” elucidating the substantial influence of infrequent and extreme occurrences on financial results. Financial stability and resilience depend heavily on comprehending and being ready for these uncommon occurrences.

Financial stability and resilience depend heavily on comprehending and being ready for these uncommon occurrences.
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Chapter 7: “Freedom”

True riches is about being free, not simply having money. Housel examines how, for many, achieving financial freedom is the ultimate objective that allows them to make decisions beyond monetary gain. He stresses how crucial it is to match financial decisions with one’s goals and ideals.

True riches is about being free, not simply having money.
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Chapter 8: “Man in the Car Paradox”

Housel illustrates the contradiction of spending and happiness with stories and illustrations. Having material things is frequently not a guarantee of long-term happiness. Investing in experiences or purchasing time with money can provide higher levels of enjoyment instead.

Investing in experiences or purchasing time with money can provide higher levels of enjoyment instead.
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Chapter 9: “Wealth is What You Don’t See”

Housel addresses the subtle components of wealth in this chapter, emphasizing that achieving financial success frequently involves making unnoticed sacrifices, taking calculated risks, and working behind the scenes.

Achieving financial success frequently involves making unnoticed sacrifices, taking calculated risks, and working behind the scenes.
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Chapter 10: “Save Money”

Being frugal isn’t the only thing that goes into saving money; it’s an essential step toward financial security. Housel emphasizes the need of saving with a balanced approach, stressing its significance as a safety net and a way to lessen financial stress.

Being frugal isn’t the only thing that goes into saving money
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Chapter 11: “Reasonable > Rational”

When making financial decisions, Housel makes a distinction between reasonableness and rationality. Rather than rigorously adhering to rationality, being reasonable — that is, acknowledging human fallibility and emotions — often results in better financial outcomes.

A distinction between reasonableness and rationality in financial investing
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Chapter 12: “Surprise!”

The chapter explores how unpredictable life and the financial markets can be. Housel emphasizes the value of accepting unpredictability and creating solid financial planning that can handle unanticipated events.

How unpredictable life and the financial markets can be.
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Conclusion:

“The Psychology of Money” by Morgan Housel provides guidance on navigating the intricate relationship between our feelings, actions, and financial security. The book encourages readers to reevaluate their relationship with money by providing them with a road toward financial security, joy, and happiness through perceptive anecdotes and timeless truths.

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“A Gentleman in Moscow” by Amor Towles — Book Summary

Amor Towles’s engrossing book A Gentleman in Moscow transports readers to the turbulent years of the Russian Revolution through the life of Count Alexander Rostov, a former aristocrat who is placed under house arrest in the Metropol, a five-star hotel in Moscow. Despite being restricted to the hotel, Rostov discovers a world of fascinating adventures, friendships, and personal growth. The novel is a gripping and timeless story of resiliency, love, and the transformational power of human ties in how it skillfully blends historical facts with a touching narrative.

Amor Towles’s engrossing book “A Gentleman in Moscow” transports readers to the turbulent years of the Russian Revolution through the life of Count Alexander Rostov
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Chapter 1: The Sentence

Count Alexander Rostov is shown in the novel’s opening scene, 1922, appearing before a Bolshevik tribunal. Due to his aristocratic upbringing, he is placed under house arrest in the Metropol Hotel rather than being put to death. The elegant and endearing gentleman Rostov is compelled to relocate from his opulent apartment to a tiny attic room.

Chapter 2: An Ambassador

Rostov becomes friends with both the hotel staff and other visitors as he adjusts to his new existence. He navigates the social structure of the Metropol and becomes something of an ambassador. Rostov has a cheerful and flexible disposition despite his limited situation.

Rostov becomes friends with both the hotel staff and other visitors as he adjusts to his new existence.
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Chapter 3: The Count Receives a Visitor

A lively girl named Nina shows up as an unexpected guest for Rostov. They become quite close, and she shows him the hotel’s more intimate areas. Rostov finds happiness and a sense of belonging in this partnership as he grows accustomed to his constrained environment.

Chapter 4: A Disquisition on Gustave Eiffel

Rostov uses Gustave Eiffel’s tower as a metaphor to discuss the unpredictability of life and the need for adaptability. He starts to view his imprisonment as a chance for personal development as opposed to a restriction.

Chapter 5: The Beautiful and the Useful

Rostov becomes more and more integrated into the hotel’s operations over time. He finds delight in the small things in life and recognizes the beauty and usefulness of commonplace objects. Rostov’s vision widens as the hotel transforms into a miniature version of the world.

Rostov becomes more and more integrated into the hotel’s operations over time.
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Chapter 6: Antics in the Air

Anna Urbanova, a young actress who Rostov befriends, infuses his life with spontaneity and enthusiasm. Their misadventures and travels inside the hotel walls give the narrative a lighthearted touch and demonstrate Rostov’s capacity to find happiness in the most unlikely locations.

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Chapter 7: Aimlessness

Time passes and the monotony of imprisonment makes Rostov think on the idea of aimlessness. He struggles with the notion that meaning is not the same as purpose. Rostov becomes more introspective as he looks for significance in the little things in his limited life.

Chapter 8: The Triumvirate

Rostov becomes part of an unexpected trio with two other tenants, the chef Emile and the seamstress Marina. Together, they navigate the hardships of life within the hotel, building a tight-knit community that defies the exterior instability of the changing world beyond the Metropol’s gates.

Rostov becomes part of an unexpected trio with two other tenants, the chef Emile and the seamstress Marina.
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Chapter 9: Absent Friends

Rostov struggles with the effects of political unrest on interpersonal connections as he thinks back on the people he lost as a result of the Revolution. As Rostov seeks comfort in his memories and the persistent connections he has built in the hotel, the themes of loss and perseverance are explored.

Chapter 10: The Piazza

The Piazza, the lobby of the Metropol, becomes a social center where people congregate and watch the shifting political scene. The contrast between the secure environment inside the hotel and the chaotic events taking place outside is highlighted by Rostov’s astute observations and interactions with a variety of visitors.

Chapter 11: A Change of Administration

A new management takes over the hotel, which reflects larger changes in Soviet politics. Rostov handles these transitions gracefully, adjusting to new situations without losing his identity. The political environment and how it affects Metropolis are issues that come up more and more.

Chapter 12: Shabby Road

Rostov’s bond with a little girl named Sofia develops into a moving subplot as the political situation deteriorates. He takes on the role of a father figure for her, providing direction and encouragement in a world that grows more difficult for them both.

Rostov’s bond with a little girl named Sofia develops into a moving subplot as the political situation deteriorates.
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Chapter 13: Jubilation

Though there are moments of joy and celebration at the hotel, the political instability casts a shadow over these festivities. Rostov’s capacity for happiness in the face of hardship serves as evidence of the human spirit’s tenacity.

Chapter 14: Absinthe

A pivotal moment in the story occurs when Rostov meets an enigmatic Frenchman and learns about the world of absinthe. The notion of personal growth and transformation is further emphasized by the green fairy’s symbolism and the discovery of new experiences.

Chapter 15: Adjustments

Rostov discovers new opportunities for fulfillment and self-expression as he keeps adjusting to the ever shifting environment. The limitations of his physical surroundings present him with chances to explore his emotions and intellect.

Chapter 16: The Unseen Current

The destiny of individuals residing in the hotel is shaped by the hidden forces of politics and history. Rostov emphasizes the fine line between accepting external facts and preserving internal resilience by contrasting his knowledge of these forces with his dedication to living in the moment.

The destiny of individuals residing in the hotel is shaped by the hidden forces of politics and history.
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Chapter 17: The Boyarsky

The reopening of the hotel’s well-known eatery, the Boyarsky, comes to represent tenacity and continuity. Rostov’s participation in the restaurant’s rebirth is evidence of his capacity, in spite of the constraints placed upon him, to make a significant contribution to the world.

Chapter 18: Two Men, and Then Three

As Rostov develops a relationship with Andrey, a Soviet officer, his friendships take center stage. Their divergent upbringings serve to emphasize the possibility of understanding and kinship amongst people who on the surface appear to be at odds with one another, despite social and political differences.

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Chapter 19: Wisdom and an Affront

A young musician receives advice from Rostov, illustrating the generational sharing of knowledge in the hotel. The narrative incorporates the concept of mentorship and wisdom transfer, highlighting the significance of maintaining and disseminating personal experiences.

Chapter 20: Bachelors of Distinction

Rostov’s interactions with the different women he stays with give him more nuance. Love and friendship are explored inside the walls of the Metropol, demonstrating the strength of human connection even in the face of adversity.

Rostov’s interactions with the different women he stays with give him more nuance. Love and friendship are explored inside the walls of the Metropol
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Chapter 21: Near Miss

As Rostov nearly escapes a dangerous scenario, the possibility of outside forces breaking into the hotel becomes apparent. Challenges to come are hinted at by the growing conflict between the safety of the Metropol and the unpredictable outside world.

Chapter 22: Admission

A significant turning point in the story occurs with Rostov’s unanticipated entrance into the world outside the Metropol. With its political unrest and unidentified threats, the outside world becomes an inevitable reality that Rostov must face.

Chapter 23: Absolution

Rostov’s voyage outside of the Metropol forces him to face his past and look for forgiveness. The novel’s conclusion majors on themes of redemption, forgiveness, and the long-lasting consequences of the decisions we make in life.

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Chapter 24: A Gentleman in Moscow

The book ends with a moving analysis of the persevering character of a Moscow gentleman. The voyage of Rostov represents the unwavering human spirit, which may discover love, meaning, and purpose in the most unlikely locations.

The book ends with a moving analysis of the persevering character of a Moscow gentleman. The voyage of Rostov represents the unwavering human spirit
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Conclusion

The complex and fascinating story “A Gentleman in Moscow” transcends both time and place. Amor Towles skillfully crafts a story that mixes enduring themes of love, resiliency, and the search for a purpose in life with historical depth. Readers are asked to reflect on the lasting power of human bonds and the capacity to find joy and purpose in the midst of hardship via the prism of Count Alexander Rostov’s experiences in the Metropol. This novel will leave a lasting impression on the hearts of readers, as it is a monument to the ability of the human spirit to flourish even in the most trying situations.

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“The Mountain is You” by Brianna Wiest — Book Summary

According to Brianna Wiest, self-sabotage is a widespread problem that impedes achievement and personal development.

She draws attention to the ways in which our attitudes, actions, and convictions frequently stand in the way of attaining our objectives and leading happy lives. The goal of the book is to lead readers through introspection and useful techniques for overcoming self-defeating behaviors and achieving self-mastery.

The Mountain is You
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Chapter 1: The Mountain Is You

Self-sabotage, according to Wiest, is like a mountain we build inside of ourselves. She stresses that facing our inner critics and accepting accountability for our own behavior and thinking are the first steps in conquering self-sabotage.

Self-sabotage, according to Wiest, is like a mountain we build inside of ourselves
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Chapter 2: The Source of Self-Sabotage

This chapter explores the causes of self-destructive patterns, including established beliefs, cultural influences, and past experiences. It also delves into the history of self-sabotage. Wiest challenges readers to reflect on their history and pinpoint the situations or events that set off self-destructive tendencies.

the causes of self-destructive patterns
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Chapter 3: Recognizing Self-Sabotage

Wiest offers helpful advice on identifying instances of self-sabotage in our attitudes, actions, and feelings. She stresses the value of self-awareness and mindfulness in recognizing and halting self-destructive behaviors before they get out of control.

the value of self-awareness and mindfulness in recognizing and halting self-destructive behaviors
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Chapter 4: The Power of Belief

The influence of beliefs on our behavior and results is covered here by Wiest. She exhorts readers to confront constricting ideas and swap them out for powerful ideas that foster achievement and personal development.

confront constricting ideas and swap them out for powerful ideas that foster achievement and personal development
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Chapter 5: Breaking the Cycle

Wiest provides techniques for escaping the self-defeating loop. To effectively overcome obstacles, she advises developing self-compassion, establishing reasonable goals, exercising resilience, and asking for help from others.

escaping the self-defeating loop
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Chapter 6: Embracing Discomfort

This chapter examines how discomfort contributes to personal development. Instead of trying to avoid discomfort by engaging in self-destructive practices, Wiest urges readers to embrace suffering as a motivator for constructive transformation.

embrace suffering as a motivator for constructive transformation
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Chapter 7: Building Resilience

Wiest talks on the value of resilience in overcoming hardships and obstacles. She offers methods and strategies for building resilience, stressing the value of self-care, flexibility, and learning from mistakes.

resilience in overcoming hardships and obstacles
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Chapter 8: Cultivating Self-Compassion

The need of self-compassion in preventing self-sabotage is emphasized in this chapter. Wiest helps readers learn how to be kind, accepting, and forgiving of themselves in order to cultivate self-compassion.

The need of self-compassion in preventing self-sabotage
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Chapter 9: Taking Ownership

As Wiest continues in this chapter, complete self-ownership over one’s life and decisions is emphasized. In order to achieve self-mastery, she exhorts readers to abandon a victim mindset and embrace accountability.

abandon a victim mindset and embrace accountability
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Chapter 10: The Path to Self-Mastery

Wiest provides a summary of the major ideas covered in the book as well as a road map for achieving self-mastery in the last chapter. She reaffirms that overcoming self-sabotage necessitates ongoing introspection, tenacity, and a dedication to one’s own development.

a road map for achieving self-mastery
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Conclusion:

The book “The Mountain Is You” by Brianna Wiest gives readers a thorough understanding of self-sabotage as well as practical advice on how to change harmful habits into self-mastery. Through self-reflection, identifying self-defeating patterns, confronting self-limiting ideas, accepting discomfort, and cultivating self-acceptance and resilience, Wiest leads readers on a life-changing path toward achievement and personal development. In the end, the book gives readers the tools they need to take charge of their life and get past internal challenges in order to become self-masters.

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