Tag: New Year

HAPPY NEW YEAR- Expect to be Blessed in 2017

Happy new year

As you celebrate the beginning of a new year, take a few moments to reflect and celebrate the good things you experienced in 2016. It’s important to make a decision to see the good, especially if 2016 was filled with disappointments.

If infertility was a factor in your 2016, what good came out of it? Are you closer to God? Closer to your spouse? Did you get better results by changing/removing some old habits?

If the death of a loved one infiltrated your life last year, what good came out of it? Did you learn that you are stronger than you thought as a result of that loss? Did love and support come from unexpected people?

No matter what your challenge may have been, there’s something good that came out of it…you just have to look for it.

Once you determine what those good things were, express gratitude for them. God always finds a way to show us His love in the midst of challenges and it’s a good practice to say, “Thanks” to Him.

A New Year of New Beginnings

And now as we begin a new year, let this year be the launching point of more good things experienced in your life–on an even higher level. Embrace what lies ahead and let go of 2016’s setbacks. Let your hope be reignited! Let what you say in 2017 reflect unwavering hope. Raise your expectancy for good things to come your way. Expect God to do wonderful, miraculous things in your life.

Prayer for 2017

What are some of the things you’re praying will happen in 2017? Please share them below.

My prayer for you in 2017 is that you will:

  • Gain a new and fresh revelation of God’s no-matter-what kind of love for you.
  • Ask boldly for what He has promised in His Word.
  • Expect to receive more than ever before.
  • Experience new-found freedom in Him, not settling for less than what He promised.
  • Look ahead with confidence, letting your words reflect what God has said about you.
  • Walk by faith and not by sight, knowing that it’s what you trust in but don’t yet see that keeps you moving ahead.
  • Be greatly blessed as you stand with daily gratitude.

May your 2017 be filled with abundance in every way!

Need help with clearing out old mindsets so that 2017 is filled with better results and more breakthroughs? I am here to help! Check out the scripture-based coaching services that I offer at iHope Coaching.


You crown the year with Your good blessings, and You leave abundance in Your wake.
~ Psalm 65:11 NET


The Spirit of God whets our appetite by giving us a taste of what’s ahead. He puts a little of heaven in our hearts so that we’ll never settle for less.
~ 2 Corinthians 5:5 MSG


His favor lasts a lifetime! ~ Psalm 30:5 NIV


Big Believing in 2014

“In Your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall. God is my strength and power, and He makes my way perfect.” 2 Samuel 22:30, 33

“…God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” Ephesians 3:20
 
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Happy New Year!! We’ve made it to 2014! Let’s celebrate by believing BIG this year!

Do you believe those verses of scripture are true for you?

Will that take some “big believing” on your part in 2014?

I encourage you to adopt this viewpoint–of God being with you, accompanying you in all that you do, loving you every minute of each day. Then you will see how, through His strength, you’ll be able to overcome challenges. Through His love, you’ll be able to love the unloveable.Through His guidance, your path will be secure. Through His power, you’ll experience more good than you could ask or think.

I pray that you’ll choose to wrap yourself in Jesus’ love and believe big in 2014 so that you’ll crush the opposition, jump over any obstacle, experience peace along your way, and enjoy the miraculous!

Who Dat?

Image courtesy of by Jeroen van Oostrom / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Image courtesy of by Jeroen van Oostrom / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 

No, this post is not about the New Orleans Saints and the Who Dat Nation. It’s about deciding where your focus will be in 2014.

If Jesus appeared in your living room today, would you recognize Him or would you have to say, “Who dat?” If He showed up at your place of employment, would you have to say, “Who dat?”

Make a decision today, 12/31/2013, that no matter what challenges lie ahead, your focus will be on Jesus and all His goodness, strength, and unconditional love for you. Then, when He appears, you won’t have to say, “Who dat?” You’ll know Him for sure and you’ll enjoy the favor, wisdom, and peace that only His presence can give you.

Focus on the presence of the Champion. That will be the best decision you’ll ever make as you plan for advancement in 2014 and beyond!

“We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. ”

Hebrews 12:2 (NLT)

Successful Like a Cow

“Meditation” is defined as contemplation, reflection, rumination and spiritual introspection (Source: Dictionary.com). Most people relate this word with TM, Transcendental Meditation, a “new age” technique based on Hindu writings. But did you know that there is a biblical form of mediation?

Joshua 1:8 gives us great insight into what biblical meditation is and how it differs from TM or any other type of meditation.

“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” (NIV)

In this verse, God is instructing Joshua about how to succeed as the new leader of Israel. But we can also glean from this scripture about how to be successful in life today, especially as we look forward to the new year. “Meditate” here means to ruminate, to speak (utter sound), to imagine, to speak with oneself (muttering) in a low voice (whisper). It is not simply reading the Word, thinking about it for a brief moment and quickly forgetting it. Biblical meditation involves using your voice to affirm God’s Word for your life and is an action you take frequently throughout the day.

But God didn’t tell Joshua to say anything and everything that came to his mind. He instructed him to meditate on the Book of the Law. God wanted Joshua to read, think about, and mutter God’s words! He wanted Joshua ruminate the good things about God and His love for him and the people of Israel.

Image courtesy of Sura Nualpradid / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Image courtesy of Sura Nualpradid / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Rumination usually brings to mind the picture of a cow chewing it’s cud. When a cow chews it’s cud, it is regurgitating the food it has eaten earlier, chewing it again, swallowing it, and then regurgitating again, chewing, and swallowing that same food repeatedly to gain the most value out of the food. We are to do the same in our meditation of God’s Word. To gain the most value from God’s words of life (John 6:63), we are to read His Word, speak His Word, think about that Word, and again speak His Word and think about His Word, repeatedly during our waking hours. I have found this can easily be done in snippets of 60 seconds here and there throughout our day.

For example, Psalm 1:3 tells us that the people who frequently meditate God”s Word “are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.” In meditating that particular verse, you can frequently whisper to yourself throughout the day, “I am like a tree planted near water, always bearing fruit at the right time, never unhealthy, always prospering.” Change the words if you like, but think and speak about how God loves you and firmly establishes you for success through His Word in every area of your life. There’s something in the Word of God that is the solution for our every problem and need! Speaking God’s Word is one of the keys to unlocking and unleashing it’s problem-solving power.

To become more diligent at doing meditating, I set the alarm on my phone to go off at a specific time every day, Sunday-Saturday, to remind me to take just 60 seconds, right at that moment, to meditate on God’s Word or to pray in the spirit. I can’t tell you the level of peace I’ve begun to experience and the insights for my life that I’ve gained just my incorporating this quick habit into my day. It has made a huge difference in how I view God’s love for me and His work on my behalf.

I’m considering providing a program that helps you understand, establish, and gain the most from this habit of 60-second biblical meditation. Would you like to become more like a cow, getting the most value out of God’s Word by incorporating this habit of success into your day? Let me know below.

Focus and Finish

At the beginning of every year, I try to designate a scripture that be my “theme” for the year. The scripture becomes a focal point that helps me to expect good things, remember where my help comes from, and  know Who it is that loves and favors me.

It’s important to me to set the stage of 2013 with a scripture that will impact not only my personal life but also my business. I believe God’s Word brings illumination and Life [Ephesians 1:17,18; John 6:63] to our lives and I definitely need those for this year. This year is bringing big changes in my life, which include building a business as an author and speaker and my husband and I becoming official empty-nesters later this year. I know I have to press into God in order to manage these and other changes well!

I’m still looking for the verse(s) that will be “the one” but here are some I’m considering:

  • Psalm 65:11 ~ “You crown the year with Your goodness, And Your paths drip with abundance.” [NIV]
  • Psalm 84:11 ~ “For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.”
  • Jeremiah 17:7,8 ~ “But blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.” [NLT]
  • Colossians 1:10 ~ “Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.” [NLT]

Do any of those resonate with you? I’d love to hear what you think, especially if you’d like to suggest other scriptures. Here’s to focusing on God’s Word and finishing strong!

Image courtesy of koratmember / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Image courtesy of koratmember / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Focus Friday

Focus on the following scripture throughout the day. It’s God’s Word and it’s what He desires us to believe. Believe it is true for you because God’s Word is Truth. Speak this Word to yourself throughout the day. Personalize it by putting your name in it!

Don’t be afraid, my people. Be glad now and rejoice, for the LORD has done great things.” ~~ Joel 2:21 NLT

Image courtesy of Sujin Jetkasettakorn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Image courtesy of Sujin Jetkasettakorn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The Harvest From Your Lips

Photo courtesy of Dreamstime.com | Dominik Damaziak
Photo courtesy of Dreamstime.com | Dominik Damaziak

The beginning of 2013 is just around the corner. What are you expecting from opportunities and challenges in the New Year? More importantly, what are you saying about the things that will come your way in the New Year?

Maintain a positive outlook and attitude. Start now by speaking what God has already said in the Bible that corresponds to what you desire to experience in your life. Speak it with confidence and expectancy, assured of God’s love for you!

Expect a bountiful harvest from the seeds (words) you sow each day.

What will be the harvest from your lips?

“From the fruit of his mouth a man’s stomach is filled; with the harvest from his lips he is satisfied. The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”  ~Proverbs 18: 20, 21 NIV

“As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.”  ~Romans 4:17 NIV