Self Help And Education Blog

Spiritual self-improvement and growth requires intimacy with God; the great power source in life. Unfortunately, the natural thing for most of us to do is become absorbed in our day-to-day problems and demands. On any given day, many people face stressful situations, extreme trials, and even heart-breaks with marriages, family members, or friends. All this tends to keep the focus on self.

Learning to Look Beyond

Self Improvement

When we learn to look beyond the trials and obstacles and fix our eyes on Jesus, and believe God is Sovereign, we will begin to have a different perspective and response to everything we face. The Bible teaches us that God uses all things, even the painful things, for the good of believers. One of the positive results of trials is the intimacy that can develop when we turn to the Lord for help.

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If you notice, you will see that happiness is already here. Still, no matter how good life may be, the ego says no to it: “It would be better if….” “I will be happy when….” As long as we don’t follow these thoughts, we will be happy. But usually we give our attention to the ego’s rejection of what is instead of to what is. We give this “no” the power to steer our actions: We jump from one idea to the next, trying to make life and ourselves better.

We will never arrive at happiness by listening to the “no.” Happiness just is. It is inherent in the moment—in the now—in the form of joy, acceptance, and love. It cannot not be. We only have to notice what already is. That is the only reality there is, so why waste your attention on what is not?

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The momentum appears to be increasing. Numbers are increasing The pace is becoming faster. The conflict is becoming sharper.

There is this growing open conflict between Jesus Christ and the religious leaders of the day. That very often happens. There is a conflict between Jesus Christ, the Lord, the King, and those who thought they were important people. Many are gathering around Jesus for various reasons, but Jesus priority is to teach disciples. Jesus wants to give His Chosen Men words of advice and encouragement.

It is good to take time, to look at scenes in the life of Jesus, the ministry of Jesus, the methods of Jesus, the priorities of Jesus and this growing conflict which confronted Jesus.

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Contrast is the same as showing differences or unlikeness. In our day to day experiences, contrast is something that we say we do not want.

When you live contrast, you are living something unwanted. But can contrast be good?

Without it, we wouldn’t get very far! We would all like the same things; everyone would like the same sports, the same foods, everyone would sing the same songs and there would be no platform for anyone to give birth to a new desire.

That type of a world doesn’t sound very exciting does it?

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½. The habit of changing negative thoughts to positive.
This is a half habit because you don’t need the whole habit in order for it to be effective. It is the most difficult habit to maintain. This is the habit of changing your thoughts. Mastering your thoughts is a constant struggle, if you master them half the time, you’ll be doing twice a well! The thoughts you share with others can have a profound influence on them.

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In this universe we need many rules and laws because we are all striving for this thing called freedom which allows us to do whatever we want in the pursuit of our own happiness. If you believe in the concept that we are separate from each other and separate from earthly things, this pursuit of freedom turns out to be a highly personal thing. What I decide is my freedom to do whatever I want may impinge on your freedom to do whatever you want. Even though we have this universal concept of freedom, to actually implement it means we need rules of conduct about how each of us can separately pursue our freedom within the context of all of us pursuing freedom. Can you see where this might get a little complex?

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“Can I use The Law of Attraction to lose weight?” Absolutely!

Have you ever wondered why some people can just eat and eat and eat and NEVER get fat? Your friends or family may have told you … “it’s because of their metabolism and it’s different to yours”.

Not exactly an encouraging statement to say the least. Well what we’ve just proven is that food has no direct impact on the size of your waist! I’ve known people who have literally stuffed their faces at parties, eaten monstrous sized meals and have sat around watching TV all day long whilst they miraculously burn off the fat.

But why can’t I be like that? What’s so different?

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“Real winners are ordinary people with extraordinary determination” – Anonymous

Born into a swimming family near the smell of the sea in San Diego, California, rich in life and experiences; we were poor in money and things. As the eldest daughter of 4 children, we grew up on the dreams of the movies as my mother swam in two Esther Williams’ films as one of the ‘aqua maids’ at the tender ages of 16 and 19.

Her stories of school with Elizabeth Taylor, lunches with Jimmy Durante and Frank Sinatra, poolside chats with Kate Hepburn, while my grandmother rubbed shoulders with Clark Gable, and met with Red Skelton, and her later stories of traveling Europe with Buster Crabbe’s famed Aqua Parade filled us with hopes that we too could someday live our dreams.

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The words of Jesus Christ were always so simple and practical. This wonderful lesson for life comes from Luke Chapter 12 verses 22 to 34, where Jesus is speaking to disciples, at a time when crowds are surrounding Him. These words of Jesus are for disciples, and if you are a disciple then these words are for you, and we so need to hear Jesus in these present days.

And – if you are not a disciple, you can become one!

Jesus is speaking to disciples about the dangers and hazards and pitfalls along the way. They are like warning signposts on the motorway or highway. It is as if Jesus is coning off certain sections – coning off certain paths – closing down a few lanes. Jesus knows that there are roads, which are a hindrance to us – they can hamper us – they are dangerous. If we travel on some of these roads, there could be sad and tragic consequences.

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Do you have any idea of who you really are?

There are those of you who say, “I know who I really am. I am Joe Six-pack and I am an accountant. I have a wife and two children and I own a home in Pleasantville, USA.” If this is how you answer the question of who you really are, then you are unconscious. Anyone who feels they have no control over things that happen in their lives is unconscious. Anyone who can’t seem to sustain a relationship, even though they would say they bend over backwards to keep it going, is unconscious. Anyone who works hard at a job they hate and dreads going into work every day, is unconscious. If you are disgusted by the sight of a panhandler looking for a handout, you are unconscious. Anybody who feels that if they just had more money they would be happy, is unconscious.

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