Becoming Financially Fit: Habits to make or break.

Personal character is made of habits and habits come in two varieties: good and bad. The secret to learning good habits or breaking bad ones is found in conscious repetition. To create a habit, you must repeat an action over and over again until it becomes a natural response. To break a habit, you must to create a new one or choose not to do something over and over until it becomes a natural response.

Want to become more financially responsible? Consciously focus on the following practices. Repeat them over and over until they become natural responses. Before you know it, these will be your habits, too.

Habit 1. Regularly balance your accounts. Financially responsible people calculate a current balance in their checkbook or online account after every transaction. They know where they are at all times.

Habit 2. Save money consistently. Financially responsible people do not spend all the money they have and then rely on credit. They always save some and they do it first, before they pay anyone else.

Habit 3. Think first and spend later. This is the habit that keeps financially responsible people from spending money they don't have. They do not buy things impulsively. They make lists, weigh the consequences, wait for sales and above all, exercise self-control.

Habit 4. Focus on the real price. Financially responsible people see through the come-ons, marketing hype and financing options. They know how to calculate the bottom line. If they can afford the full price, fine. If not, they are not interested in monthly payments.

Habit 5. Know your financial condition. Financially responsible people know within a few bucks the current balance on their mortgage, their investment accounts and other assets. They make decisions based on how their net worth will be affected.

Habit 6. Refuse unsecured debt. Financially responsible people shun debt of all kinds, but especially unsecured debt. If they have secured, i.e. mortgage debt, they repay it rapidly.

Habit 7. Make principle-based decisions. Financially responsible people make financial decisions based on principles, not feelings. They know their feelings are fickle and can change.

Experts in human behavior say it takes 21 repetitions to break a bad habit or to establish a new habit. That means if you do something every day, after three weeks it will become a nearly automatic response, a habit. Continue for another 21 days and you will have established a life-long habit. It takes just six weeks to change your life.

It is possible to learn good habits and unlearn bad ones, even those that are deeply ingrained. It's all a matter of choice and determination!


NOTE: Copied from Ptr. Emil R.'s message.

JUST A BOX OF CRAYONS -- Shane DeRolf

While walking in a toy store
The day before today,
I over heard a Crayon Box
With many things to say.


"I don't like red!" said Yellow.
And Green said, "Nor do I!"
And no one here likes Orange,
But no one knows quite why.


"We are a box of crayons
that really doesn't get along,"
Said Blue to all the others.
"Something here is wrong!"

Well, I bought that box of crayons
And took it home with me
And laid out all the crayons
So the crayons could all see

They watched me as I colored
With Red and Blue and Green
And Black and White and Orange
And every color in between


They watched as Green became the grass
And Blue became the sky.
The Yellow sun was shining bright
On White clouds drifting by.


Colors changing as they touched,
Becoming something new.
They watched me as I colored.
They watched till I was through.

And when I'd finally finished,
I began to walk away.
And as I did the Crayon box
Had something more to say........

"I do like Red! " said the Yellow
And Green said, "So do I !"
And Blue you are terrific!
"So high up in the sky."

"We are a Box of Crayons
Each of us unique,
But when we get together
The picture is complete"
-------
Christian fellowship provides us
With encouragement and love;
It will help us in our journey
'Till we reach our home above
-------
NO CHRISTIAN IS MEANT TO BE AN ISLAND.
- Shane DeRolf

Life...Explained!

On the first day, God created the dog and said:
'Sit all day by the door of your house and bark at anyone who comes in or walks past. For this, I will give you a life span of twenty years.'

The dog said: 'That's a long time to be barking. How about only ten years and I'll give you back the other ten?'
So God agreed.
On the second day, God created the monkey and said:
'Entertain people, do tricks, and make them laugh. For this, I'll give you a twenty-year life span.'
The monkey said: 'Monkey tricks for twenty years? That's a pretty long time to perform. How about I give you back ten like the Dog did?'

And God agreed.

On the third day, God created the cow and said:

'You must go into the field with the farmer all day long and suffer under the sun, have calves and give milk to support the farmer's family. For this, I will give you a life span of sixty years.'

The cow said: 'That's kind of a tough life you want me to live for sixty years.. How about twenty and I'll give back the other forty?'

And God agreed again.

On the fourth day, God created humans and said:

'Eat, sleep, play, marry and enjoy your life. For this, I'll give you twenty years.'

But the human said: 'Only twenty years? Could you possibly give me my twenty, the forty the cow gave back, the ten the monkey gave back, and the ten the dog gave back; that makes eighty, okay?'

'Okay,' said God, 'You asked for it.'

So that is why for our first twenty years we eat, sleep, play and enjoy ourselves. For the next forty years we slave in the sun to support our family.. For the next ten years we do monkey tricks to entertain the grandchildren.. And for the last ten years we sit on the front porch and bark at everyone.

Life has now been explained to you.

"IT'S TIME TO PUT OUR FEET ON THE NECK OF THE ENEMY!"

"IT'S TIME TO PUT OUR FEET ON THE NECK OF THE ENEMY!"
Makida Revelation

It's very rare that I have prophetic dreams. When I had a dream on October 4, I knew it was significant, especially since our staff had been meeting daily for intercession. In my dream, I kept hearing, "Makida is the answer. Makida is the key. Deal with Makida." Then I woke up. I didn't even know how to spell "Makida," but I wrote it down so that I wouldn't forget. The next day, I tried to look it up. I also asked my daughter-in-law, Jane Hamon, for input since she is good at researching words. She found "machi" and "da" in the concordance and discovered that together they mean "this is the one that will cause you to decrease, to become impoverished, to be depressed."
Then on October 15, the board of directors for Christian International (CI) gathered for our annual meeting. After the necessary legal business, we took some time to seek the Lord and prophesy over the ministry. One member felt that the spiritual warfare CI is facing was not just for our ministry, but for other churches, nations and the Body of Christ as a whole. Another member heard the Lord say that we were spiritually at a battle comparable to the battle Joshua and the Israelites fought after Jericho and Ai. We looked that up and discovered in Joshua 10, the story of Joshua and the Israelites fighting against the five Amorite kings. While they battled the Amorite armies, the five kings went and hid in the cave of Makkedah (same pronunciation as "Makida").
The story in Joshua 10 reads:
Verse 10. "...so the Lord routed them before Israel...and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah...." Verse 16," But these five kings had fled and hidden themselves in a cave at Makkedah...." Verse 24, "So it was, when they brought out those kings to Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said to the captains of the men of war who went with him, 'Come near, put your feet on the necks of these kings.' And they drew near and put their feet on their necks. Verse 25, "Then Joshua said to them, 'Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; be strong and of good courage, for thus the Lord will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.'"

Five Spirits Being Exposed
We knew the Lord was telling us that we have victory over these five "kings" (demonic spirits) that have been coming against us. Jane Hamon helped research the meaning of each of the king's names to understand the spiritual implications for the Body of Christ today. As you read these brief descriptions of each of them, consider how these spirits may have had access to your life:

Adoni-Zedek, king of Jerusalem (this is before the Israelites took possession), represents a spirit of oppression that leads to injustice, fear, poverty, confusion and defeat. This spirit is after your peace and tries to instill worry and fear. The oppression can cause head pain and constriction in the chest.

Hoham, king of Hebron, represents the spirit of religion, which drives people into religious performance to try to perfect themselves through legalism rather than the leading of the Holy Spirit. This can lead to passivity, retreat, moral corruption, exhaustion, weariness and broken relationships. It causes an inability to move forward in the things of God and will always resist spiritual warfare.

Piram, king of Jarmuth, represents a spirit of besiegement that can lead to barrenness, poverty, isolation and death. It wants to keep you wild, unbridled and too proud to submit to true spiritual authority so that you will be isolated.

Japhia, king of Lachish, represents a spirit of blindness. This spirit will try to get you to shine the light on yourself and demand your rights, so that you take God's glory for yourself and lose the ability to receive revelation from God. It can darken your spiritual understanding, bringing a lack of joy and a feeling of bondage.

Debir, king of Eglon, represents a spirit of accusation. It seeks to get you to attack others' reputations, to bring discredit to leaders, and to stop true prophetic revelation from going forth or to release false prophets. Its goal is to cut off the voice of the Lord, stop the war cry of the saints and remove the presence of God from your midst.

After Joshua and the Israelites defeated the Amorite armies, Joshua had the five kings removed from the cave. Joshua asked his military captains to put their feet on the necks of the five kings. This is what the Holy Spirit is saying to each of us: "I have given you the victory over these spirits that have come against you and tried to bring you into a place of decrease. It's time to put your feet on the neck of the enemy and enforce your victory!"
Jesus is waiting until all enemies are made His footstool. Let your faith arise to realize--the enemies that have been holding you back have been exposed! You have the victory in Christ over all these spirits. Put your feet on their necks!

I preached this message on October 16, at our annual International Gathering and the entire group did prophetic acts to portray putting our feet on the necks of these spirits and displaying their defeat openly.

Following that message, confirmations came from several others. The next morning, a woman called one of our ministers and asked, "Do you know anything about the five kings or the word 'Makkedah?' The Lord has just spoken to me and said these are the five spirits that are holding the Body of Christ in bondage."

One of the speakers for the International Gathering missed the previous night's meeting, but the next day, he received a call from a business partner. He asked the Lord what was holding up a large money deal they were working on. He felt the Lord say that they needed to go to Joshua 10 and deal with the five Amorite kings, and then they would see it completed.

I have also learned that Kim Clement prophesied the following on September 2, 2007:
"I will shake the earth. The five powers that have tried to control My people are being shaken now," says the Spirit of God. "You may wonder what it is. I'm giving them to you--what the enemy stole at the turn of the century. Azusa, this they called the revival of the beginning of the last century." Now God says, "A greater than Azusa revival, greater than any century has ever delivered because I am bringing down the five powerful forces and they will never control My people again. I will come into your home over the season that they call My birthday, nevertheless, I will come into your house and what you have lost in 2007, I will give back to you in 2008," says the Spirit of the Living God. --End of Excerpt
I encourage you to accept and decree your victory over these five spirits. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any way these spirits have been holding you back, and receive your complete freedom today! The Church has won a great victory!

Yours in Christ,
Bill Hamon
Christian International Ministries
Network Email: cimn@cimn.net

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7 ways to slash stress

By. Dr. Mao Shing

Chronic stress seems to be our national disease, especially these days. Millions suffer from symptoms of stress: nervous tension, restless sleep, difficulty focusing and remembering, irritability, and health complications. Generally speaking, stress speeds up aging. Learn the ways to manage stress, and you will look and feel younger.

1. Start your day with meditation.

Spend time every day in meditative relaxation, with calming music if you desire. Start with five minutes and work your way to 15 or 20 minutes each day. Meditation is your number one way to reduce the output of stress hormones and avoid adrenal exhaustion, serious threats to your health. Try this Stress Release Meditation: Breathe consciously, relax, and with each exhale focus on relaxing each area of your body in sequence, starting from the top of your head and moving all the way down to your toes.

2. Manage your mood with diet and herbs.

Chinese Medicine considers the liver to be the center of your emotions. To allay stress and balance your emotions, keep your liver healthy and happy:
• Every day, eat lots of green leafy vegetables, barley grass, seaweed - anything high in chlorophyll - to keep the liver in good health.
• Take 500 mg dandelion daily for a month or longer to cleanse the liver and help release built-up anger.
• Take 400 mg white peony root daily for 1 to 3 months to soothe the liver and balance your mood.
• Schisandra berry protects the liver from chemicals and calms the spirit. For emotional anxiety, take 200 mg daily for a month.
Take these herbs anytime during the day and before bed in tea or capsule form. All the herbs are available from health food stores and Eastern medicine practitioners.

3. Suppress stress with positive thinking

Instead of letting your thoughts run wild with anxiety, say affirmations to yourself, such as "I can handle the tasks I have ahead of me. I enjoy my responsibilities and fulfill them well." In fact, repeating positive affirmations can actually suppress the cortisol that the adrenal gland releases in times of stress - leaving you peaceful and calm.

4. Get stress out of your head and on paper

Writing in a journal every day can help you release thoughts and emotions that are causing you stress. Write from the position of an observer, recording your thoughts without any judgments. Just write it down so that you can see clearly what is going on inside. The next step is to identify the source of any anger or stress so you can begin to make changes. Looking into your thoughts give you the opportunity to gain insight into your feelings and reflect the underlying issues.

5. Unblock tension with exercise

The constant pressures of your job and family can lead to chronically elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which is a direct cause of muscle and joint pain. Clenched jaw? Lump in your throat? Chronic back and neck pain? These can all be manifestations of stress in your body. Release physical tension and clear these emotional blockages by using massage therapy, exercise, yoga, tai chi, or qi gong to get the circuits moving.

6. A Retreat to Avoid Burnout

Overloading your brain is a recipe for stress and health problems. Information overload is particularly harmful at midlife because we have less tolerance for stress, which can contribute to high blood pressure and heart disease. Press the "reset" button on yourself. Give yourself a retreat from the stresses of modern life. Take one day out of the seven-day week to minimize "screen" time. Don't watch TV, don't check email, and don't look at the news - it will be there tomorrow, and after a day of rest, you will be refreshed and ready to look at them.

7. Perspective from the Natural WorldUse nature to reduce stress.

Go outside, hike in the woods, walk on the beach, anything that puts you in contact with the natural world. It is difficult to feel stressed when you are surrounded by nature's abundance of vitality and wonder.

I hope you find the ways to have less stress! I invite you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with me. May you live long, live strong, and live happy!
-Dr. Mao

The Mayonnaise Jar Story

When things in your life seem, almost too much to handle,when 24 Hours in a day is not enough,remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.When the class began, wordlessly,he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jarand proceeded to fill it with golf balls.He then asked the students, if the jar was full.They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and pouredthem into the jar. He shook the jar lightly.The pebbles rolled into the open Areas between the golf balls.He then asked the students againIf the jar was full.. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand ad poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.He asked once more if the jar was full. The students respondedwith a unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the tableand poured the entire contents into the jar, effectivelyfilling the Empty space between the sand.The students laughed.

'Now,' said the professor, As the laughter subsided,'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.The golf balls are the important things - God, family,children, health, friends, and favorite passions – Things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, house, and car.

The sand is everything else --The small stuff.'

If you put the sand into the jar first,’ He continued,'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.

The same goes for life.If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff,You will never have room for the things that are important to you.

So...Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.

Play With your children.
Take time to get medical checkups.
Take your partner out to dinner.

There will always be timeto clean the house and fix the disposal.

'Take care of the golf balls first --The things that really matter.Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.

'One of the students raised her handand inquired what the coffee represented.The professor smiled.'I'm glad you asked'.It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem,there's always room for A couple of cups of coffee with a friend.'

Law of the Garbage Truck

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us.
My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us.
My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy.
And I mean, he was really friendly.
So I asked, 'Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!' This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, 'The Law of the Garbage Truck.'
He explained that many people are like garbage trucks.
They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment.
As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you. Don't take it personally.
Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on.
Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.
The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day.
Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so...
Love the people who treat you right.
Pray for the ones who don't.

Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it!

Have a blessed, garbage-free day!