Overcoming Indecision

Many people struggle with indecision (the inability to make a decision) and double-mindedness (constantly changing their minds) because of fear or a lack of confidence. However, you can make a decision and stick with it because you have discipline and a calm, well-balanced mind.

You can easily feel overwhelmed by all the decisions you need to make daily unless you have confidence in your ability to make right ones. Don’t ever say again, “I have a hard time making decisions,” because when you think and speak like that you are setting yourself up for confusion. Instead, you can believe the next time you need to make a decision that you will hear from God, be led by the Holy Spirit, and know what to do. Even if you have had difficulty doing so in the past, this is a new day for you, and you are in charge of your thinking—it is no longer in charge of you!

Power Thought: My mind is calm, and I’m in control of my thinking.

From the book Power Thoughts Devotional by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2010 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.

Liberty

In 2 Corinthians 3:17, The Apostle Paul wrote, “Now the Lord is that spirit: and where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty!” When a person is saved by God, he or she receives and experiences God in Spirit. When we trust and allow God to be Lord (ruler) over our lives, we will realize:

• How much God loves and cares for us. (John 3:16-18)
• God will accept us no matter what we have done in the past. (Isaiah 1:18)
• God has the power to forgive us all of unrighteouness, if we ask Him. (Isaiah 43:25; Ephesians 1:7; I John 1:9)
• When we are saved, God’s Spirit abides within us. ( Romans 8:9; I John 3:24, 4:13)

Is the Spirit of the Lord abiding within you today? If He is, you are living in the abundance of joy and freedom. If not, you are living in bondage.

What has you bound? Is it a past relationship that went sour, or a marriage that ended in divorce? Maybe it’s alcohol, drugs, or sex. Whatever has you bound, you can be made free. As Jesus Christ stated in John 8:32, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” The truth is, “the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23); and tomorrow is not promised. If you are tired of living in bondage, you can pray this prayer right where you are.

Dear God,

Thank you for allowing me to live until this very moment. If I had died before now, I would have gone to hell. I now repent of my sins; I am sorry for them, and do not want to sin any more. I want nothing to do with the devil. I choose to be Your child; a citizen of Your kingdom.

Jesus I accept You as my Savior. I truly thank You for shedding Your blood for my sins, and rising from the dead so that I too, may have victory over the grave. I love and will serve You from this day forward. AMEN

According to Psalm 51, King David went to God to plea for mercy, forgiveness, and cleansing of his sins. He stated in verse 17, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou will not despise.” If you have sincerely prayed and went before God broken, God wants to mend you and make you whole.

A person without God is empty and incomplete. Jesus Christ emphatically stated in John 15:5, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, bringeth forth much fruit: for without me (apart from me) ye can do nothing.”

Wake Up America

Based on the violence that has spurred in America, one could conclude, America is heading towards a downward spiral. What's the underlying cause? Is race the culprit? Who or what has given life to an issue that was assumed dead?

The underlying force contributing to the demise of America isn't physical, but spiritual. And if we're going to make America great, we have to learn how to fight in a realm that's spiritual. (Ephesians 6:10-13)

According to John 10:10, the enemy comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. What was stolen, killed, and destroyed during the recent weeks of violence and who's to blame? Believe it or not, it's the enemy and his mission is gaining footage.

Luke 6:27-28 states, "But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. Remember the motto, "United We Stand, divided we fall." The power to make America great is within all of us. Not just the President, Congress, and the rich.

God needs a new nation of people who are willing to fight to restore, revive, and renew the spirit of America, and this blogpost serves as a recruitment message to the unsaved, and a wake-up message to the saved.

As long as America's spirit is broken, America will never be great. The only way to make America great is to be unified as One.

Responsibility

• Be responsible for your actions. No one can make you behave the way you do.

• Be responsible for your thoughts. No one can make you think the way you think.

• Take ownership of your feelings. No one can make you feel good or bad.

• Be responsible for your life. No one can make you have a fulfilled or dreadful life.

• Be responsible for how you are treated. You are treated the way you allow yourself to be treated.

• Be responsible for how you treat others. No one can make you respect or disrespect him or her.

• Be responsible for your relationship with God and others. God and no one can make you love them. The choice is ultimately yours.

Ten D’s of Women Trailblazers

1. Dreamers – Where there is no vision, the people perish (Proverbs 29:18a). You have to envision where you want to be so your actions can follow.
2. Destined – Always begin with the end in mind. Women trailblazers predetermine how they want to end their struggle and work towards ending it.
3. Driven – What's the force behind your actions - your spirit, struggles or faith?
4. Determined – Women trailblazers have the will power to carry out their mission to improve the social, economical, and educational stance of women.
5. Devoted – Whatever you do, have a passion for it. When you have a passion, you’ll work without wanting anything in return.
6. Disciplined – Women trailblazers prepare themselves to face challenges and/or obstacles.
7. Dignity – Women trailblazers think highly of themselves and present themselves with high regard and honor.
8. Diligent – Women trailblazers are perseveres. They stay on course regardless of the challenges they may face in life.
9. Daring – Women trailblazers have unshakable faith and aren't ashamed to be different.
10. Decisive – Women trailblazers do not waiver in their decisions and actions to advance the lives of all women.

You Can Have a Great Career

Do you have a great career? How do you measure your greatness? Is it measured by what you acquire or what you contribute? A great career is more than working in a profession to collect a paycheck. It’s about using your unique skills, gifts, and talents to serve (i.e., add value). And, a great career is achievable to anyone who wants one. Here are three ways to get started:

1. Take Inventory of Your Strengths - What are your current strengths and how have you added value to your clients through your place of employment or business? If you can't answer these questions with clarity or certainty, a career assessment can help you develop a framework to discover your true passion, personal, or vocational traits.
2. Develop a Contribution Plan - Once you’ve discovered your passion and strengths, create a plan to determine the contribution(s) and impact your passion and strength will make in the lives of others.
3. Invest in Your Strengths – When you invest in yourself, your strengths will come into fruition and grow stronger as you elevate others. You can read books, periodicals, take an online course, enroll in a non-credit course, or join a networking group. Just don't tell yourself you don't have time or money to invest in your greatness.

Poverty is Colorblind

When you hear the word poverty, what's the first image you see or your first thought? Women and children in an impoverished country or women with polished nails holding a sign for help? If you could help a group of women living with poverty, which group would you choose and why?

Poverty is more than having more bills at the end of the month than money. It's extreme, situational, institutional, or generational; making it difficult to create pathways to economic independence, wealth, and stability.

When we seek support or investment in our work to decrease the trend of poverty amongst women throughout the Washington region, we often receive a plethora of reasons of why we shouldn't help them because their level of poverty isn't as severe as women experiencing poverty in other countries. A local pastor stated, You haven't seen poverty until you've been to a country where people have to drink and bathe in dirty water. Now, that's poverty. What we have here (i.e., in the U.S.), isn't poverty. Does this mean we should negate our efforts to help women and children experiencing poverty in the U.S. if they have access to clean water?

When our lives are threatened by a disease, we collaborate our energy and resources to find a cure, or a way to stop it from spreading. We don't assess if one disease deserves more attention than the other because of the impact the disease may have on all humanity.

Ignoring the plight of poverty will not eradicate it, but heighten it because poverty affects all ethnicities and nationalities.