SMART start the New Year!

Happy new year. I wish you love, joy, hope, wealth and health.

‘the righteous will hold to their ways, and those with clean hands will grow stronger.’ Job 17:9

Whoever said, ‘Procrastination is the thief of time,’ was right. We keep postponing, promising ourselves we’ll do better. Be honest, how many of last year’s resolutions did you keep?
This year do things differently. Make your goals SMART. In other words, make them: Specific: Get up earlier in order to read your Bible and pray before going to work. Make time for your family. Exercise. Eat right. Take care of your body; it’s God’s temple (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
Moderate: tackling more than one project at a time dilutes your focus and makes it harder to stick with. When you start too much you finish too little. Start small and build on your successes by mastering and maintaining one thing at a time.
Achievable: don’t try to swallow the whole elephant in one bite. Baby steps are the name of the game. Paul said, ‘This one thing I do’ (Philippians 3:13). Talk in terms of what you will do instead of what you won’t. For example, instead of saying, ‘I’m not going to be so critical,’ say, ‘Today I’m going to look for something good in everybody I meet’ (Philippians 4:8).
Recordable: You can’t manage what you can’t measure. Documenting your progress (or lack of it!) makes you accountable, shows how far you’ve come and what you need to work on.
Time-specific: review your goals weekly (or daily if you’re struggling). That way you can trouble-shoot early, and change direction when necessary. The Bible says, ‘Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress’ (1 Timothy 4:15 NIV). Come on, make up your mind, get up off the couch and go for it!

http://www.ucb.co.uk/word_for_today

…till next year
easy does it

…December 27th/ 08

How to fight so everybody wins

‘…watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.’ Galatians 5:15

Healthy relationships aren’t conflict free; they’re conflict resolving. The problem is: we fight for victories instead of fighting for solutions. The result is: one wins, one loses, and the relationship suffers! Here are some practical insights for fighting so that the relationship wins:
1) Differences are inevitable, normal, and potentially beneficial. They’re inevitable, because relationships bring together very different people. They’re normal, because all relationships, including great ones, experience them. They’re potentially beneficial, because handled effectively, relationships grow through them.
2) Here are three conflicting handling styles:
a) The avoid style. These are the ‘don’t want to rock the boat’ and ‘let sleeping dogs lie’ people. They fear confrontation, so they bury their feelings, not realising they’re buried alive and will rise again down the road. They go from clam-up, to build-up, to blow-up, inviting physical and emotional illness. Meanwhile offences accumulate, unaddressed issues multiply, and unfinished business erodes the relationship
b) The attack style. These are the ‘get them before they get you’ people; ruthless fighters who refuse to give in, they inflict terminal wounds on each other. The Bible says, ‘If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.’ Attack begets counterattack, both sides ‘dig in’ and nothing gets resolved
c) The approach-assert style. These are the ‘no price is too high for a good relationship’ people. They’re sensitive to the feelings of others, yet insist on dealing directly with important issues. They avoid blaming, confront the issue, not the individual, and invite others to partner with them in solving the problem and saving the relationship!
http://www.ucb.co.uk/index.cfm?itemid=88&testdate=27%20Dec%202008

till next time,
easy does it

…December 28th/ 08

Something else!

‘…that in the coming ages he might show…his grace, expressed…to us…’ Ephesians 2:7

What you’re going through right now is important, because God is weighing it in the light of your future. God doesn’t measure us in terms of our present condition or comfort level. No, He has a far greater plan in mind. ‘God knew [us] before he made the world, and he decided that [we] would be like his Son…’ (Romans 8:29 NCV). Imagine that! One day we will be just like Jesus; doesn’t that blow your mind? ‘In the coming ages’ God is going to put us on display and say, ‘Look at My workmanship. Can you believe that I made these glorified creatures from clay? When I first scooped them off the ground they wouldn’t hold water. But I worked with them, moulded them and raised them up until they held relationships, and ministries, and concepts, and jobs. What you heard about them was true. They were a disgrace and a disaster, but My grace was sufficient. Now they will sit with Me, ruling and reigning for ever!’ When it comes to performing the impossible, Houdini and David Blaine were amateurs. Could they have parted the Red Sea, put the sun on hold for 24 hours, turned water into wine, resurrected the dead, and done it all with such style? Well, guess what? That same God is at work in your life. That’s because He plans to show you off some day. Incredible as it may sound, when God gets through with you, you’ll be ’something else.’
http://www.ucb.co.uk/index.cfm?itemid=88&testdate=28%20Dec%202008

…till next time,
easy does it

In the fire

‘Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego…’ Daniel 3:30

The story of the three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace makes us realise four things: 1) Obeying God doesn’t exempt you from trouble. Don’t expect the world to always understand or appreciate you. Look at Christ: ‘In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it’ (John 1:4-5 NIV)

2) You’re not alone; God is with you in your trouble. When King Nebuchadnezzar looked into the fiery furnace he said, ‘…I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God’ (Daniel 3:25). Instead of destroying them, the fire burned the ropes that bound them and set them free. So be encouraged. It may feel like you’re ‘bound by circumstances,’ limited and locked in, but God is with you; He’s going to vindicate you and bring you out of this victorious

3) Your trouble will become your testimony. Others are watching. What they’re trusting in doesn’t work, and they’re wondering if what you’re trusting in does. Your faithfulness to God and His intervention on your behalf will touch their lives in ways your theology never will. Everybody in Babylon knew what the three Hebrew children believed, but they wanted to know, ‘Does it work when you’re in the fire?’ It does!

4) On the other side of your trouble, there’s great blessing. ‘Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.’ It’s a Scriptural principle: when you are faithful in a hard place, God can trust you in a high place.

http://www.ucb.co.uk/word_for_today
till next time,
easy does it

No shortcuts – you’ve got to work for it!

‘Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.’ Proverbs 10:4

When questioned about his incredible success, Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, offered these ten insights to anyone starting out. They are worth considering:
1) Life isn’t fair – get used to it
2) The world doesn’t care about your self-esteem; it expects you to accomplish something before feeling good about yourself
3) You won’t make $60K a year right out of school, or be a vice president with a cell phone. You have to earn it
4) Do you think your teacher is tough? Wait till you have a boss – he’s not tenured
5) Flipping burgers isn’t beneath you; your grandparents called it opportunity
6) Your parents weren’t always boring; it came from feeding you, cleaning your clothes and paying your bills. So before you rush out to save the rain forest from the ‘parasites’ of your parents’ generation, try delousing your own closet
7) Some schools may have abolished winners and losers, but life hasn’t. They may have eradicated ‘failing grades’ and given you as long as you want to get the right answer. This bears no resemblance to reality
Life isn’t divided into semesters. You don’t get summers off. Employers aren’t interested in helping you ‘find yourself;’ you do that on your own time
9) Unlike television, real people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to work 10) Be nice to nerds; chances are, you’ll end up working for one someday!
The Bible says: ‘Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.’ ‘The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied’ (Proverbs 13:4 NIV). No shortcuts; you’ve got to work for it!
http://www.ucb.co.uk/word_for_today

till next time,
easy does it

You’re in the right family!

‘Joseph…went…to…Bethlehem…because he was of the house…of David.’ Luke 2:4

Face it, there are times in life when some we wish we’d been born into a different family. George Burns quipped, ‘Happiness is having a large, caring, close-knit family – in another city!’ All joking aside, the family you’re in is no accident. God told Jeremiah, ‘Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you…before you were born I [set you apart for a special purpose]‘ (Jeremiah 1:5 NKJV). We tend to think of Jesus’ family only in terms of His heavenly Father. But He had a human family too; one that didn’t always understand Him. God used His family to mould Him and move Him towards His destiny, right down to where He would be born. ‘So Joseph also went up … to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David… While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born’ (Luke 2:4 NIV) Notice the words ‘the time came.’ There’s no coincidence or confusion on God’s calendar. He plans our lives right down to the minutest detail. He says, ‘”What I have planned, that will I do”‘ (Isaiah 46:11 NIV). Jesus likely became a carpenter because that was Joseph’s trade and because of His obligations as the oldest son, He probably waited till He was thirty to begin public ministry. ‘What does all this mean to me?’ you ask. Simply put: God will use your family to prepare you for the assignment He’s given you in life. He placed you there to shape you and make you more like Him; hopefully through godly role models and loving relationships. Even when you’re born into a dysfunctional, emotionally-distant family, He can still turn a curse into a blessing, because He loves you (Deuteronomy 23:5).

http://www.ucb.co.uk/word_for_today

till next time,
easy does it

…listening…

Why do you need Jesus in your life?

Jesus loves you! He desires to have a relationship with you and to give a life full of joy and purpose.

REASON 1: YOU HAVE A PAST You can’t go back but He can. The Bible says, ‘Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.’ (Hebrews 13:8). He can walk into those places of sin and failure, wipe the slate clean and give you a new beginning.

REASON 2: YOU NEED A FRIEND Jesus knows the worst about you, yet He believes the best. Why? Because He sees you not as you are but as you will be when He gets through with you. What a friend!

REASON 3: HE HOLDS THE FUTURE Who else are you going to trust? In His hands you are safe and secure; today, tomorrow and for eternity. His Word says, ’For I know the plans I have for you, plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray I will listen’ (Jeremiah 29:11-13 TLB).

If you would like to begin a personal relationship with Jesus today, please pray this prayer:

‘Lord Jesus Christ, I am sorry for the things I have done wrong in my life. I ask for forgiveness and now turn from everything which I know is wrong. Thank you for dying on the cross for me to set me free from my sins. Please come into my life and fill me with your Holy Spirit and be with me forever. Thank you Lord Jesus, Amen.’

He’s always on time

‘The time came for the baby to be born.’ Luke 2:6

John Walker writes: ‘We manage, waste, spend and save time. We wish it would come…we wish it would pass…we see it fly and we feel it drag. We watch clocks and carry calendars, creating the illusion that somehow we control it. God controls time….Do you think He was surprised that “while they were there, the time came for the baby to be born?” We’re surprised by unexpected developments…God’s never surprised, even by the most disastrous turn of events. ‘How would your faith be, if you knew God wasn’t surprised by your circumstances and is working towards a holy and healthy conclusion? George M?eller once waited on the dock for a special chair to be delivered because he had a bad back and needed it for his ocean voyage. When departure time came and it still hadn’t arrived his friends offered to buy him one, but M?eller said, “Either God will provide…or…give me grace to do without.” Then, just like a Hollywood ending…the chair arrived …right on time! How would you act, think, and live differently if you were absolutely certain God was at the end of your deadline…even if there were only seconds left? The Bible says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8 NIV). Time doesn’t diminish His love or his power to work within your life. He was there in the past; He’s here now, and He will be there in your future. A thousand years are like a few hours to Him. He’s interested in bringing you into eternity, not just getting you through until the weekend.’ When you see it like that, it changes the big picture, doesn’t it?
http://www.ucb.co.uk/index.cfm?itemid=88&testdate=25%20Dec%202008

Merry Christmas
easy does it,
eat and drink sparingly, tee hee hee

When your miracle comes late

‘”I am…old…and my wife is well advanced in years.”‘ Luke 1:18

When an angel told Mary she’d conceive, although it wasn’t something she’d been praying for, she said, ‘”Let it be…according to your word”‘ (Luke 1:38 NKJV). However, when an angel appeared to Zechariah, ‘he…was gripped with fear.’ When the angel told him, ‘”Your prayer has been heard…Elizabeth will bear you a son”…Zechariah asked…”How can I be sure…I am…old…and my wife is well along in years”‘ (Luke 1:12-18 NIV). What do you do when God answers your prayer and you don’t know if you can still handle it? When He sends you a son whose name has already been chosen, who doesn’t necessarily resemble you, and whose destiny is already decided? Or when He gives you the job you always wanted, the relationship you never thought you’d have, or the ministry opportunity you didn’t think would come again? You can either say, ‘I can’t,’ or ‘Bring it on Lord, I’m ready!’ ‘But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son(Galatians 4:4 NIV). Notice, God doesn’t consult us to make sure His plans line up with our timetable and meet with our approval. He simply directs our steps (Psalm 37:23). He calls the shots, even when it means we have to run to keep up! Sometimes, however, God will shake your foundation in order to develop your ‘core muscles.’ If you work out, you know that lifting weights is much easier when you’re on solid ground. When you’re on a balance ball, for example, you have to work hard to insure the weights don’t come back down and crush you. When your miracle arrives late, God is strengthening your ‘faith’ and teaching you to stay balanced under pressure.
http://www.ucb.co.uk/index.cfm?itemid=88&testdate=24%20Dec%202008

till next time,
easy does it
Merry merry christmas

What are you talking about? (2)

‘Those who are careful about what they say protect their lives…’ Proverbs 13:3

After failing in business, Paul Galvin attended an auction of his own company. He was ‘down’ but he wasn’t ‘out!’ With his last $750 he bought back the department which later became Motorola! How’s that for a comeback story? The Bible says, ‘In…prosperity be joyful, but in… adversity consider [examine it and see what you can learn]…God has appointed the one as well as the other…’ (Ecclesiastes 7:14 NKJV). Whenever we face new challenges like changing careers, going back to University or starting a new relationship, our old programming kicks in and tells us we’re not equal to the task. Look out! The Bible says, ‘Those who are careful about what they say protect their lives …whoever speaks without thinking will be ruined’ (Proverbs 13:3 NCV). The wonderful thing about being the person God created you to be, is that He pre-programmed you to handle new situations, to change and to grow. Don’t build a case against yourself by listening to old voices without or within, or speaking words that undermine your confidence. Doing something you’ve never done before usually involves an anxiety-induced learning curve that follows along these lines: ‘There’s no way I can do this…I suppose I can try…I’m doing it, but not very well…I’m still doing it but I’m scared…I’m doing better…Oops, I made a mistake, guess I can’t do this after all…Maybe I’ll try again…I’m not doing much better this time…I’ll give it one more shot…Hey, I’m doing pretty good…I can do this!’ The Bible says you’ll ‘…be rewarded by how [you] speak.’ (Proverbs 18:20 NCV), so turn all those ‘I can’ts’ into ‘I cans’ and get your self-talk in sync with the Scriptures.
http://www.ucb.co.uk/index.cfm?itemid=88&testdate=23%20Dec%202008

till next time,
easy does it
Merry Christmas