A Thought on Faith

"A faith that has not been tested is a faith that cannot be trusted." - Bishop Neil C. Ellis

10 For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried.
11 Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins.
12 Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place. (Psalms 66:10-12 KJV)

Excerpt from Post "How I Rebounded From a Major...Setback" by Crystal Paine

I read the following in a guest blog post on Michael Hyatt's website. The guest poster's name is Crystal Paine, and she is the blogger for Money Saving Mom. The topic of the post is rebounding from a business setback, but some of our statements also apply to rebounding from setbacks in life. I'm only posting those excerpts, so to read the post in its entirety click here.

I had to go back to the why behind what I’m doing. If I don’t know why I’m doing something, if there isn’t heart and purpose behind it, when things get tough, it will be hard to stick with it.

The past few weeks, I’ve spent time mulling over all the reasons I started MoneySavingMom.com in the first place. It wasn’t so I could build a large platform or have a thriving Facebook Page (Facebook Pages didn’t even exist when I started!).

No, it was so I could help people find practical ways to save money and ultimately, experience the freedom and blessing that comes from living with intention.

Reminding myself of the why behind the what has really changed my perspective, renewed my enthusiasm, given me a burning drive to continue on—and maybe to resurrect some of the types of posts/series that I used to write when the blog was still in its early stages.

28 For which of you, wishing to build a farm building, does not first sit down and calculate the cost [to see] whether he has sufficient means to finish it?
29 Otherwise, when he has laid the foundation and is unable to complete [the building], all who see it will begin to mock and jeer at him,
30 Saying, This man began to build and was not able (worth enough) to finish. (Luke 14:28-30 Amplified Bible)

It Happens a Step At a Time

I read this in a devotional on Joyce Meyer's website. It's a part of her 3030 Challenge. The challenge is to spend 30 minutes a day praying and reading God's Word for the next 30 days. To read the entire devotional click here.

Excerpt from Discipline Is Not a Dirty Word

You see, although today we can microwave a meal, there’s no such thing as “microwave Christianity.” Actually, I like to call God’s process “The Law of Gradual Growth.” Why? Because little by little, as we make right choices, He delivers us from our enemies and takes us where we need to be.

Yes, in the beginning, disciplining yourself will be difficult. It won’t feel good and you won’t like it. But every time you make a choice to do the right thing, the next time it gets a little easier. And you get one step closer to your goal.

"Procrastination – Is This An Alternative Solution?" by Marcus Baker

I read the following post on Marcus Baker's blog (www.marcus-baker.com). He writes on a concept that is so simple but I hadn't considered before. Instead of waiting until you feel like doing something which in turn leads to procrastination, go ahead and do it. I wonder how much more we all would accomplish if we did that?

Procrastination – Is This An Alternative Solution?

By Marcus Baker

Recently I was reading some work by the late Japanese psychotherapist, Dr Morita Shoma (1874-1938), founder of Morita Therapy, a branch of clinical psychology strongly influenced by Zen Buddhism.

He noted that how a person feels is important as a sensation and as an indicator for the present moment, but that the feeling is uncontrollable.

According to Shoma we don’t create feelings, feelings happen to us and since feelings do not cause our behavior, we can function with unpleasant feelings while still taking constructive action.

If this is true then we don’t have to wait till we feel like doing something before we do it, however isn’t this exactly what most of us do?

This is what procrastination is all about. You wait till you feel like doing something before you do it, but what happens if you never feel like doing it? This is why some people never leave the starting line.

How much more would you achieve if ‘feeling like doing it’ was not a valid criteria for taking action?

I know that when I procrastinate in certain areas of my life it’s usually because I allow “not feeling like it” to take control but I also have some very solid examples to call on when I have not allowed this to happen.

During my earlier years I was a competitive swimmer. I was required to be at training every day at 5am no matter what. I did this for close on 2o years. Later in my life there was a period when I had to go to gym every morning at 5am. It was the only way I could fit it in with my busy work schedule.

I achieved my goals and beyond in both of the above sporting endeavors. I accomplished these because they were important to me. I did what I had to do to make them happen.

How did I do this? By not waiting until I felt like it before taking action. There were many cold, dark winter’s mornings when I certainly didn’t feel like getting up but I did. On other mornings, having gone to bed late I would wake up tired. It would have been very easy to rather stay in bed but I didn’t allow how I felt to get in my way.

If you look at your own life, you too will have accomplished many tasks that you didn’t feel like doing. These may have been as simple as doing homework, going to work on a Monday morning, walking the dog in the rain, taking the trash out etc. You accomplished these things because they needed to get done.

In doing these you applied the essence of Dr Shoma’s method:

1.Accept your thoughts and feelings as perfectly natural to you in the moment. Don’t ignore or avoid them. Welcome them but don’t let them be the reason why you don’t do something.

2.Know your Purpose – Know what it is you want to achieve and why it’s important. Focus on your goal.

3.Do what needs doing in line with your goal, whether or not you are thinking positively or feeling motivated.

If you can find some examples in your own life of when you have taken action regardless of how you felt and achieved your goals then you can do so again no matter what it is you want to achieve. All that’s required is putting your will into action.

The problem with a lot of so called “cures” for procrastination is that they assume you have to find a way of being motivated before you can take action. However this is really just an extra hurdle placed in the path of action.

Consequently most motivational workshops and similar aren’t part of the solution but part of the problem because they re-enforce that you have to get psyched up before you can take action.

By believing this you now not only have to do some task you don’t want to do but you also have to feel great about doing it before you can begin. Isn’t this just heaping more pressure on yourself than is necessary?

You have the spirit to make things happen at any time and in any moment unless you give your power away. Freedom and power are connected to taking responsibility and exercising your spirit within. You don’t have to wait until you feel like doing something before you do, so stop allowing this to get in your way.

Let’s always remember Nike’s well known slogan, “Just do it”. I’d like to think that whoever came up with this was influenced by the work of Dr Morita Shoma but it makes no difference if they were or not.

In conclusion I leave you with more wisdom from the Japanese doctor:

“Give up on yourself. Begin taking action now, while being neurotic or imperfect, or a procrastinator, or unhealthy, or lazy, or any other label by which you inaccurately describe yourself. Go ahead and be the best imperfect person you can be and get started on those things you want to accomplish before you die.”

Sounds like great advice and you can do so starting right now, no matter how you feel. Are you ready to be the master of your destiny?

- See more at: Marcus Baker's personal development category

Transitioning Sucks

I have to admit it. Life transitions suck. Oh, it can be fun in the beginning. You gathered the courage and took the leap to head for the new and unknown. Things were fine at first, but then you were thrown one unexpected curve ball after another. Now the thought is, "I didn't sign up for this." And you can't go back. Former connections have dissipated so you can't rely on those security blankets anymore. Plus, if you had the chance to go back would you really want to? Sure, the person you were starting out could put up with or overlook certain situations, but could you do so today?

Transitioning sucks but there's only two real options: move forward or stay stuck where you are. So moving forward sounds like the best option, because you don't want to stay where you are now. I know I don't.


"But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good..." (Genesis 15:20, King James Version)

Embracing Your Limitations - Inspired by Phil Hansen

I saw the following video in Dan Miller's post Embrace the Shake. (Dan Miller is the author 48 Days to the Work You Love and Wisdom Meets Passion.

In this TEDTalk, Phil Hansen explains how, as an artist, initially he considered his nerve damage as the end all of his dream. But he learned how to take his limitation and create and expand his art in ways he never dreamed or envisioned.

It's a different way of thinking. What could we learn to create within our limitations if we took the time to embrace them?

"There Is No Overnight Success" by Jonathan Wells

"Life is about growth and change, that is the journey we are on. If we only focus on the final outcome we miss the joy associated with our experience. In other words, we miss out on life itself." - Jonathan Wells

I read those lines in the following blog post.  The post can be viewed in its original form by visiting Jonathan Wells' site Advanced Life Skills.

There Is No Overnight Success

by Jonathan Wells

Because our life happens one day at a time, there is a tendency to view each day as a separate and independent event. While I am a big fan of living in the moment, it is equally important to understand how one moment relates to the next.

Life is a cumulative experience

Those with something to gain want you to believe that major changes can happen almost instantly and with very little effort. They try to convince you that you can be a millionaire, or the picture of perfect health, if you just buy their product and use it for the next thirty days.
Promises like that can sound very appealing. Don’t be fooled, there is no such thing as an overnight success, or even an overnight failure for that matter. Sometimes it may appear to be that way, but that’s just because we were not in a position to witness the whole process.

See the big picture

In actuality, success and failure are the result of prior choices and actions. Barring any unforeseen catastrophic events, your life today is the sum of all your yesterdays.
To succeed in any area of life we need to learn to view today, not as a single disconnected event, but as a major contributor to our future. This requires a special kind of awareness. It means being able to look ahead and see the likely consequences of what you are doing right now.

Shortsightedness eventually brings pain

If we don’t see the connection between are choices today, and our quality of life tomorrow, there will pain and disappointment in our future. We see this scenario being played out every single day.
One common example of this kind of shortsightedness is someone who eats and drinks without any regard for the long term consequences. Over the years their weight and blood pressure rise steadily. The function of their liver and pancreas is slowly impaired, and their level of physical activity decreases. Then, seemingly out of the blue, they are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, or worse yet, they have a heart attack.

Still no clue

What’s their response to their new reality? They either wonder why, or they chalk it up to getting older. When in truth, it was the predictable outcome of two or three decades of not associating today’s choices with tomorrow’s reality.
We could say the same thing about a relationship that slowly goes bad, or constantly rising debt that leads to bankruptcy. Failure to recognize and acknowledge that our future is the culmination of all the previous days and years is a sure path to pain and disappointment.

Awareness leads to success

On the other hand, we can make good use of the cumulative nature of life to help move us steadily in the direction of our goals and dreams. However, before we can do that, we need to adopt a different mindset with relation to how we view the accumulation process.
We live in a world that wants everything right now. People have linked their positive emotional anchors to instant gratification. They have no patients for, nor do they find any pleasure in the process. They just want the result without having to do the work. The problem with this mindset is that life simply does not work that way.

Learn to love the journey

Life is about growth and change, that is the journey we are on. If we only focus on the final outcome we miss the joy associated with our experience. In other words, we miss out on life itself.
On the other hand, if we live each day with no awareness of where it is leading us, then we have no direction and will never achieve any goals. What we want is the best of both worlds. We want to fully enjoy and experience each day, and know that it is moving us ever closer to the realization of our long term goals.

How can we do that?

1) Shift your mindset with a question. You need to weigh each day’s activities and decisions according to your long term goals. Simply asking yourself, “will this move me toward success or away from it?” will increase your awareness and change your perspective
This applies to personal goals, business goals, and relationship goals. For example, If you are considering a second helping of dessert, ask yourself if that will move you toward your weight loss goal, or away from it. If you are about to find fault with your mate, ask yourself if pursuing that conversation will strengthen your relationship or undermine it. Always consider the long term consequences before to make a decision or take action.


2) Learn to find joy in the process. I learned this from the legendary Bonsai Master John Naka. When I was relatively new to the art of bonsai he told me that if I did not learn to find enjoyment in the training process, I might as well buy finished bonsai trees and just be a collector.
But I wanted to create not collect. We are all the creators of our own life; we can’t just buy the life we want. Doesn’t it make sense to enjoy the creative process while staying aware of our overall direction? We do this by holding a vision of our desired future and finding joy in each step of the journey.


3) Review your actions weekly. Every week take a few minutes to look back and double check your direction. Are you still moving toward your goals, or do you need to make some adjustments? Were there any activities over the past week that did not support you goals and should be eliminated?
Then review your goals to see if they are still what you want. It is not unusual to discover that the goals themselves need to be adjusted from time to time to stay in harmony with who we are right now. Don’t be afraid to reevaluate your goals as you grow and progress.

Using the present to sculpt the future

As we can see, within the scope of normal circumstances, there really is no such thing as instant success or failure. Learning to maintain a constant awareness of how today’s choices effects tomorrow’s life will empowers us to create the future we want, while finding joy in the journey.

"And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it." (Habakkuk 2:2 King James Bible)