IN MY AFFLICTIONS

Beseeching for assured welfare ailing with discontentment stare cleaving to divine promises I treat as rare while earnestly wanting to share… My soul seeks God Who meets me with all His care! Gripped by angst of insecurity, sighing anxiously expressing complaints sorrowfully murmuring about unfairness grudgingly while questioning my state bitterly… My mind yields to God Who counsels me compassionately! Struggling against frustration succumbing to sinfulness’ oppression leaning toward welcoming desperation while craving for serene restoration… My heart clings to Who God grants me pardon’s sanctification! Cringing in difficulty mourning over self-inflicted calamity grieving because of worldliness-caused infirmity while yearning for His joy and tranquility… My spirit beseeches God Who helps me attain servanthood maturity! Afflicted* by guilt of fruitlessness’ blight so weary in persevering for triumphant flight magnified by seemingly worthless fight while wallowing in self-inflicted futility plight… My faith finds succor* in God Who upholds me with His might! *Psalm 140:12 I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor. August 10, 2020 2nd place "INFLICTIONS" Poetry Contest

How do you view your body? message and verses excerpts from Derek Prince's sermon on same title..(link provided)

1 Thes.5: 23-24 (NKJV) Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify[g] you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it. Psalms 139:13-14 (NKJV) For You formed my inward parts; You have covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works. Romans 12 New King James Version (NKJV) I beseech[a] you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. "what you do with your body will appropriate what God's will is in your life". 2 Cor 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 1 Corinthians 6:19 New King James Version (NKJV) Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s Phil 3:18-21 For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself. 1 Cor 9:27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. How should we care for our bodies Isaiah 55:2 Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And let your soul delight itself in abundance. 1 Cor 10:31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Hosea 4:6 My people perish because of lack of knowledge

POSITIVE THINKING

Football coach Joe Paterno said that, and boy, did

he have it right. Nothing substitutes for positive thinking.

Nothing. It is more powerful than all the money, all the

influence, all the 'friends in high places' on earth.

You only need one friend in high places--and you already

have that. So go ahead, expect to get into the end zone.

You'll find that you do, 90% of the time.

DISCOVER YOUR PASSION

Want to help people discover their passion? To do that, John C.Maxwell's ask these questions:

• What do you sing about?
• What do you cry about?
• What do you dream about?

The first two questions speak to what touches you at a deep level today. The third answers what will bring you fulfillment tomorrow. The answers to these questions can often help people discover their true passion.
While everybody can possess passion, not everyone takes the time to discover it. And that’s a shame. Passion is fuel for the will. Passion turns your have-to’s into want-to’s. what we accomplish in life is based less on what we want and more on how much we want it. The secret to willpower is what someone once called wantpower. People who want something enough usually find the willpower to achieve it.
You can’t help people become winners unless they want to win. Champions become champions from within, not from without

Success: What it isn’t By John C Maxwell

The problem for most people who want to be successful is not that they can’t do it. The main obstacle for them is that they misunderstand success. Maltbie D. Babcock said, “One of the most common mistakes and one of the costliest is thinking that success is due to some genius, some magic, something or other which we do not possess.” If that’s not right, then what DOES it mean to be a success? What does it look like? First, let’s talk about what it DOESN’T look like: Many of us have a wrong picture of success. Frankly, the majority of people misunderstand it. They wrongly equate it with achievement of some sort, with arriving at a destination or attaining a goal. Here are several of the most common misconceptions about success: 1. Wealth: Probably the most common misunderstanding about success is that it’s the same as having money. A lot of people believe that if they accumulate wealth, they’ll be successful. But wealth does not bring contentment – or success. Industrialist John D. Rockefeller, a man so rich that he gave away over $350 million in his lifetime, was once asked how much money it would take to satisfy him. His reply: “Just a little bit more.” King Solomon of ancient Israel, said to be not only the wisest but also the richest man who ever lived, said, “Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.” Even Greek millionaire Aristotle Onassis recognized that money isn’t the same as success. He said, “After you reach a certain point, money becomes unimportant. What matters is success.” 2. A Special Feeling. Another common misconception is that people have achieved success when they feel successful or happy. But trying to feel successful is probably even more difficult than trying to become wealthy. The continual search for happiness is one of the main reasons that so many people are miserable. If you make happiness your goal, you are almost certainly destined to fail. You will be on a continual roller coaster, changing from “successful” to “unsuccessful” with every mood change. Life is uncertain, and emotions aren’t stable. Happiness simply cannot be relied upon as a measure of success. 3. Possessing Something Specific and Worthwhile. Think back to when you were a kid. Chances are that there was a time when you wanted something really bad, and you believed that if you possessed that thing, it would make a significant difference in your life. When I was nine years old, it was a red and silver Schwinn bicycle. Back then, the thing to do in our neighborhood was to race around on our bikes. But I was riding an old hand-me-down bicycle, and I had trouble keeping up with the kids on newer bikes. But I figured that if I had that new Schwinn bike, I’d have it made. I’d have the newest, fastest, best-looking bike among all my friends, and I’d make them all eat my dust. On Christmas morning, I got my wish. And for a while it was great. I loved that bike, and I spent a lot of time riding it. But I eventually discovered that it didn’t bring me the success or long-term contentment that I’d hoped for and expected. That process has repeated itself in my life. Over the years, I found that success didn’t come as the result of possessing something I’d wanted. Possessions are at best a temporary fix. Success cannot be attained or measured that way. 4. Power. Charles McElroy once joked, “Power is usually recognized as an excellent short-term anti-depressant.” There’s a lot of truth to that statement, because power often gives the appearance of success, but even then, it’s only temporary. You’ve probably heard before the quote from English historian, Lord Acton: “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Abraham Lincoln echoed that belief when he said, “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” Power really is a test of character. In the hands of a person of integrity, it is of great benefit; in the hands of a tyrant, it causes terrible destruction. By itself, power is neither positive or negative. Nor is it the source of security or success. Besides, all dictators eventually lose power – even benevolent ones. 5. Achievement. Many people have what I call “destination disease.” They believe that if they can arrive somewhere – attain a position, accomplish a goal, or have a relationship with the right person – they will be successful. At one time, I had a similar view of success: I defined it as the progressive realization of a predetermined worthwhile goal. But over time I realized that definition fell short of the mark. Simply achieving goals doesn’t guarantee success or contentment. Look at what happened with Michael Jordan. In 1993, he decided to retire from basketball, saying that he had accomplished all the goals he had wanted to achieve. And then he went on to play baseball in the minor leagues – but not for long. He couldn’t stay away from the game of basketball. He played again from 1995 to 1999. Then he retired again – for a couple seasons. He played his final seasons 2001-2003. Playing the game was the thing. Being in the midst of the process. You see, success isn’t a list of goals to be checked off one after another. It’s not reaching a destination. Success is a journey.

How to know you’re out in front By John C Maxwell

When You Get Kicked in the Rear,
You Know You’re Out in Front

Greek philosopher Aristotle said, “Criticism is something you can avoid easily—by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.” Obviously, that isn’t an option for anyone who wants to be successful as a leader.

Good leaders are active, and their actions often put them out front. That often draws criticism. When spectators watch a race, where do they focus their attention? On the front-runners! People watch their every action—and often criticize.

Since criticism is a part of leadership, you need to learn how to handle it constructively. The following has helped me to deal with criticism, so I pass it on to you.

Know yourself.

Do you really know yourself? Are you aware of your weaknesses as well as your strengths? Where do you fall short as a person and leader? Not sure what your weaknesses are? Ask five trustworthy people close to you. They’ll be able to tell you where you come up short.

Know the criticism – and the critics.

When you receive criticism, how do you tell if it’s constructive or destructive? (Some say constructive criticism is when I criticize you, but destructive criticism is when you criticize me!) Here are the questions I ask to get to determine what kind of criticism it is:
■Who criticized me? Adverse criticism from a wise person is more to be desired than the enthusiastic approval of a fool. The source often matters.
■How was it given? I try to discern whether the person was being judgmental or whether he gave me the benefit of the doubt and spoke with kindness.
■Why was it given? Was it given out of a personal hurt or for my benefit? Hurting people hurt people; they lash out or criticize to try to make themselves feel better, not to help the other person.

Stay open to change.

Let’s assume you now know yourself pretty well. You can tell when a criticism is way off-base; maybe it’s directed more at your position than at you. And you know when a criticism is 100% legitimate because it’s about a weakness that you’ve already discovered.

But what about the gray areas? The criticisms that might hold a grain of truth? A good leader stays open to improvement by:
■Not being defensive,
■Looking for the helpful grain of truth,
■Making the necessary changes, and
■Taking the high road.

Accept yourself.

Jonas Salk, developer of the Salk polio vaccine, had many critics in spite of his incredible contribution to medicine. Of criticism, he observed, “First people will tell you that you are wrong. Then they will tell you that you are right, but what you’re doing really isn’t important. Finally, they will admit that you are right and that what you are doing is very important; but after all, they knew it all the time.”

How do leaders who are out front handle this kind of fickle response from others?



The Serenity Prayer, made famous by Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step programs, gives direction in this area:

God, grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

If you have endeavored to know yourself, and have worked hard to change yourself, then what more can you do?

Forget yourself.

The final step in the process of effectively handling criticism is to stop focusing on yourself. Secure people forget about themselves so they can focus on others. By doing this, they can face nearly any kind of criticism—and even serve the critic.

I try to live out a sentiment expressed by Parkenham Beatty, who advised, “By your own soul learn to live. And if men thwart you, take no heed. If men hate you, have no care: Sing your song, dream your dream, hope your hope and pray your prayer.”

As leaders, we must always be serious about our responsibilities, but it isn’t healthy for us to take ourselves too seriously. A Chinese proverb says, “Blessed are those who can laugh at themselves. They shall never cease to be entertained.”

***

My friend Joyce Meyer observes, “God will help you be all you can be, but He will never let you be successful at becoming someone else.” We can’t do more than try to be all that we can be. If we do that as leaders, we will give others our best, and we will sometimes takes hits from others. But that’s okay. That is the price for being out front.

INSPIRATIONAL SAYINGS

"Difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage. The human spirit is to grow strong by conflict."

~William E. Channing~




"It is surmounting difficulties that makes heroes."

~Louis Kossuth~




~Life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they're supposed to help you discover who you are.~

~Bernice Johnson Reagon~




"Men take only their needs into consideration, never their abilities."

~Napoleon Bonaparte~




"We would accomplish many more things if we did not think of them as impossible."

~C. Malesherbes~




"Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all."

~Dale Carnegie~




"If not us, who? If not now, when?"

~Kennedy, John F.~




"Never be satisfied with what you achieve, because it all pales in comparison with what you are capable of doing in the future."

~Rabbi Nochem Kaplan~




"All our dreams can come true - if we have the courage to pursue them."

~Walt Disney~




"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die tomorrow."

~James Dean~




"If you're going to be thinking, you may as well think big."

~Donald Trump~




"Where there's a will there's a way."

~English Proverb~




"If you really want something, you can figure out how to make it happen."

~Cher~




"A determined person will do more with a pen and paper, than a lazy person will accomplish with a personal computer."

~Catherine Pulsifer~




"So long as there is breath in me, that long I will persist. For now I know one of the greatest principles on success; if I persist long enough I will win."

~Og Mandino~




"We will either find a way, or make one!"

~Hannibal~




"You have a very powerful mind that can make anything happen as long as you keep yourself centered."

~Dr. Wayne W. Dyer~




"Desire is the starting point of all achievement, not a hope, not a wish, but a keen pulsating desire which transcends everything."

~Napoleon Hill~




"Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself."

~Ralph Waldo Emerson~




"Happiness is the only good. The time to be happy is now. The place to be happy is here. The way to be happy is to make others so."

~Robert G. Ingersoll~




"Did you ever see an unhappy horse? Did you ever see bird that had the blues? One reason why birds and horses are not unhappy is because they are not trying to impress other birds and horses."

~Dale Carnegie~




"You have succeeded in life when all you really want is only what you really need."

~Vernon Howard~




"Real happiness comes from inside. Nobody can give it to you."

~Sharon Stone~




"Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish."

~John Quincy Adams~




"That some achieve great success, is proof to all that others can achieve it as well."

~Abraham Lincoln~




"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work."

~Thomas Edison~




"The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."

~Winston Churchill~




"When written in Chinese, the word 'crisis' is composed of two characters—one represents danger, and the other represents opportunity."

~John F. Kennedy~




"He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else."

~Benjamin Franklin~




"Ninety-nine percent of failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses."

~George W. Carver~




"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

~Mark Twain~