So, if you are new to this site, Watch The Video To Your Left And Then Click Below The Video Player And Take The Free Tour!)

Measuring Your Problems

Have you ever measured something twice? Three times? I’m no carpenter, but I’m willing to bet that once they measure something, they don’t need to measure it again!

I was going to put up some rope lights in the patio and I measured it. Then, I was figuring out the length of the rope lights that I had, and I measured it again! Odd isn’t? It wasn’t because I had forgotten what I had measured the first time. Perhaps I was unsure that my first measurement was accurate.

And when you think about it, measuring is simply defining the project at hand. In this case, how many feet of rope lights I would need. And I could have measured it a hundred times, even down to the quarter inch - but measuring did not get the lights up!

Too often people keep their focus on the problem. And that is very counterproductive. They think about how big the problem it is. They talk about how big a problem it is. Then they are constantly evaluating just how big the problem could get. It’s like taking measurements of it over and over again.

Keeping your focus on the problem does not bring a solution. Even if the problem is very serious, your focus still needs to be on a solution!

And Here’s A Huge Key!

Instead of putting all your attention on how big the problem is, start focusing on how big your God is! Why not focus on how loving, how forgiving, how powerful, and, how delivering He is?

There is no problem, opportunity, or challenge that is too big for God. You can read countless records in the Bible of His delivering power! Those records are in there, not to embarrass your, but to encourage you to trust Him and to look to Him for a solution!

Doesn’t it seem pretty illogical to think that there is something too big for God? He has a solution for you! Ask for His help. Look to Him for a solution, and expect to receive it!

Choose to have a great day!

Mike

BTW: This site is not intended to just give people a nice warm and fuzzy feeling. You may indeed get that from this site from time to time. But, this site is designed to give people the tools so that they can get the results that they desire in their lives.

The information on this web site, especially now in the times that we are living in, will be of great help for those who, regardless of the situations going on the world, want to live a dynamic life and get solid results. It is for those who don’t want to live in fear.

So, if you are member, take advantage of what is offered. Apply the principles and get results. Tell others about the site too!

If you are not a member, then watch the video, then take the tour, and join today, and begin enriching your life now!

So, if you are new to this site,  Watch The Video To Your Left And Then Click Below The Video Player And Take The Free Tour!)

Is There Enough?

Many years ago I was responsible for an event that included lunch for everyone attending.  We planned a great outdoor barbeque!  The pig was slowly roasted all night long.  All the trimmings were planned out.  We were sure that we had a pretty close number of those who would attend.

But on the day of the event, two things happened.  First, those serving were not instructed as to how much to put on each of those delicious pork sandwiches.  Secondly, there were about 30 more people who showed up than we had anticipated.  The result?  Those towards the end of the line received very little pork on their sandwich, and, the last 6 or 7 people got an empty bun!

I learned a great lesson that day about planning!

Now on a much larger scale, are we to believe that the Creator’s intention was for billions of people to be all over the earth struggling to survive due to a limited supply?  That would mean that the Almighty is very shortsighted!  And, because of that, we all have to struggle for survival because there just isn’t enough to go around?  Do you want to tell God that He is lousy planner?

Nonsense!

Every morning when you wake up you are clearly reminded of His endless supply.  You wake up breathing!  There’s still plenty of oxygen for everyone on the earth!

And planet Earth is still in orbit around the sun, so there will be plenty of sunshine for another day.   And it doesn’t stop there.

There is great abundance everywhere you look.  In fact, God designed all of life to be abundant!

Do you really think that God is now saying, “Oh, I never expected there to be billions of people on the earth!  Now what am I going to do?”

God is a God of abundance and He has provided an endless supply.  He intended for us to enjoy our lives by enjoying all He has provided for us.  But remember, He also gave every one of us free will to choose.  We decide what we want to believe and accept.  And what we believe and accept is what we will attract and bring into our lives.

Thinking negative and talking negative will bring negatives into your life.  Thinking poverty or lack, and talking poverty or lack, will bring poverty and lack into your life.  It is like putting your foot on a hose.  The supply is there and it is flowing, but you are interfering and impeding the flow.

When we choose to think and talk about God’s abundance and His prosperity; His care and His protection; His endless supply and His endless love; when we focus on those things, then we will begin to see His abundance and prosperity flow into our lives.

Regardless of whether the economy is up or down, God is still a God of abundance and He will supply it to those who have confidence and trust in Him!

Choose to have a great day!

Mike

BTW: This site is not intended to just give people a nice warm and fuzzy feeling. You may indeed get that from this site from time to time.  But, this site is designed to give people the tools so that they can get the results that they desire in their lives.

The information on this web site, especially now in the times that we are living in, will be of great help for those who, regardless of the situations going on the world, want to live a dynamic life and get solid results. It is for those who don’t want to live in fear.

So, if you are member, take advantage of what is offered.  Apply the principles and get results.  Tell others about the site too!

If you are not a member, then watch the video, then take the tour, and join today, and begin enriching your life now!

So, if you are new to this site, Watch The Video To Your Left And Then Click Below The Video Player And Take The Free Tour!)

Who Are You Listening To?

Sometimes it’s easy to forget just how much people can influence you.

My wife, Kathy, was at the grocery store this past weekend and while in the produce department, she overheard a conversation between another shopper and the produce manager. They were discussing the recent presidential election.

The conversation was not very positive as each man presented his fears of what lies ahead for our country.

Kathy walked over just as the shopper strolled away to find other items. She commented to the produce manager, “Wow! A political conversation right here in front of the tomatoes and onions!”

The produce manger expressed some of his fears, but Kathy reminded him that by praying and trusting in God, we don’t need to live with fear!

There is no question that the economic days we are living in are not the best at this moment. A lot of people are talking about it and there is a lot of uncertainty and fear. The daily news reports are certainly not building people up and encouraging people! No, quite the opposite!

I told someone yesterday that so much of the news is not only depressing, but it builds more fear into people. I then commented that if there was something really earth shattering that the news was reporting on, I’m sure someone would call me and tell about it.

The point is, if I miss today’s “news report,” I’m probably not really missing anything, except more fear and negatives for my mind to deal with.

I would rather continue to fortify my mind with the promises of God. They are either true or they are not. Psalm 46 says,

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;

Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.

Again, that is either true or it is not. I believe that it is. I am also convinced that what you focus your mind on is what you are going to attract into your life. That’s why this site is loaded with great content that will help you stay focused on that which will benefit your life regardless of the times that we live in!

I don’t have to watch every news report - I doubt I will miss anything that I need to know.

I am all in favor of trying to help people, but I do not have to have to be friends with and listen to “Debbie Downer” or “Pessimist Pete.”

Who are you listening to? What are you focusing on?

Choose to have a great day!

Mike

BTW: This site is not intended to just give people a nice warm and fuzzy feeling. You may indeed get that from this site from time to time. But, this site is designed to give people the tools so that they can get the results that they desire in their lives.

The information on this web site, especially now in the times that we are living in, will be of great help for those who, regardless of the situations going on the world, want to live a dynamic life and get solid results. It is for those who don’t want to live in fear.

So, if you are member, take advantage of what is offered. Apply the principles and get results. Tell others about the site too!

If you are not a member, then watch the video, then take the tour, and join today, and begin enriching your life now!

Here is some simple information about RSS that can be a great help to you, not only with the blog here at Confidence And Joy, but other blogs too.  And trust me, it really isn’t complicated.  In fact, when you subscribe to an RSS feed the first time you’ll probably say what I said; “That’s it? It’s that easy?”

Basically Speaking

RSS means Really Simple Syndication. It is a simple and easy way to syndicate or subscribe to the feed of a website, blog or almost any media content online; not just articles; it can be music, video or almost any digital media. Subscribing to an RSS feed means you do not have to go visit the website to read the latest feed, or post, or content. Instead you use feed reading software or a website to read the latest articles.

That means that instead of going to each of your favorite sites individually you can collect all the latest feeds of the sites (provided they make RSS available) in one place. I use the Google reader and it is just so simple.  When I open it up, all the sites I subscribe to are there with the latest posts, all organized!  The purpose of RSS is to make it easier and more efficient for you to get the content you want.

So, what do I do?

You can pick whatever “reader” you want, and there are a number of them.  I went with Google because it was simple and easy, and Google is my home page so when I access the internet, it’s real simple to just open up my reader.

Note! If any of this seems complicated, just do what I do - find someone 25 years old or younger and they can set this up for you in minutes!

Accessing the Google Reader is real easy. You must first have a free account with Google.  Here’s how to set that up.

Just go to http://Google.com.  On the top right of Google’s page, click, “sign in.” A new page will come up.

Look for the sign in box and click on the “create an account now”

You can use any existing email account. (Note: This is NOT creating a new Gmail account.)

The next screen tells you that Google has sent you an email with a verification link. Before you proceed, look for that email and click on the link. You will be taken to a new screen which says your email address has been verified. Click on the link to manage your account profile.

Look for the section on the right that says “My Services”. Reader should be listed there. Click on the link.

Once you have an account set up, get on the Google home page (www.google.com), and then look at the top of the Google page and find the word, “More” and click on it.  A drop down menu appears, and you need to click on “Reader.” Or, in your account, look for “my services” and click on “Reader.”

You are now set to subscribe to any RSS content available on any website!

How Do I Subscribe to any RSS Feed?

There are a number of ways. I’ll give you two simple ways. For example, on the Home Page of www.ConfidenceAndJoy.com you will see, on the right side, the standard symbol for RSS - it looks like this:

Simply left click on it and it will take you to a page.  The RSS feed address is what will be showing in the address bar at the top of the page.  Simply copy that address. Then go to your Google Reader, click on “Add Subscription” and then paste that address in the box, and click on, “add.”  That’s it!

Now, every time there is a new post on that site it will be automatically added to your Google Reader.  You can find them easily, read the ones you want to, and read the ones you’ve missed - all without going to the site!

Another way to do this is to find the Google add button on the web site you wish to receive RSS feeds from.  It will look similar to this:

Simply click on it.  It will take to you to a Google page, and then you simply click, “Add to Google Reader.”

Your RSS feed subscriptions will be listed on the left.  To access just click on it.  When you have a one of your RSS feed subscriptions open and you see the list of articles or posts, click on the one you want to read and it will open up the entire article.  To get back to the list, simply click on the title.

This is how to use the Google Reader.  Other readers operate in a similar way.  So follow these simple instructions and subscribe to the RSS feed for ConfidenceAndJoy.com and other RSS feeds you like.

How Easy Is It?

Make sure you have a Google account.

Find the RSS symbol on the site and click on it.

Copy the address at the top.

Open your Google Reader, click “add subscriptions,” and paste in the address.

Or,

Find the add Google button on the website you wish to get feeds from.

and click on it.

Then, on the page that comes up, click, “Add to Google Reader.”

]]> http://www.enrichingyourlifenow.com/how-to-subscribe-to-any-rss-feed/feed http://www.enrichingyourlifenow.com/friday-november-14-2008 http://www.enrichingyourlifenow.com/friday-november-14-2008#comments Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:18:36 +0000 admin http://www.enrichingyourlifenow.com/?p=847 (The information on this web site, especially now in the times that we are living in, will be of great help for those who want to live a dynamic life and get real results. It is for those who want to stop living with worries and fears and instead live life to its fullest!

So, if you are new to this site,  Watch The Video To Your Left And Then Click Below The Video Player And Take The Free Tour!)

A Phone Conversation With Uncle Tony

I talked to my uncle Tony on the phone yesterday.  He is 94 years old.  I hadn’t talked to him for quite some time and it was really good to hear his voice.

In our conversation he mentioned that he doesn’t drive too much anymore.  I asked, “You are still driving?”  He replied, “Well, sure I am.”  I then laughed.

“What are you laughing about,” he asked.  I replied, “Well I think it’s great that you can still drive.”

He went on to tell me that his license expires in three years and when it is time to renew, he didn’t think they were going to let him keep it.  He then went on to say, “They’re not going to take it away from me - I’ll just take ‘em for a ride!”

What was really inspiring to me was his attitude about life.  Most people when they get up to a certain age are not very certain if they are going to live much longer.  They say things like, “Well, I don’t know if I’ll be around much longer,” or, “I hope I can live a few more years.”

I’ve heard people talk like that who are in their 70’s!  Here’s a man in his 90’s, already thinking of a plan, three years from now, to keep his drivers license!  And he is not in the best of health.  And yet, in our conversation, he talked very little of his decreasing physical ability to do things.  He told me the hardest thing about driving was getting in and out of the car!

I was impressed by his love for life and living.  I was thankful his mind was still sharp.  I was very inspired by his attitude.

Oh, and one more thing.  He told me that it was just too hot this summer for him to drive to Denver from his home in southern California.  So, now that it has cooled off, he said that he might get someone to help him drive to Tucson, Arizona.  He wants to go there to visit is sister, who is 99!

Choose to have a great day!

Mike

BTW:  This site is not intended to just give people a nice warm and fuzzy feeling. You may indeed get that from this site from time to time.  But, this site is designed to give people the tools so that they can get the results that they desire in their lives.

The information on this web site, especially now in the times that we are living in, will be of great help for those who, regardless of the situations going on the world, want to live a dynamic life and get solid results. It is for those who don’t want to live in fear.

So, if you are member, take advantage of what is offered.  Apply the principles and get results.  Tell others about the site too!

If you are not a member, then watch the video, then take the tour, and join today, and begin enriching your life now!

So, if you are new to this site,  Watch The Video To Your Left And Then Click Below The Video Player And Take The Free Tour!)

The Choice Is Yours!

Most of the time, I end these blogs by saying, “Choose to have a great day.”  Every day we have a choice. We can choose to complain about things during the day, or, we can choose to express gratitude.

Now I’m not saying that if something unpleasant happens we just say, “Thank God, He must have a reason for why things are happening the way they are happening.”  Of course there are reasons for why things happen.  There is always a reason, but why is God blamed for everything?

We can choose to go through the day looking for the good, and make a conscious effort to thank God.  And when we run up against obstacles or unpleasant situations, we can choose to look to God for the solutions.

It really is an exciting way to live life - living with an attitude of gratitude, along with a trust and confidence in God.  Living that way puts your mental focus on what God has done for you, and what He will continue to do for you!  Or, you can choose to focus on the negatives and problems.  But, when you really think about it, there really is so much to be thankful for, isn’t there?

Either way, the choice is always yours.  And what you choose to focus on is what you will continue manifest in your own life!

Choose to have a great day!

Mike

BTW: This site is not intended to just give people a nice warm and fuzzy feeling. You may indeed get that from this site from time to time.  But, this site is designed to give people the tools so that they can get the results that they desire in their lives.

The information on this web site, especially now in the times that we are living in, will be of great help for those who, regardless of the situations going on the world, want to live a dynamic life and get solid results. It is for those who don’t want to live in fear.

So, if you are member, take advantage of what is offered.  Apply the principles and get results.  Tell others about the site too!

If you are not a member, then watch the video, then take the tour, and join today, and begin enriching your life now!

A couple of years ago, my wife and I were in Italy with thirty-eight other people on a tour bus.  It is such a beautiful country, and the food is just fabulous!  Having a tour guide for those six days taught us much about the country.

I remember one afternoon the tour guide said, “Now we’ll show you the wealthy part of town, where the millionaires live.”  We were we in for a shock!  As we drove through a very nice residential area, our guide pointed the houses out to us.  He commented on how beautiful the “gardens” were. (In the United States, we call it front lawn, yard or grounds.)

Actually, compared to our country, those gardens were very small.  In fact, the neighborhood resembled a very modest middle class neighborhood from back home.  And yet, this was the wealthy area.  These were million dollar homes.

Our tour guide also told us about the taxes he paid.  His take home pay was around forty percent of what he earned!  That’s because the government provides so many services.  And yet, in telling us about some of those services, especially medical, it didn’t seem very appealing to me.

Visiting Italy and a number of other countries has given me a much deeper gratitude for living in the United States. I have always been thankful to live here, but seeing so many other places deepened that gratitude immensely.  Then, it began to dawn on me just how ungrateful so many people are who live here in the USA.

Honestly speaking, in this country, even our slums are better than what many other countries have to offer.  What we call “poor” so many other countries would call “very well off.”  So many Americans just do not realize how good we have it here.

And because so many people in the United States have developed a “something for nothing” mentality and believe that they are “entitled” to have every thing given to them, they have little appreciation for what they have.  As they continue to expect others to give them more and more, their gratitude for what they do have becomes less and less.

Now here is a great key:  having an attitude of gratitude, or appreciating what you have and being thankful, will actually bring more into your life.  This has nothing to do with settling for how things are but everything to do with increasing what you do have.

When you are unthankful for what you have, you are admitting that you have lack.  Your mind’s focus stays on what you don’t have.  All you can see is what is missing.  And sadly, many people see no way of getting any increase so they expect someone else to give it to them.

On the other hand, if you will consciously look at what you do have, and be thankful for it, you are admitting that you have something!  Therefore you mind’s focus is not on lack, it is on having.

So, you think, “What difference does it make if I focus on lack, or focus on what I have?”  You think that, “My thoughts certainly can’t change my circumstances, can they?”  Yes, they can!

God created our minds.  He gave us the freedom to think whatever thoughts we choose to think.  At this very moment, if you want to, you can think about an elephant jumping off a diving board into a swimming pool!  You can think about whatever you want to think about!

But, the way God designed our minds is that which you consistently focus your mind on is what you will bring into your life.  And if you will just stop for a moment and consider, you will see how true it is.

I’ll bet that you know people who are consistently negative, always looking at and talking about how bad everything is in their life.  Have they been like that for some time now?  Yes!  Has there been any change?  No!  Will there be any change for them?  Not until they change their thinking!

Perhaps you know of others who are very positive and motivated.  Is their life a disaster?  No.  It seems like good things just “come to them!”  Do you think that they are just “lucky?”  A lot of people think that they are!

The Bible says that as you think is your heart, so are you!  You are a product of your own thoughts that you have built into your heart.  And since you have freedom to think whatever you choose to think, you can change what is in your heart.

This is the little know secret about “gratitude!”  Do you now see how being thankful for what you have right now is so powerful for your life?  (Not to mention giving God the appreciation He so deserves!)  Putting your focus on what He has blessed you with will bring more of His blessings into your life.

All Christians can and should receive blessings and abundance from a loving God who has promised just that.  And for those who are so blessed to live in the United States, how can they get to such a point that they are looking to and expecting their government to supply what they are lacking?

Recognize, appreciate, and be thankful for everything that you have at this moment!  Be grateful to God for all that you have, and continue to look to Him to supply all that you need!

So, if you are new to this site,  Watch The Video To Your Left And Then Click Below The Video Player And Take The Free Tour!)

How Fast is The Line Moving?

Yesterday morning I was at an outside breakfast and they were serving from two different tents.  It was the same food in both tents.  What caught my eye was not so much the scrambled eggs, or hash browns, or sausage, or even the light fluffy biscuit.

What really caught my eye was the line to get your breakfast.  There was no waiting!  I just walked right up, grabbed a plate, and got served!  Perhaps my timing was excellent.  Maybe there was a long line when they first started serving.  There was still an hour to go when I got there, but again, no waiting in line.

Many people get frustrated when they have to wait in line, whether it’s at the post office, or the grocery store, or in traffic, or wherever.  And despite my getting breakfast that quickly yesterday, it’s almost impossible to avoid lines these days.  But it is possible to not allow those lines to frustrate you while you wait.

Standing in line is really a great opportunity to reflect on the things that you are grateful for; especially the things related to the line that you are standing in.

If you are waiting in line at the grocery store, then be thankful for the abundance of food that we have available to us in this country.  Be grateful that food is so accessible.  Be thankful you have money to buy your food.  Look at the food in your cart and ask God to bless it.  Be thankful for the nourishment that you and your family will get when they eat it.

Now that would be making good use of your time while waiting in line to check out in the grocery store!    We all decide what we want to think.

You can wait impatiently in a line, be frustrated and grouchy, and then by the time you finally get through the line you’ll find yourself in a bad mood.  Is that because it was a long line?  No.  It was because you allowed that line affect you.

So the next time you’re in line, waiting for your turn, try this:  Reflect on things that you are grateful for, especially those related to the line you are standing in. We all have so much to be thankful for. And when you think about it, there really isn’t a line long enough for us to think and reflect on all the things that we could thank God for is there?

Choose to have a great day!

Mike

BTW: This site is not intended to just give people a nice warm and fuzzy feeling. You may indeed get that from this site from time to time.  But, this site is designed to give people the tools so that they can get the results that they desire in their lives.

The information on this web site, especially now in the times that we are living in, will be of great help for those who, regardless of the situations going on the world, want to live a dynamic life and get solid results. It is for those who don’t want to live in fear.

So, if you are member, take advantage of what is offered.  Apply the principles and get results.  Tell others about the site too!

If you are not a member, then watch the video, then take the tour, and join today, and begin enriching your life now!

This is a true story

Back in September of 2005, on the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a social studies school teacher at Robinson High School in Little Rock, did something not to be forgotten. On the first day of school, with permission of the school superintendent, the principal and the building supervisor, she took all of the desks out of the classroom.

The kids came into first period, they walked in, there were no desks. They obviously looked around and said, “Ms. Cothren, where’s our desk?” And she said, “You can’t have a desk until you tell me how you earn them.”

They thought, “Well, maybe it’s our grades.”

“No,” she said. “Maybe it’s our behavior.”

And she told them, “No, it’s not even your behavior.”

And so they came and went in the first period, still no desks in the classroom. Second period, same thing. Third period. By early afternoon television news crews had gathered in Ms. Cothren’s class to find out about this crazy teacher who had taken all the desks out of the classroom.

The last period of the day, Martha Cothren gathered her class. They were at this time sitting on the floor around the sides of the room. And she says, “Throughout the day no one has really understood how you earn the desks that sit in this classroom ordinarily.” She said, “Now I’m going to tell you.”

Martha Cothren went over to the door of her classroom and opened it, and as she did 27 U.S. veterans , wearing their uniforms, walked into that classroom, each one carrying a school desk. And they placed those school desks in rows, and then they stood along the wall. And by the time they had finished placing those desks, those kids for the first time I think perhaps in their lives understood how they earned those desks.

Martha said, “You don’t have to earn those desks. These guys did it for you. They put them out there for you, but it’s up to you to sit here responsibly to learn, to be good students and good citizens, because they paid a price for you to have that desk, and don’t ever forget it.”

The Veterans of Foreign Wars chose Cothren as a Teacher of the Year in Arkansas for 2005-2006.

To all our Veteran’s - Thank You For Your Service!