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I got tagged by Dan at Management by God as a recipient of the Thinking Bloggers Award and was totally surprised when told about it. It was last month but I’ve held off as I wanted to update the look of this blog and have been spending time going through tons of templates. Anyway, now I can concentrate on this and other posts.

I felt honoured to be given this award. This blog began in May 2006 because of the direction that God was leading me in. I’ve since become part of a business ministry team at my church and am seeing things happening amongst our local business community.

The participation rules are simple:

1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think,
2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme,
3. Optional: Proudly display the ‘Thinking Blogger Award’.

So that meant Dan had set me on this journey to find 5 blogs that make me think - actually there are heaps of them. But here are 5 I’m tagging and passing the award to:

1. Talk to Bev
2. Connect Simply
3. Rodney Olsen
4. Morsels From God
5. PopArt Diva

I would also like to offer my prayers over these bloggers and ask God to bless their continued work and outreach through what they do on a daily basis. Amen.

Our Pastor had a great message last night at church. He always has great messages, it’s just that some things set me thinking (and writing) and often sets something in motion.

One of the things he said last night was “God will often show you a glimpse of your influence at the point where you feel like giving up!” Ain’t that the truth?

Ps Rob gave an example which immediately took me back to several instances of when I wanted to give up but pushed through because someone contacted me at that crucial moment to say how much something I’d done or said had an effect on their lives.

Wow! How did they know to contact me right at that very moment? Because I’d prayed to God asking Him what should I do? Should I continue or should I give up? Sometimes I would be crying out loud (thank goodness I work in an office alone otherwise others would wonder what was going on) and other times simply praying silently with tears rolling down my cheeks.

I’ve found as I’ve pushed forward with what I know God has charged me with, I encounter even more opposition, and often those things are personal attacks on me, what I do, my life, my character and so on. This was particularly the case last year as I was writing my book “Worth More Than Rubies“, and especially as it got close to the point of publication and distribution. Fortunately the teachings I’d received over the years in church and elsewhere had told me that when we’re doing God’s work, there will be continued attacks to try and knock us off our path.

When I got back home from church I read the message on my calendar for the day and had to smile - a reinforcement from God.

“Only be strong and courageous!” Joshua 1:18 NIV.
God had battles for you to fight and win in his strength, but you must do your part.

“I sat alone because Your hand was on me.“ Jeremiah 15:17 NIV

I get a daily devotional called The Word For Today which has great messages. Today’s centred around the above verse and reminded the readers of the number of times that Jesus withdrew to be alone, or when Daniel, Elijah and Moses all had times of withdrawal and being alone.

When I read this message I was reminded why I love being alone. I run a business at home and of the 14 years I’ve been in business I have been in my home alone for the most part. Sometimes a family member or two are around but most times I am alone so I can get on with my work and just think and read uninterrupted.

I love that I can sit in the office early morning, read my bible, have breakfast and a cuppa and catch up on all the messages that have arrived overnight. I have many friends overseas who all have similar outlooks on life and it’s always good to catch up with them.  But most of all I just like to be able to sit, contemplate, think, write and pray and not have to answer anyone’s questions of ‘what are you doing?’ or feel that the constant noise around me is disturbing. In fact, other than my fingers on my keyboard, the only other ‘noise’ nearby is the radio that is on all day long.  It is tuned to a Christian station and so the songs, and chatter are uplifting, encouraging and often have some humour in it.

As mentioned in today’s Word For Today, I do not feel lonely - and I enjoy being alone.  Perhaps this too is evidence of the confidence I have that I am where God wants me to be, doing the work He intended for me.

It’s been interesting to see the comments online and various reports about the Law of Attraction. As if it’s new thinking or something.

Back in the early 1990s I learnt about the ‘RAS’, the reticular activation system from a doctor in psychosomatic medicine. Works pretty much on the same principle.

What you think about you are drawn towards… Your mind is like a magnet… What goes around comes around… You reap what you sow… Do any of these sound familiar?

If you are a woman wanting to have a baby, everywhere you look there are pregnant women, or women with pushers or young children, aren’t there?

If you’re a guy shopping for your first car, the make and model (or colour) that you’re interested in seems to be everywhere doesn’t it?

What about when you were learning to drive and told to look out for that xxx… did you hit it? Or come very close to hitting it?

Being focused on something means that we are aware of when that something is around us or passing us, or we are passing it. We become more alert - our radar is active and draws our attention to what we might ordinarily pass by in other circumstances. Our subconscious kicks in and is seeking out opportunities for the very thing for which we crave or seek, whether that thing be good for us or not.

What we think about - both negative and positive - can affect the way we live our lives and what happens to us in our lives. There’s nothing magic about it at all. But some have learnt to better harness this wonderful ability we all have. Both Dale Carnegie and Napoleon Hill wrote about this law many years ago. And heaps of others since. As each generation grows up, they rediscover this law.

What does the bible tell us about it?

Matt 7:7 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. (NLT)

Luke 11:10 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. (NLT)

Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. (NIV)

Gal 6:7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. (NIV)

In the first two above we’re encouraged to ask God for what we want. That doesn’t mean we will get everything we ask for - not everything we ask for is good for us, but if we are sincere within and what we ask for is in His will, we will get it. Some prefer to make it happen in their own right, rather than waiting on God, and this often means we go through challenges in life that aren’t necessarily good to go through (think about Abraham and Sarah when trying to have a son of their own - see Genesis chapters 16-25).

And if we are persistent and keep working towards a certain goal we will most likely achieve it, if we don’t undermine ourselves. Many think that overnight successes are ‘lucky’ but the reality is they’ve spent years working towards a goal to achieve it - although the general public aren’t aware of those people till they’ve ‘made it’! So how focussed are you on your goals or are you easily distracted?

By the way, has it occurred to you that your goals or desires within may be related to the very reason God has placed you on this earth?

Pay it forward… is another saying - giving to others without expectation invariably means that later down the track, when you have need something will be given back to you. Luke 6:38 backs this up and when you think about it, so does Gal 6:7. Basically God views our actions and responds accordingly. Kind of makes you want to start giving daily doesn’t it? And that doesn’t mean money necessarily - giving of yourself is a very important part in this law of attraction to work!

For more thoughts on a Christian view of the Law of Attraction, why not visit Three Sticks - Personal Development for Christians which has an excellent post on this topic.

Christianity and the Law of Attraction, The Secret, Christianity, Ask, Seek, Knock

Our Pastor has been speaking more about Ministry in the Marketplace, reminding all of our church members that they are Ministers in their workplaces. It’s so good to hear everyone being reminded of this. We have been commissioned to go ‘out there’ and minister to others about our faith, about our experiences, about what Jesus has done for those we live and work with on a daily basis.

Perhaps you have no idea what to say or how to say it? Don’t worry about it. We don’t need to be eloquent speakers, practiced in witnessing or preaching. Rather we are charged to just share our own personal experiences. If you are working with someone who is having a challenge in life, think about whether you’ve experienced similar and share your experience with them. Let them see from your own personal experience what choices you made in life and where you are today. Our own life experiences are what others need to know about. Our actions speak louder than words. Just be a friend and a support and encourager. Let God do the rest.

witnessing, sharing experience, ministry in the marketplace