Faith without works is dead

     20 years ago I was a broken man, addicted to methamphetamines and hopelessly alcoholic. In jail again for my 10^th DUI I was to be sent to prison.  I was 30 years old and had estranged everyone from me in my life. As I stared into the piece of tin that serves as a jail house mirror I suddenly realized that I no longer knew this person staring back at me. I got on my knees, and said the only prayer I could at the time, “God help me.”

     Things began to change immediately. My cellmate kept inviting me to the AA meetings and until that day I never wanted to attend.  The meeting started with a very short man who was not in jail jumping up on a table and shouting, “If you guys keep on doing what you are doing, you will keep getting what you are getting!” It was the shortest AA meeting I have ever attended because that was all I heard. I began reading the AA Big Book, and attending the meetings along with the Christian Overcomers Outreach program.

     After a few weeks, I went for my prison sentencing, but my Public Defender did not show up. 2 weeks later I went again to be sentenced and the Prosecutor did not show up. It would be 6 more weeks in the jail before I would be sentenced to prison. I stayed active in AA and in the Christian fellowship. When I finally went to court to be sentenced, there was a different judge on the bench and he shared a letter that was written on my behalf by an anonymous member of AA telling him I was changing and asking him to give me a chance at a rehab program instead of prison. The judge stopped the sentencing and asked me if I would like to spend 6 months at the Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center in Sacramento. I knew that God had heard my cry for help and that I needed to keep following Him!

     I willingly went to the Salvation Army. They loved me until I could learn to love myself. I threw myself into learning about God and became active in AA and in serving the homeless and addicted. I entered their Adjutant Program and earned my Pastoral certificate. I was awarded a scholarship to go back to college and got my Human Services as well as my CADC counseling certificates for drugs and alcohol.  I began running the Phase 1 recovery programs for Salvation Army and helped to manage the homeless shelter. Through my quest for lasting sobriety in AA I met my beautiful angel Tami, who allowed this strange man with a pony tail who worked at the homeless shelter and rode a bicycle to fall in love with her and eventually marry her.

     For the past 20 years I have lived one day at a time looking to serve and help. God saved me from alcoholism and addiction and taught me to be free through serving others.  This Saturday, December 17, I am going back to Salvation Army in Sacramento to personally thank them for saving my life and to share my experience, strength and hope with others. I will be celebrating 20 blessed years of sobriety and receiving a 20 year chip at the AA meeting I used to attend.

     I believe in and truly try to live what the Bible promises that it is through giving to others that we receive. God has given me more than I ever deserved. The Big Book has taught me that Faith without works is dead. The least I can do is to try daily to pay Him back through serving others. Thanks to my volunteer position as Director of Care and Support Services at Mountain Park Community Church, I get the opportunity continue to grow and deepen my faith in Jesus as I help others daily! Thank you Jesus for saving me! Thank God for the Salvation Army and Alcoholics Anonymous!

Salvation Army’s Red Kettles Turn Coins into Compassion

Dear friends,

May I please take the liberty to share this with you?

The money collected through the red kettles are used to help the needy, the sick, the aged and other less fortunate individuals including yours truly some 20 years ago, especially during the Thanksgiving and Christmas season. Salvation Army cared for me and loved me until I could learn to love myself

Red Kettle History

courtesy of TSA - DFW Metroplex

In 1891, Salvation Army Captain Joseph McFee was distraught because so many poor individuals in San Francisco were going hungry. During the holiday season, he resolved to provide a free Christmas dinner for the destitute and poverty-stricken. He only had one major hurdle to overcome -- funding the project.

Where would the money come from, he wondered. He lay awake nights, worrying, thinking, praying about how he could find the funds to fulfill his commitment of feeding 1,000 of the city's poorest individuals on Christmas Day. As he pondered the issue, his thoughts drifted back to his sailor days in Liverpool, England. He remembered how at Stage Landing, where the boats came in, there was a large, iron kettle called "Simpson's Pot" into which passers-by tossed a coin or two to help the poor.

The next day Captain McFee placed a similar pot at the Oakland Ferry Landing at the foot of Market Street. Beside the pot, he placed a sign that read, "Keep the Pot Boiling." He soon had the money to see that the needy people were properly fed at Christmas.

Six years later, the kettle idea spread from the west coast to the Boston area. That year, the combined effort nationwide resulted in 150,000 Christmas dinners for the needy. In 1901, kettle contributions in New York City provided funds for the first mammoth sit-down dinner in Madison Square Garden, a custom that continued for many years. Today in the U.S., The Salvation Army assists more than four-and-a-half million people during the Thanksgiving and Christmas time periods.

Captain McFee's kettle idea launched a tradition that has spread not only throughout the United States, but all across the world. Kettles are now used in such distant lands as Korea, Japan, Chile and many European countries. Everywhere, public contributions to Salvation Army kettles enable the organization to continue its year-round efforts at helping those who would otherwise be forgotten.

Today, bell ringers and red kettles are seen on many reputable stores and malls across the world. They use bells to attract the attention of passersby, some volunteers even sing Christmas carols or play musical instruments to raise donations. Some of the newer kettles even have a self-ringing bell and a PA system that plays Christmas carols.

They say Christmas is about sharing and giving. Regardless of religion, there are many different organizations that help those in need, the Salvation Army is one of them.

From 

http://salvationarmyusa.org/usn/www_usn_2.nsf/vw-text-dynamic-arrays/4517219C16BEE8F8802573F50056F031?openDocument

Something to Think About

By Zig Ziglar

You are what you are and where you are because of what has gone into your mind; you can change what you are and where you are by changing what goes into your mind.  Think about it in this light: Your input determines your outlook.  Your outlook determines your output, and your output determines your future.

Consider: You are where you are in your financial, family, mental, social and physical life because of the thought process which has been yours throughout your life.  If you want to change what you are and where you are, then the thought process must change.  If your thinking does not change—and in many cases, significantly–your life and lifestyle will not change, unless the change is for the worse, because the only way to “coast” through life is downhill.

One of the favorite quotes used in Alcoholics Anonymous is that insanity is believing that you can keep on doing what you’ve been doing and somehow get different results.  We can paraphrase that and say that insanity is believing that if you keep on thinking what you’ve been thinking, you will somehow get different results.  Tie those two together—your thinking determines your actions and your actions determine your results.  So, if you want different results and a change in life, change your thinking.  To change your thinking, change the input into your mind.

My research reveals that, regardless of what you do and where you live, we all want to be happy, healthy, reasonably prosperous, secure, and to have friends, peace of mind, good family relationships and hope.  Now, if we really want those things, then on a regular basis we need to be reading, planting, thinking, hearing and viewing materials for our minds that produce happy, healthy, prosperous, etc., thoughts.  Think about it.  Change the input and you’ll change your life, which means I really will SEE YOU AT THE TOP! 

“Your input determines your outlook.  Your outlook determines your output, and your output determines your future.”  ~Zig Ziglar

Inspirational Quotes from Steve Jobs,

a true visionary, succumbed to cancer at age 56

“Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly, and get on with improving your other innovations.”

  

“Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me … Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful… that’s what matters to me.”

  

“We’ve gone through the operating system and looked at everything and asked how can we simplify this and make it more powerful at the same time.” 

“Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.”

  

“I want to put a ding in the universe.”

  

“I was worth over $1,000,000 when I was 23, and over $10,000,000 when I was 24, and over $100,000,000 when I was 25, and it wasn’t that important because I never did it for the money.”

   

“My job is to not be easy on people. My job is to make them better.”

  

“We made the buttons on the screen look so good you’ll want to lick them.”

  

“Click. Boom. Amazing!” 

“You can’t just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they’ll want something new.”

“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.”

  

“A lot of companies have chosen to downsize, and maybe that was the right thing for them. We chose a different path. Our belief was that if we kept putting great products in front of customers, they would continue to open their wallets.”

  

“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.”

The 360° Leader: Myths about Leading from the Middle By Dr. John C. Maxwell

Friends, please take a moment to look this over. I have been blessed with a great opportunity to lead, guide, help others this year. John Maxwell is a valuable learning resource for me, enjoy!

“In all my years of leadership teaching and consulting, I have never observed an organization with too many leaders. Organizations can never have enough! However, most companies narrow their vision to a limited number of leadership positions, and when hiring leaders, they think only in terms of filling the top spots.

Organizations rise and fall on the merit of their leadership—at every level. Successful organizations cannot afford to wait until someone gets “to the top” to start leading. They need 360° leaders now. Why? Because leaders generate value!

Over the years, a set of common myths has hindered leaders in the middle of an organization. On account of these myths, would-be leaders have failed to grasp the extent of their potential influence. In this edition of Leadership Wired, I’d like to identify these myths and look at the qualities engendered by leaders who make an impact from the middle of the pack.

MYTHS ABOUT LEADING FROM THE MIDDLE

The Position Myth – “I can’t lead if I am not at the top.”

If I had to identify the number one misconception people have about leadership, it would be the belief that leadership comes simply from having a position or title. When we conceptualize leadership in our minds, we tend to picture the names atop the organizational chart. When asked to name a leader, most of us would list presidents, CEO’s, or general managers. We erroneously think leadership is position, when in reality, leadership is influence.

The Destination Myth – “When I get to the top, then I’ll learn to lead.”

Human nature exaggerates yesterday, overestimates tomorrow, and underestimates today. Leading today prepares a leader for more and greater responsibility tomorrow. If a leader doesn’t try out leadership skills and decision-making processes when the risks are low, they’re likely to get into trouble at higher levels when the cost of mistakes is higher and the exposure is greater.

The Influence Myth – “If I were on top, then people would automatically follow me.”

People who have no leadership experience tend to overemphasize the importance of a leadership title. A person may be appointed to a position, but he or she must earn the right to lead. The position doesn’t make the leader; the leader makes the position.

The Inexperience Myth – “When I get to the top, I’ll be in control.”

A bold young leader may become impatient when eyeing areas for improvement within the organization: “If I were in charge, we wouldn’t have done this, and we would have done that. Things would be different around here if I were the boss.” The desire to improve and the self-confidence to make changes are admirable leadership qualities. However, without real-life experience, a young leader is likely to overestimate the amount of control held by leaders at the top. The higher you go—and the larger the organization—the more you realize the complex mix of variables that control the organization.

The Freedom Myth – “When I get to the top, I’ll no longer be limited.”

Climbing the ranks of leadership does not earn the leader a ticket to freedom. Rights decrease and responsibilities grow as you ascend the corporate ladder. Leadership at the highest levels is accompanied by a daunting set of challenges.

The Potential Myth – “I can’t reach my potential if I’m not the top leader.”

In reality, most people will never be the top leader in an organization. They will spend their careers somewhere in the middle. Strive to reach the top of your game, not the top of the organization.

The All-or-Nothing Myth – “If I can’t get to the top, then I won’t try to lead.”

People who are motivated by advancement may be tempted to abandon their influence when they hit a barrier to a bigger promotion. These people look at an organization, recognize they will not be able to make it to the top, and give up. Their attitude is, “If I can’t be the captain of the team, then I’ll take my ball and go home.”

Defining Qualities of a 360° Leader

Adaptability – Quickly adjusts to change.

Leaders in the middle may not be the first to know, but they are often the ones in charge of implementation. Adaptable managers in the middle are willing to embrace a change operationally even if they are not yet ready to do so emotionally.

Discernment – Understands the real issues.

Good leaders cut through the clutter to see the real issues. A smart person believes only half of what he hears, but a truly smart person knows which half to believe.

Security – Finds identity in self, not position.

Effective 360° leaders are secure enough in who they are to not worry about where they are. Instead of focusing on reaching a position, they focus on reaching their potential.

Service – Gains fulfillment in serving everyone.

A servant leader serves the mission and leads by serving those on mission with him or her. The true measure of leaders is not the number of people who serve them but the number of people they serve.

Resourcefulness – Finds creative ways to make things happen.

Creativity is the joy of not knowing it all. We seldom, if ever, have all the answers, but we always have the imagination to create solutions to our problems.

Maturity – Puts the team before self.

Nobody who possesses an unrelenting me-first attitude is able to develop much influence with others. A mature leader sees beyond his or her personal vantage point and has the courage to make sacrifices which advance the team.
Communication – Links to all levels of the organization.

We often think of communication in organizations as being primarily top-down. Leaders at the top cast vision, set direction, reward progress, etc. However, good communication is a 360-degree proposition. In fact, oftentimes the most critical communication comes from leaders identifying problems or solutions at the ground level and sending them up the chain of command.”

Pray Until Something Happens (PUSH)

My friend and brother Steve B shared “PUSH” with me last year.  I came across this story and thought I would share! Please enjoy!

It was written by….Anonymous

A man was sleeping one night in his cabin when suddenly his room filled with light, and God appeared. The Lord told the man he had work for him to do, and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin. The Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might. So, this the man did, day after day. For many years he toiled from sun up to sun down, his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with all of his might. Each night the man returned to his cabin sore and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain.

Since the man was showing discouragement, the Adversary (Satan) decided to enter the picture by placing thoughts into his weary mind:

"You have been pushing against that rock for a long time, and it hasn't moved."  Thus, he gave the man the impression that the task was impossible and that he was a failure. These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man. Satan said, "Why kill yourself over this? Just put in your time, giving just the minimum effort; and that will be good enough."

That's what the weary man planned to do, but decided to make it a matter of prayer and to take his troubled thoughts to the Lord.

"Lord," he said, "I have labored long and hard in your service, putting all my strength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after all this time, I have not even budged that rock by half a millimeter. What is wrong? Why am I failing?"

The Lord responded compassionately,

"My friend, when I asked you to serve Me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push against the rock with all of your strength, which you have done. Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. Your task was to push. And now you come to Me with your strength spent, thinking that you have failed. But, is that really so? Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back sinewy and brown; your hands are callused from constant pressure, your legs have become massive and hard. Through opposition you have grown much, and your abilities now surpass that which you used to have. True, you haven't moved the rock. But your calling was to be obedient and to push and to exercise your faith and trust in My wisdom. That you have done.

Now I, my friend, will move the rock."

At times, when we hear a word from God, we tend to use our own intellect to decipher what He wants, when actually what God wants is just simple obedience and faith in Him. By all means, exercise the faith that moves mountains, but know that it is still God who moves the mountains.

When everything seems to go wrong ... just PUSH!

When the job gets you down ... just PUSH!

When people don't react the way you think they should..... just PUSH!

When your money is "gone" and the bills are due ... just PUSH!

When people just don't understand you ... just PUSH!

P ray

U ntil

S omething

H appens!

“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." Mark 14:38

“we ask God to direct our thinking, especially asking that it be divorced from self-pity, dishonest or self-seeking motives.”   Big Book pg 86

Living from Gratitude

Please check this out. It touched my heart and made me look in the mirror!

Its by Wendy Betterini at  http://www.allowabundance.com

For most of my adult life I believed that an attitude of gratitude is a good thing to have. As often as possible I tried to be humble and grateful for the blessings I received, but I didn't fully grasp just how powerful a gratitude practice could be until I set an intention to "Live From Gratitude" for an entire day.

What does that mean, to "Live From Gratitude?" I decided that I would stay in a grateful state of mind and give deep, heartfelt thanks for everything I did, saw, felt, and experienced that day. From the moment I opened my eyes early that morning, I began giving thanks for everything and everyone that entered my awareness. I thought about each of my family members and friends, and gave thanks for their presence in my life. I gave thanks for my home, my business, my car, my clothing, my health, and my cats.  As I moved through my daily activities, I gave thanks for everything I touched, everything I saw or heard, everything I felt, and everything that happened to me - even the annoying and challenging experiences. I gave thanks for our dishes and utensils as I washed them, as well as the water I was washing them in, and for my hands that enabled me to wash them. A few of those items were wedding gifts for my husband and I, and as I washed each one, I recalled our wedding day with joy and gratitude, and gave thanks for my husband and the life we share together. During my business activities that day, I gave heartfelt thanks for my clients and the passionate work that fulfills me and allows me to make a difference in the world. I also gave thanks for the challenges my work sometimes brings, simply because they strengthen me. I expressed sincere gratitude for everything I saw, heard, felt, did or experienced throughout the entire day, big or small, good or bad. Not only did I SAY "thank you" for these things, I made sure to really FEEL the fee lings of gratitude and appreciation for them. As I'm sure you can imagine, that was a LOT of gratitude!

The results that came from my day of living from gratitude were astounding. It was one of the most powerful days of my life. All day long I kept meeting the nicest, greatest people everywhere I went. My income for that day jumped up to roughly three times what it normally was, without me having to lift a finger to make it happen. I kept noticing awesome opportunities, tools, and resources that would help me grow my business or improve some aspect of my life. Some of these things had been right under my nose all along, but I'd never noticed them before. I received so many great gifts as a result of my day of living from gratitude, but the true gift of that day is the way I felt all day long.

Never in my life can I remember feeling so humbled, so blessed, so RICH. Everything around me became SACRED in ways that I can't even describe. Struggle, strain, anxiety, frustration, fear, anger . . . they all just faded away. Everything I saw and experienced was uplifting, inspiring and beneficial. My life was transformed that day, into something that I never dreamed would be possible. I'd thought my life was good before that - but my new attitude of gratitude took it to a whole new level of goodness.

That day stands out in my memory as one of the best days of my life. In fact, it was so powerful that I've since adopted my "living from gratitude" mind-set as an ongoing intention. Every day I strive to live from gratitude - and each day gets more and more magical the longer I do it.

Try it yourself and see if it doesn't have the same wonderful effect on your life.

God’s Grace

“The grace of God means something like:  Here is your life.  You might never have been, but you are because the party wouldn't have been complete without you.  Here is the world.  Beautiful and terrible things will happen.  Don't be afraid.  I am with you.  Nothing can ever separate us.  It's for you I created the universe.  I love you.  There's only one catch.  Like any other gift, the gift of grace can be yours only if you'll reach out and take it.  Maybe being able to reach out and take it is a gift too.”

Frederick Buechner

Pray for Others
By Rick Warren

"In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy.” Philippians 1:4
The quickest way to change a relationship from bad to good is to start thanking God for people you are having difficulty getting along with.
Praying for them will do two things – change your attitude and change them. Positive praying is much more powerful than positive thinking. People may resist our help, spurn our appeals, and reject our suggestions, but they are powerless against our prayers.
What do you pray? The more specific you are in prayer, the more specific the answer will be.
In Philippians 1:9-11, Paul spells out exactly what he’s praying for people. “And this is my prayer, that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight so that you may be able to discern what is best and be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.”
These verses give you four things you can pray for people today –
“Abound in love …” Pray that they will grow in love.
“Discern what is best …” Pray that they make wise choices.
“Be pure and blameless …” Pray that they will do the right thing.
“Filled with the fruit of righteousness …” Pray that they will live for God’s glory.

The Spirituality of America's Founders

Amazing quotes from our countries founders and original leaders about God, the Bible and our nation's spiritual roots

This is from:

http://www.beliefnet.com/Love-Family/Holidays/July-4th/

 Enjoy and Happy Birthday America!

George Washington

1st U.S. President

"Your prayers for my present and future felicity are received with gratitude; and I sincerely wish, Gentlemen, that you may in your social and individual capacities taste those blessings, which a gracious God bestows upon the righteous."

Patrick Henry

Ratifier of the U.S. Constitution

"It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here."

John Adams

2nd U.S. President and Signer of the Declaration of Independence

"The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity. I will avow that I then believed, and now believe, that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God."

Thomas Jefferson

3rd U.S. President, Drafter and Signer of the Declaration of Independence

"I am a real Christian – that is to say, a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus Christ."

John Hancock

1st Signer of the Declaration of Independence

"Resistance to tyranny becomes the Christian and social duty of each individual. ... Continue steadfast and, with a proper sense of your dependence on God, nobly defend those rights which heaven gave, and no man ought to take from us."

Benjamin Franklin

Signer of the Declaration of Independence and Unites States Constitution

"Here is my Creed. I believe in one God, the Creator of the Universe. That He governs it by His Providence. That He ought to be worshipped. That the most acceptable service we render to him is in doing good to his other children; that the soul of man is immortal, and will be treated with justice in another life respecting its conduct in this. These I take to be the fundamental points in all sound religion and I regard them as you do in whatever sect I meet with them. As to Jesus of Nazareth, my opinion of whom you particularly desire, I think the system of morals and his religion, as he left them to us, is the best the world ever saw, or is likely to see;”

Samuel Adams

Signer of the Declaration of Independence

"We cannot better express ourselves than by humbly supplicating the Supreme Ruler of the world that the rod of tyrants may be broken to pieces, and the oppressed made free again; that wars may cease in all the earth, and that the confusions that are and have been among nations may be overruled by promoting and speedily bringing on that holy and happy period when the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ may be everywhere established, and all people everywhere willingly bow to the scepter of Him who is Prince of Peace."

James Monroe

5th U.S. President

"When we view the blessings with which our country has been favored, those which we now enjoy, and the means which we possess of handing them down unimpaired to our latest posterity, our attention is irresistibly drawn to the source from whence they flow. Let us then, unite in offering our most grateful acknowledgments for these blessings to the Divine Author of All Good."

John Quincy Adams

6th U.S. President

"The hope of a Christian is inseparable from his faith. Whoever believes in the divine inspiration of the Holy Scriptures must hope that the religion of Jesus shall prevail throughout the earth. Never since the foundation of the world have the prospects of mankind been more encouraging to that hope than they appear to be at the present time. And may the associated distribution of the Bible proceed and prosper till the Lord shall have made 'bare His holy arm in the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God' (Isaiah 52:10)."

John Jay

1st Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court and President of the American Bible Society

“The Bible will also inform them that our gracious Creator has provided for us a Redeemer, in whom all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; that this Redeemer has made atonement "for the sins of the whole world," and thereby reconciling the Divine justice with the Divine mercy has opened a way for our redemption and salvation; and that these inestimable benefits are of the free gift and grace of God, not of our deserving, nor in our power to deserve."

9 Keys to Powerful Personal Change

Friends, please take a look.  "The Nine Keys to Powerful Personal Change" is excerpted from The Promise of Hope by Edward Grinnan.

I have added my 12 Step and spiritual notes and personalized these 9 Keys to fit with my experience because….Change Is Good But It Is Hard…

Key 1: Begin with Honesty…Take a look in the mirror

Transformational personal change begins with honesty Fear is the greatest obstacle to change. We hide from tough truths about ourselves and what we want in life. Most of us are honest, yet there’s no one easier to lie to than ourselves. Real change requires a fearless look in the mirror.

“But they had not learned enough of humility, fearlessness and honesty, in the sense we find it necessary,” Big Book pg 73

“A truthful witness gives honest testimony, but a false witness tells lies.”  Proverbs 12:17

Key 2: Willingness Is Honesty in Action

You have to find the willingness to do something about what you see.

“Willingness, honesty and open mindedness are the essentials of recovery. But these are indispensable.” Big Book, Spiritual Experience, Appendix 2

“Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means.” 2 Corinthians 8:11

Key 3: Positive Attitude Points the Way

Attitudes lead to behaviors; behaviors repeated and honed become habit; and new habits become change. We all can change, but we have to provide our own drive with honest motives and true effort to become the change we seek.

“It works, if we have the proper attitude and work at it.” Big Book pg 86

"Your attitude should be the same as that of Jesus.” Philippians 2:5

Key 4: Commitment is the Engine of Personal Change

The engine of personal change is commitment During the process of growth and personal change we can be challenged by temporary failure and setbacks. During these times, commitment keeps us focused on our larger purpose. It is you, keeping a promise to yourself that will set you free!

 “There is a solution. Almost none of us liked the self-searching, the leveling of our pride, the confession of shortcomings which the process requires for its successful consummation.” Big Book pg 25

“Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.” Proverbs 16:3

Key 5: Building a Bridge to God

Faith is not believing that God can...It is in knowing that God will. Growing your faith is building a bridge to God. Just like anything we build, we have to supply action and effort.

“The verdict of the ages is that faith means courage. All men of faith have courage. They trust God.”  Big Book pg 68

“In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” James 2:17

Key 6: Know How to Forgive

Happy people know how to forgive When we forgive, we release both ourselves and the person we forgive from resentment and anger. It’s the ultimate act of letting go and moving on.

“It is plain that a life which includes deep resentment leads only to futility and unhappiness.” Big Book pg 66

“Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Colossians 3:13

Key 7: Make the Most of What We Are Given

Acceptance means changing yourself in order to adapt to hard realities. When we choose acceptance, we can make the most of what we are given. It frees us from a doomed struggle and allows us to conform mentally and spiritually to life events we have no power over, may not understand and cannot change. Acceptance is a choice that I must make daily. It saves me from my self will and fear.

“And acceptance is the answer to all my problems today. When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing, or situation—some fact of my life —unacceptable to me, and I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place, thing, or situation as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment. Nothing, absolutely nothing, happens in God’s world by mistake.” Big Book pg 449 (3rd edition); pg 417 (4th edition)

“Or do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, tolerance and patience,  not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?” Romans 2:4

Key 8: Resilience Is the Power We All Possess

Resiliency is the ability to grow and thrive in the face of challenges and bounce back from adversity. In this life we will be challenged and suffer setbacks, its part of our human experience.  We all have them. It is how we recover and move on that determines our success. Resilience is the power we possess to bounce back from life’s inevitable setbacks.

“Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change. Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us. We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us. We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.” Big Book pg 84

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1

Key 9: Love Is the Final Indispensable Step

Change is a process of self-discovery. Love is the final step to personal transformation and happiness. Love is the greatest power for change in the universe. It allows us to truly understand and be ourselves. Without love, we feel empty and purposeless. But with it, we are free to become our truest selves.

“Love and tolerance of others is our code.” Big Book pg 84

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” John 15:12

"The Nine Keys to Powerful Personal Change" is excerpted from The Promise of Hope by Edward Grinnan. Copyright © 2011 by Guideposts. All rights reserved.

"T.H.I.N.K" before you speak!

A review for me!

T.H.I.N.K. before you speak

I have spent this year working on improving my words and actions. My goal has been to RESPOND instead of REACT to situations and conversations. I have a lot more to learn on this and thanks to God, a life time to make it a habit!
The short version is that I need to be positive and uplifting with my words, even when I am pointing out a negative, using discipline, or correcting something that needs changed.
Please consider this suggestion; it will help you present your words and ideas in a positive manner.

"T.H.I.N.K" before you speak!

"T" stands for True. Before you speak, make sure that what you're saying is true. Don't mistake spiritual discernment for opinion, innuendo, slander, or gossip. 
"H" stands for Helpful. Ask yourself if the words you're offering are helpful. Don't judge, but seek to build up an individual rather than tearing them down. Remember that what goes around comes around!
"I" stands for Inspiring. Be uplifting and positive with your words. Genuine encouragement can help to point others toward Christ, His love, and restoration.
"N" stands for Necessary. Don't be a fault-finder regarding matters of little importance. Ask yourself if it's really necessary to take action and what's at stake. This world is full of negativity. How can our words make a positive and impactful difference?
"K" stands for Kind. Be kind and humble in your approach. We need to “remove the plank from our eyes before addressing the specks we see in others”. Matthew 7:5 This means that we must“clean our side of the street” before addressing the faults of others. Big Book pg 77

Dear friends, please guard your words and actions. Please make sure that what is coming from your mouth is God centered, bathed in humility and will cover the receiver with grace and kindness!  Think before you speak!

“... with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love....”

--Ephesians 4:2

“The spiritual life is not a theory. We have to live it.

                                                    page 83 Big Book

Make Peace with the Past

Some of life’s greatest roadblocks are not the ones we see through the windshield; they are, instead, the roadblocks that seem to fill the rearview mirror. Because we are imperfect human beings who lack perfect control over our thoughts, we may allow ourselves to become “stuck” in the past—even though we know better. Instead of focusing our thoughts and energies on the opportunities of today, we may allow painful memories to fill our minds and sap our strength. We simply can’t seem to let go of our pain, so we relive it again and again (Re-sending  ergo RESENTMENT) experiencing predictably unfortunate consequences. Thankfully, God has other plans.


Philippians 3:13-14 instructs us to focus on the future, not the past: “One thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Yet for many of us, focusing on the future is difficult indeed. Why? Part of the problem has to do with forgiveness. When we find ourselves focusing too intently on the past, it’s a sure sign that we need to focus, instead, on a more urgent need: the need to forgive. No amount of anger or bitterness can change what happened yesterday. Tears can’t change the past; regrets can’t change it. Our worries won’t change the past, and neither will our complaints. Simply put, the past is, and always will be, the past…Forever.


Can you summon both the courage and the wisdom to accept your past and move on with your life? Can you accept the reality that yesterday—and all the yesterdays before it—are gone? And, can you entrust all those yesterdays to God? Hopefully you can. 


So if you’ve endured a difficult past, learn from it, but don’t live in it. Instead, build your future on a firm foundation of trust and forgiveness: trust in your Heavenly Father, and forgiveness for all His children, including yourself.


“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you not as the world gives, I give unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27 


“Driven by a hundred forms of fear, self-delusion, self-seeking, and self-pity, we step on the toes of our fellows and they retaliate. Sometimes they hurt us, seemingly without provocation, but we invariably find that at some time in the past we have made decisions based on self which later placed us in a position to be hurt.” Big Book pg 62


“…we think fear ought to be classed with stealing. It seems to cause more trouble” Big Book pg 68


Try this Prayer
Lord, free me from anger, resentment, and envy. When I am bitter, I cannot feel the peace that You intend for my life. Keep me mindful that forgiveness is Your commandment, and help me accept the past, treasure the present, and trust the future to You. Amen