No Limits

I begin with an interesting question. What are your limits? It would be nice to say you don't have any. However, each one us can admit to having something that limits us from accomplishing what we want to accomplish.

Admitting to your limitations is not a problem. The problem is when you start putting limits on what you believe God can do. The truth is...God has no limits. and when you leave your goals and desires in His hands, you are allowing His unlimited power to make it happen. The only limits are the ones that you place in your mind.

I remind you again that in God's eyes there is no such thing lack. He only understands unlimited abundance and power. Limitation and lack are only illusions we place in our own minds. Negative outcomes are caused because instead of focusing on God’s provision, we focus on the negative ideas of our own minds.

Upon saying this, I will share the good news. You have full control of what you allow to enter your mind. So why not allow empowering positive thoughts over the limiting beliefs of lack that often creep in. The key is to seek God, summon His unlimited power, and dwell on the fact that He is readily willing to provide abundantly more than you can ever seek or ask. The possibilities are unlimited! Enjoy the blessings :)

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Don't Say No To A Miracle

There are times when I will read a Bible passage that I've read countless times before, and something is brought to my attention that I never noticed before. I read such a story recently.

The story is in Matthew 9 about two blind men who asked Jesus to bring them sight. As soon as they see Jesus, they immediately cry out to Him for the miracle of sight. Jesus acknowledges them, but delays in His response. In fact, He even leaves them to go to someone else's house.

At this point the blind mind realize that Jesus has left them. They have a choice. They can believe that Jesus has passed them by and they are forever doomed to their current situation. Or they can pursue it further. These men were bold. They continued to chase down Jesus, and were even bold enough to enter the home where Jesus was. Their attitude seemed to be, "excuse me Jesus. We asked for your help, and we're not going to stop until we are healed." Was Jesus upset or angry that these men chased Him down? Absolutely not. In fact, his response was the opposite. He commended these men for their faith, and immediately healed them. It is from this story that a popular verse is located. Matthew 9:29 says "according to your faith it will be done for you".

I believe we need to have the same persistence as these men did if we want to see miracles in our own lives. If we do, we will be rewarded for our faith. One key thought is this...don't be discouraged if you don't see an answer right away. Jesus delayed with these men to test their faith. They passed with flying colors. In some cases we may see a miracle right away. However, we may be asked to wait as well. If so, keep persisting as these men did, and know that your faith will be rewarded at the right time.

Remember that Jesus will not be offended when you ask for His mighty works in your life. Just like He did with these blind men, He will commend your for your faith and reward you accordingly. Enjoy the blessings : )

Can Money Fall From Trees?

I wrote a blog post the other day about maintaining the correct mindset to bring more money into your life. In that post I said that, even though the thought process must be right, one must take necessary action because money doesn't just fall from trees. Well, I may have lied.

When we have the correct mindset about money, interesting things happen. Today when I went through our incoming mail, I found a letter addressed to my wife and I. There was no return address. Inside was an anonymous note saying we may need some help with school supplies. This along with two $100 bills.

My thoughts about money have been good lately. Was it my thoughts that brought the money to me? Partially. As I mentioned in that previous blog (see "A Free Way To Increase Your Income), when we pray and maintain correct thoughts it helps develop the faith necessary for miracles. Along with correct thinking, I believe it is important to know who this money was from. Not so much the human individual. I will probably never know who sent this. I have some ideas, but the people I'm thinking of would be too humble to ever admit they sent it and would never tell. Regardless, I have asked God to bless whoever it is a thousand times over. I know He will do that. Speaking of God, I credit Him for this blessing. I believe it was His idea in the first place, and He planted the idea and resources into my mysterious blesser's hands. I have not stopped thanking Him all day.

Based on my faithful thoughts, I expected to receive some extra money. I did not expect to receive it this way. That's the cool thing about God's miracles. We often receive them in ways we would never expect.

The last thing I will say about this is the wonderful snowball effect this action has. The giver is blessed by God for his/her actions. I have certainly been blessed. Now I am inspired to do the same for others. When I see someone with similar needs, I will be more inclined to share my money, time, and talents. They will then be blessed at that time. And hopefully, others will be blessed and inspired simply by reading this, and then bless others by sharing it with them.

So...when you are near the trees, look up! You never know what might be falling from them. Enjoy the blessings : )

No Such Thing As Impossible

I was listening to a great song by the Christian music group Kutless. It's called "What Faith Can Do". It's a very inspirational song about the power of faith.

I've heard this song many times, but especially noticed one of the lines in the song for the first time. It says.."impossible is not a word. It's just a reason for someone not to try".

I don't know about you, but I procrastinate more than I should. I find that many of the times I do, it's because I'm afraid of failing or I'm not exactly sure that things will turn out right. Instead, if I demonstrated the faith I say I have, I would know that all things are possible, and I would be much quicker to act.

I remind myself, and anyone reading this....nothing is impossible!!! The key Bible verse says, with God all things are possible. Remember this next time you think of putting something off, especially a goal, a dream, or anything that will bring more positivty into your world.

Knowing that impossible is not a word, don't use it as an excuse to not try or to delay necessary actions. Instead, have faith and act accordingly. God will make all things possible and guide you every step of the way. Then you will see great things happen. As the main theme of the Kutless song says..."that's what faith can do". Enjoy the blessings!

A Free Way To Increase Your Income

Are you someone who is looking to make money online? It is my dream to make an excellent living from the comfort of my own home, and I strongly believe it will happen one day.

There are a billion ads online advertising ways to make increase your income. Many seem like they could work. The problem is, in almost all cases, you have to pay a fee to buy a program or get the magic formula. I know you have to spend money to make money, but if I spent it on all of these opportunities I would go broke instead of making the money I am looking for.

I will say that there is a free way to increase your income, and it doesn't take much effort. In fact, you can have lots of fun with this. Are you ready?.....

As I continue to read and study the mind and its power, I see more and more how we can use our minds to accomplish anything. This is not something that one book says. I have read about 30 (and counting), and they ALL say it!! Even the greatest book of all, the Bible, clearly outlines benefits of positive thoughts.

So how can just thinking about money bring it to you? From what I'm reading, it's a subconscious thing. You may be thinking...so money is going to fall from the sky just because I am thinking about it? I wish it was that easy. However, the more we see ourselves with the money in our imagination, the more likely we are to see it show up in our lives. It's not about willing it into our lives. It's not about figuring out how we can keep it all to ourselves. And it's not about just sittting around waiting for it. It is about generating good, positive feelings about money. It is about figuring out how we will use it to bless ourselves and others. And it is about developing faith and taking necessary action according to that faith.

Faith is exactly what happens when we think positive thoughts about money, or anything. I shared recently that faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen. I wrote that our thoughts are substance, and our desires are things hoped for. When we see money in our imagination, we are creating that evidence. Remember that our subconscious cannot tell the difference between what is real or imagined. The more you imagine it, the more you start to believe you can have it. Once you have that faith, pray for and seek opportunities to make it happen. Be sure to act immediately on the answers and guidance you receive from your intuition. I believe that intuition is the voice of God guiding and directing you.

I have seen this work in my own life. As I rid myself of negative money thoughts, and replace them with postive ones, I gradually see more money coming into my life. The more I maintain these positive thoughts, the more opportunities I receive. The same is true for anyone.

So instead of paying for those money-making opportunities and hoping they work out, see yourself as the prosperous person you want to be. Mentally experience the great things it will bring. Imagine the blessing you can be to the people in your life. Then act on the opportunities that inevitably follow. The more you keep these positive thoughts in your head, the faster you will see the results you are looking for. How much does this wonderful opportunity cost? It's free!

Enjoy the blessings!!

A Way To Benefit From The Past

I often write on this site about the importance of focusing on the present instead of the past. However, I do a little mental exercise every once in a while that does focus on past events. I find it very helpful.

We often focus on the negatives of our past. The mistakes we've made; the people we've let down; the could have, should haves. However, for each of us, there are events in our past we are proud of. The times we've accomplished the goal; people we've helped; the successes. It is these that I focus on.

Sometimes I like to play a little game. I am very good at associating songs with the time of my life that they were popular. The game is, when a song comes on the radio, I bring myself back to that time of my life and re-live what I was doing, what I was feeling, who I was with, etc. It is very powerful, as I actually re-live some of those feelings, especially as I review some of the happier times of my life.

I recommend this activity (or something like it) to anyone. Remember a time in your life when things were good and you were extra positive and successful. Then feel the joy and positive emotions again as you re-live it. With this activity some may say I am going against my philosophy and I am living in the past again. If so, I understand. The key is to bring those same feelings to the present, and maintain them. This is especially true if you are having more negative feelings during these prsent days.

As we maintain positive emotions, we see positive events in our lives and receive positive feedback from those around us. We may not experience the same successes as in the past, but we receive new ones instead. Sometimes the new ones are even more rewarding.

The bottom line is that, when we maintain positive emotions, our overall life turns out that way. This exercise helps us use the past to do so. Instead of using the past to remind you of your past mistakes, use it to remind yourself of the confidence and power that is within you. Know that you can use it as much today as you did in your glory days. If you maintain positive emotions, these present days can be called your glory days. Enjoy the blessings : )

Gone and Forgotten

Did you ever experience a day with lots of promise, but it doesn't quite turn out that way? And there is no one to blame for it but yourself?

I experienced a day like that today. Nothing major, just some mistakes made and opportunities missed.

The positive part about it, is that I caught the mistakes right away. As soon as I did, I prayed to God for forgiveness. When I did that, I immediately felt a re-assuring calm. My mistakes were gone at that moment. Will I make them again? If I'm honest I'll say maybe. Or even probably. Regardless, the mistakes I made today are gone and forgotten by God. Forever.

Is it really this simple? I answer with a definite yes. The only complications are the ones we add. This basic verse says it...“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9). It's up to us to ask. The rest is taken care of by God.

It is up to us to learn from our mistakes and try to avoid doing them again in the future. However, why should we continue to dwell on them and affect our present happiness when God has already forgotten our shortcomings? Instead, let us learn and move on, instead focusing on success. If we do, we are more likely to experience that success.

Have a great day : )

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Faithful Thoughts

There is much information available about how our thoughts can impact our lives and help us realize our goals and desires. Some people are very successful in doing so, while others say they try to use their thoughts for good things in life, but they still don't see the results. What's the missing ingredient?

In many cases, it is faith. I know because I have struggled in this area sometimes. My question then is, how does one develop their faith? After all, God Himself says He who lacks faith should not expect to receive anything from the Lord (James 1:7). I have found that prayer is one good way. God has responded when I have gone to Him admitting my lack of faith and asking for help in that area. Another way to increase faith is to focus on some of the inspirational verses in the Bible.

Another great technique I have seen recently is actually using our thoughts to develop our faith. Faith is described in the Bible as the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things unseen (Hebrews 11:1). When we focus on a thought, we are actually creating a substance of something hoped for. And when we see something in our imagination, it can be considered as evidence of something unseen. Put this together, and you have faith!

How do we use this to empower our lives? First of all, I read more and more how our subconscious mind cannot tell the difference between a real or imagined experience. The more it sees something happening, even if it's just in the imagination, the more you believe it to be true. By doing this consistently, and remaining focused on those positive thoughts, you will eventually live accordingly, and eventually receive what you are seeking. When we do this consistently, we are not only thinking good, positive thoughts, but we are also adding that faith element to it. With this combination, only great things can happen.

Try spending some quiet time each day reflecting on the ideal life. However, you want your life to be, imagine the experience as it is already happening. Feel the feelings of joy as if you were actually receiving the money you need, the job you are seeking, the ideal relationship, or the perfect weight. It's all you have to do. Keep seeing it every day until it actually occurs. Create that substance of what you hope for, and the evidence of your realized desire. This, besides prayer and any necessary action is you playing your part. When you pray, you are asking God to do His part, which He will gladly do according to His will. Before long, your goals will be manifested. If it's not exactly as you imagined, or as fast as you would like that's ok. It usually means God has something better, or some things need to fall in place first. Either way, you can't lose.

This method has worked for me, especially lately. I recommend you try this formula and use it in your own life if you are not already. Then...enjoy the blessings : )

He's On Our Side

I find it interesting when old, obscure songs just pop into my head. This happened today. I was reminded of a spunky little rocker from the 80s named Fiona. I played her on my college radio station, and she received mild airplay on some other stations. I would put a sample here, except she is so obsure that I could not even find her on YouTube.

Anyway, she had a song called "He's On My Side". It may or may not have been intended as a Christian song. Regardless, I was reminded of it today by a Bible verse I read today in Psalms 84:11...the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does He withhold from he whose walk is upright. This verse tells me that He is on our side. It tells us that, as long we are walking with Him and being obedient (even doing our best to be obedient because none of us are completely obedient) we have His blessing.

Remember this when you pray, and as you go about your day. I know that when I consciously focus on His presence, and know that I have His favor, I feel a strong confidence which affects my life in all areas. My relationships are better. I perform better at my job. I am at peace with myself. I feel stronger and healthier. The list can go on. The same is true for anyone else. Keep in mind today that God is on you side and wants to bless you today. Then live in that confidence and peace. Enjoy the blessings : )

Where's My Miracle?

I was reminded of this today, and wanted to share...just because your miracle hasn't arrived yet doesn't mean you won't receive it. Have patience and faith, and you will see your miracle somehow, some way : )

First-Class Treatment

What is it like to receive first-class treatment on a plane, in a restaurant or anywhere for that matter? My honest answer is...I don't know!!

I have never been lucky enough to sit in first-class during air travel. Nor have I received the VIP treatment at a restaurant, sporting event, or anywhere for that matter. It must be nice though. As far as I know, these people are treated like kings. They are catered to and given the best of everything. The people serving them are very positive and helpful to them, and they spend that time living in comfort and peace. Wouldn't that be great to enjoy that treatment on a regular basis?

I am here to tell you that you too can have that first-class treatment. You may ask, "from who?". The answer is...from you! That's right, you heard me (or should I say read me). It is up to us to treat ourselves like the first-class people we are. We cannot (and should not) rely on anyone else to do it. Sure, it's nice to receive a compliment and be treated well by others. We should cherish and appreciate that. However, we need to know that we are first-class creations of God. He makes no mistakes. Every one of His creations are beautiful. It is time that you saw yourself that way.

So go ahead. Give yourself the first-class treatment. Treat yourself like a king or queen. Cater to yourself and give yourself the best of everything. No, I'm not saying to disregard others or go out and buy things you can't afford. Sure, I believe you should treat yourself every once in a while. However, what I am mainly saying is to know that you are an awesome creation of God. Shower yourself with positive thoughts of confidence, love, success, and being the best person you can be. That will allow you to spend much time living in comfort and peace Here's another important fact. When we treat ourselves as first-class citizens, it quickly rubs off on those around us. It is much easier to treat others the same way. As a result, the positive impacts we are looking to make, come much easier.

To conclude, here's my Godly advice for the day...give yourself the first-class treatment. Your life will be first-class as a result. Enjoy the blessings : )

A Definition Of The Spirit of Power

I've often shared one of my favorite (as my regular readers can tell I have many favorites) Bible verses as 2 Timothy 1:7. It says...for God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline.

One may ask..what does one mean by a spirit of power? I have always seen it as the power of God that dwells in and around us. However, I read an article recently that has helped me gain an additional understanding and application of this concept. I found this article by Diane Langberg in my Couples Devotional Bible. She refers to this "spirit" as "the dominant tendency of the mind". She then stresses that is an attitude built upon the assumption that I am a person created by God, a joint heir with Christ, and an important part of this Body. Finally, she says that it is only when we set our minds on exercising that spirit of power, love, and self-control that emotions (especially negative ones) will cease to be the ruling force in our lives.

I find this information very interesting. I've seen in my own life that when my own emotions are the ruling force in my life, I fall short of where I want to be. When I focus my mind on this awesome power that I have, then I excel, even when negative situations arise. It is then where my faith is strong, I am quick to act, and my life and the lives of those around me are positively impacted.

Let us follow the advice of "setting our minds on exercising that spirit of power, love, and self-control. How do we do it? Take time-outs through the day and reflect on God and His goodness. Thank Him for His awesome power that is part of every one of us. If possible, find a block of time each day to reflect on Him, read His word, and meditate on His greatness. I try to find 15-30 minutes. If that is not possible, even taking 5-10 can still make a difference on your frame of mind.

The best part is that God wants us to be vessels of His power to do good works and have positive impacts. He will make sure it happens as long as we act and we maintain a positive, faithful mind. Focus on this verse all day, and watch the great things happen. Please share when they do. Enjoy the blessings : )

How to Quench Spiritual Thirst

God helped me in a major way today. I was feeling down. I felt useless, faithless, and frustrated that some things in my life weren't going my way.

You may be saying..wait a minute, Joe. This is supposed to be a positive blog. What's with the negative feelings? To answer that, I will say that even the best of us optimists have days like this every once in a while. What did I do? I went to the only one that could help me in a situation like this...God Himself.

It's amazing how God works. Earlier in the day, during my devotion time, I read Isaiah 55:1. It says, Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come buy and eat! Come buy wine and milk without money and without cost. While praying to God, I realized my problem. I have spent so much time figuring out how to accomplish things in my own power that I have not focused enough on God and His power. The reason that I was feeling as I was is because I was spiritually thirsty.

The greatness of God is shown in this verse. He says all we have to do in order to quench this spiritual thirst is come to Him. Acknowledge His love and power and just draw to it. And notice what He says about the cost of coming to Him at the end of the verse. There is none!

Are you experiencing a spiritual thirst? Are you feeling an incompleteness in your life? You can begin solving the problem by just going to Him. Let God handle your difficult situations. He is ready for you to ask for His help, and He provides for you freely and willingly.

My day was turned around instantly. As I focused on the power and love of God throughout the rest of my day, I felt a powerful peace around me and inside of me. I was spiritually full, and the light in me that had been dimmed was shining brightly once again.

It's a simple invitation to come to God and see what He can do for you. Will you take it? If you do, your thirst will be gone. Enjoy the blessings : )

Empty Me

There's a Contemporary Christian song from a couple of years ago by Chris Sligh. It is called, "Empty Me". It is an excellent reminder and prayer to empty ourselves of our ego, selfishness, and all we are that can get in the way of God's greatness. Instead, I pray that after being emptied of myself, I am filled with the awesomeness and love of God.

When we pray this prayer and live it out, great things happen in our lives. We bear more positive fruit, impact the lives of others, and glorify God. If you want to see some great blessings, stay out of God's way. Allow him to empty us of us, and fill us with Him. Your life will be filled with greatness as a result.

Three Ways to Get Answered Prayers

Wouldn't it be nice if we always received what we wanted in life? Unfortunately, it doesn't always work that way. However, there are things we can do to ensure that our prayers are answered (when it's in our best interest for God to do so).

John 15:7-8 says, If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given to you. This is to my father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my desciples. Another great scripture verse is Matthew 21:22. It says, if you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.

Based on these verses, I see three main ways to receive what you are seeking in life:

1. Remain in Him. This means remaining in constant communication with God through prayer. It also means believing in Him and His promises, being as much like Jesus as we can, and acting obediently according to His word and what we are prompted to do. In short, when we pray, listen and watch for a response, and act accordingly, we are increasing the chances of our prayers being answered.

2. Read and know His word. This occurs from reading the Bible and living it out. When His words are in our mind and on our heart, we are more likely to act appropriately and understand what He is doing in our lives.

3, Have/demonstrate faith. It is simple. The more we believe and expect good things to happen in our lives, the more likely we are to see it happen.

Why do these actions increase the chance of positive results? If you look at verse 8 from John 15 it talks about the Father's glory, that you would bear much fruit. When you abide in Him, know His word, and live in faith, it glorifies God. Don't you think God would be very willing to help you if He knows it would glorify Him? I would think so. The only time God would not honor a prayer is if it is something that would not glorify Him, or if it is not in His right timing.

This formula has worked very well for me, and I have seen its power in my own life. I strongly recommend you follow it. I am sure you will see the blessing in your life as well.

A Key to Getting Want You Want

Isn't it amazing how some people seem to get what they want, when they want? Unfortunately, the opposite is true for others.

So what's the magic formula? Is it faith? Luck? Being at the right place at the right time? I will say yes to all of those. However, I believe one word sums it up greater than all of the others. That word is....EXPECTATION. These people achieve these goals simply because they expect to.

I've seen in this in my own life. In general, when I expect to succeed at something, I usually do. When I go into something expecting to fail, I usually do. It's also amazing how, when we expect success, our faith grows, our luck increases, and we end up in the right place at the right time.

The bottom line...if you want success, learn to expect it. You can do this by envisioning the success in your mind. This helps because as your mind "sees" you succeeding you are more likely to believe success is possible. Then, as your level of expectation increases, so does your level of success.

It's a great way to live, isn't it? Raise your expectation level and let the victories begin. Enjoy!

Faith Tester

Test your faith today. Do something you know you could never do on your own, but could only accomplish with God's help. Enjoy the blessing!

A Sure Way To Reach Your Desires

God's promises are true, right? We can answer with a resounding yes!

If you are looking for those promises to come true in your life, I recommend you follow this 5 word formula: Delight yourself in the Lord.

It's as simple as that. Psalm 37:4 says..delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. According to the Life Application Bible, to delight in the Lord means to experience pleasure and joy in His presence. Simply said, the more we do this, the greater chance we have to reach our desires.

Knowing this, let us enjoy His presence as much as possible today. You will be extremely blessed.

Get Out Of the Way!

Who am I talking to? Mainly me, but anyone else who wants to listen. Just trying to help: )

I say this because I know God wants to do so much in my life. However, me and my ego constantly get in the way. We think we know more. We think our way is best. We think that just because we don't immediately see what we're looking for it's not there.

It's time for me to just move aside and let God do His thing. It's about making myself available, speaking and listening to Him, and doing what I am called to do.

God has so much good in store. Let us believe it, know it, and let it happen. Enjoy the blessings!

Great Plans of Prosperity Ahead

I was reminded of this wonderful verse in church today...for I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11).

This is a promise from God, which means these words are completely true. Dwell on this message today, especially if you've been having your doubts lately. God wants us to have the best in our lives. We need to believe and accept that.

Many blessings to you!