Sunday 17 October 2010

One of my favourite teachers: Joyce Meyer

About Joyce:
Joyce Meyer is one of the world's leading practical Bible teachers. A New York Times bestselling author, her books have helped millions of people find hope and restoration through Jesus Christ.
Bible Teacher and Author
Through Joyce Meyer Ministries, she teaches on hundreds of subjects, has authored over 80 books and conducts approximately 15 conferences per year. To date, more than 12 million of her books have been distributed worldwide, and in 2007 more than 3.2 million copies were sold. Joyce also has a television and radio program, Enjoying Everyday Life®, that is broadcast worldwide to a potential audience of 3 billion people. Access her programs anytime of day.
Overcoming a Painful Past
Having suffered sexual abuse as a child and the pain of an emotionally abusive first marriage, Joyce discovered the freedom to live victoriously by applying God's Word to her life and in turn desires to help others do the same. From her battle with breast cancer to the struggles of everyday life, she speaks openly and practically about her experiences so others can apply what she has learned to their lives.
Sharing Her Story to Help Others
Over the years, God has provided Joyce with many opportunities to share her testimony and the life-changing message of the Gospel. In fact, Time magazine selected her as one of the most influential evangelical leaders in America. She is an incredible testimony of the dynamic, redeeming work of Jesus Christ. She believes and teaches that regardless of a person's background or past mistakes, God has a place for them and can help them on their path to enjoying everyday life.
Educational Background
Joyce holds an earned PhD in theology from Life Christian University in Tampa, Florida; an honorary doctorate in divinity from Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma; and an honorary doctorate in sacred theology from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona. Joyce and her husband, Dave, have been married for over 40 years, and they are the parents of four grown children. Dave and Joyce Meyer make their home in St. Louis, Missouri.


See her website & watch daily broadcasts here:
http://www.joycemeyer.org/ourministries/broadcast/

Friday 15 October 2010

The Rules of Being Human


You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it will be yours for as long as you live. How you take care of it or fail to take care of it can make an enormous difference in the quality of your life.


You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time, informal school called Life. Each day, you will be presented with opportunities to learn what you need to know. The lessons presented are often completely different from those you think you need.


There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of trial, error and experimentation. You can learn as much from failure as you can from success. Maybe more.


A lesson is repeated until it is learned. A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it. When you have learned it (as evidenced by a change in your attitude and ultimately your behavior) then you can go on to the next lesson.


Learning lessons does not end. There is no stage of life that does not contain some lessons. As long as you live there will be something more to learn.


“There” is no better than “here”. When your “there” has become a “here” you will simply discover another “there” that will again look better than your “here.” Don’t be fooled by believing that the unattainable is better than what you have.


Others are merely mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects something you love or hate about yourself. When tempted to criticize others, ask yourself why you feel so strongly.


What you make of your life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need. What you create with those tools and resources is up to you. Remember that through desire, goal setting and unflagging effort you can have anything you want. Persistence is the key to success.


The answers lie inside of you. The solutions to all of life’s problems lie within your grasp. All you need to do is ask, look, listen and trust yourself.

Life Lessons

I've learned that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someone who can be loved. The rest is up to them.


I've learned that no matter how much I care some people just don't care back.


I've learned that just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.


I've learned that it takes years to build up trust, and only seconds to destroy it.


I've learned that it's not what you have in your life, but whom you have in your life that counts.


I've learned that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.


I've learned that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.


I've learned that either you control your attitude or it controls you.


I've learned that sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.


I've learned that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you’ve celebrated.


I've learned that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.


I've learned that no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.


I've learned that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.


I've learned that just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other. And, just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.


I’ve learned that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn’t stop for your grief.


I’ve learned that no matter how you try to protect your children, they will eventually get hurt, and you will hurt in the process.


I've learned that you should never tell a child their dreams are unlikely or outlandish. Few things are more humiliating, and what a tragedy it would be if they believed it.


I've learned that heroes are people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.


I’ve learned that you can keep going long after you can’t.

some of my favourite quotes

deep faith eliminates fear


she would rather have known the exhilaration of trying even if it ended in defeat, than to have a guaranteed outcome at the expense of passivity & adventure..he who has never failed cannot be great. Failure is the test of greatness



A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral.


the strength of the pack is the wolf and the strength of the wolf is the pack.


the presence of doubt is the absence of faith.


the condition for a miracle is difficulty, however the condition for a great miracle is not difficulty, but impossibility.


do what you can, with what you have, where you are.


a man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life.


self-esteem is an attitude of respect for and contentment with oneself based on the recognition of one’s abilities and acceptance of one’s limitations.


‎"I Can Do All Things Through Christ Who Strengthens Me" Philippians 4:13


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


I don't know what the future holds, but I know that judging from the past it will be progression.


If we're always looking in the rear view mirror it's hard to keep our eyes on the road ahead.


Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths. Proverbs 3, 5-6


Growth begins when we begin to accept our own weakness.


Love comes to those who still hope even though they've been disappointed, to those who still believe even though they've been betrayed, to those who still love even though they've been hurt before.

Monday 4 October 2010

The Invitation by Oriah

It doesn’t interest me
what you do for a living.
I want to know
what you ache for
and if you dare to dream
of meeting your heart’s longing.


It doesn’t interest me
how old you are.
I want to know
if you will risk
looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.
It doesn’t interest me
what planets are
squaring your moon...
I want to know
if you have touched
the centre of your own sorrow
if you have been opened
by life’s betrayals
or have become shrivelled and closed
from fear of further pain.
I want to know
if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.
I want to know
if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you
to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us
to be careful
to be realistic
to remember the limitations
of being human.
It doesn’t interest me
if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.
If you can bear
the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.
I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.
I want to know
if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
“Yes.”
It doesn’t interest me
to know where you live
or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after the night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.
It doesn’t interest me
who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the centre of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.
It doesn’t interest me
where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know
what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.
I want to know
if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like
the company you keep
in the empty moments.


By Oriah © Mountain Dreaming,
from the book The Invitation
published by HarperONE, San Francisco,
1999 All rights reserved

Challenges

Life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they're supposed to help you discover who you are. Opportunities to find deeper powers within ourselves come when life seems most challenging. Opposition is a natural part of life. Just as we develop our physical muscles through overcoming opposition - such as lifting weights - we develop our character muscles by overcoming challenges and adversity.