ESH-un OR ASH-un.

Always end the name of your child with a vowel, so that when you yell the name will carry. - Bill Cosby

My family name has created some awkward moments. A girl-friend  said, “ Nicholas ESH-un—I really miss you.” I just smile and let it go thinking that was the end of it but then a my pal asked me, “ I’ve been trying to figure out how you pronouce your surname. Is it ESH-un OR ASH-un! I felt trapped as I looked at my pal who had been mispronouncing my surname.

On an infinitely grander scale, God faces with humankind a similar issue I faced with this girl-friend. How can He be both Just and Kind? In other words how can he serve justice yet be kind. How can He redeem the sinner without endorsing the sin?

From our perspective there are only two equally unappealing solutions. From God’s perspective, however, there is a third. It’s called the Cross of Christ! which is our source of Salvation and that’s one phrase you want to say correctly!

Let It All Motivate You.

Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it. - Lou Holtz

The Holy Bible say's Colossians 3:23 " Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men."

The way to get yourself highly motivated is not to go out and look for things to motivate you but the way to be highly motivated is to let everything motivate you.

Be motivated by your defeats as well as your victories. Be motivated by the challenges and difficulties just as much as you’re motivated by
the positive possibilities.

When you hear encouraging news, be motivated. When someone gives you discouraging news, be just as motivated.

Your level of motivation does not depend on what happens. It depends on the way you choose to respond to such circumstances. Know that, every set-back is a set-up for a greater come-back.

Choose to respond with a sense of positive and meaningful motivation. No matter what happens or fails to happen, let it motivate you to reach higher and to create new value.

You cannot know everything that will fill this day, yet you can choose right now what to do with it. Let it all motivate you to make the efforts that will make it all even better.

Motivation is the art of getting people to do what you want them to do because they want to do it. - Dwight D. Eisenhower

Positive Alternatives

The more you focus on any possibility, the more power and substance you give to it. It is by giving your persistent attention and energy to the possibilities that you make them real.

The same dynamic works for both the desirable and the undesirable possibilities.
Whether you strongly fear or strongly desire, the power of your unrelenting attention will work to create whatever you focus upon.
Choose, then, to make your focus a positive one. Instead of living in fear of the bad stuff, live with a persistent desire and appreciation
for the good stuff.

Be sincerely thankful for the goodness you already have, and your gratitude will create even more. Imagine in detail how your world can be a better place, and your time and energy will go toward making it so.

Not only does fear itself bring you down, it also enables you to bring yourself down. Avoid all that not by avoiding your fears, but by turning your attention to their positive.alternatives.

Your attention has great power. Remember always to focus that power in a desirable direction.

Written By — Ralph Marston

Live Full Of Joy And Laughter.

[Humanity] has unquestionably one really effective weapon — laughter. Power, money, persuasion, supplication,persecution — these can lift at a colossal humbug—push it a little — weaken it a little, century by century; but only laughter can blow it to rags and atomsat a blast. Against the assault of laughter nothing can stand. — Mark Twain

Everybody knows that laughter feels good, but did you know that it is also a proven form of complementary medicine that helps people save money on their medical bills ? Or that it can improve your productivity at work by up to 31%?

Humor is infectious. The sound of roaring laughter is far more contagious than any cough, sniffle, or sneeze. When laughter is shared, it binds people together and increases happiness and intimacy. Laughter also triggers healthy physical changes in the body.

Humor and laughter strengthen your immune system, boost your energy, diminish pain, and protect you from the damaging effects of stress. Best of all, this priceless medicine is fun, free, and easy to use Medicine for Mind and Body.

“Your sense of humor is one of the most powerful tools you have to make certain that your daily mood and emotional state support good health.”˜ Paul E. McGhee, Ph.D.

Laughter is a powerful antidote to stress, pain,and conflict. Nothing works faster to bring your mind and body back into balance than a good laugh. Humor lightens your burdens, inspires hopes, connects you to others, and keeps you grounded, focused, and alert. With so much power to heal and renew, the ability to laugh easily and frequently is a tremendous resource for surmounting problems, enhancing your relationships, and supporting both physical and emotional health.

Laughter is good for your health.
Laughter relaxes the whole body. A good,hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for upto 45 minutes after. Laughter boosts the immune system. Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease. Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-goodchemicals.

Endorphins promote an over all sense of well-being and can eventemporarily relieve pain.Laughter protects the heart. Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.

The Benefits of Laughter

Physical Health Benefits:

Boosts immunity
Lowers stress hormones
Decreases pain
Relaxes your muscles
Prevents heart disease

Mental Health Benefits:

Adds joy and zest to life
Eases anxiety and fear
Relieves stress
Improves mood
Enhances resilience

Social Benefits:

Strengthens relationships
Attracts others to us
Enhances teamwork
Helps defuse conflict
Promotes group bonding

INSIGHT
The Scripture says in Proverbs 15:13  " A glad heart makes a cheerful face, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed. "
A glad heart is one which is filled with joy and always expects the best even when the situation at hand feels heavy.
Laughter and Joy make great partners like salt and pepper; bread and butter; and a baseball bat and ball. Laughter makes one forget the seriousness of the day; the dark clouds of worry; and the looming regrets of yesterday. Joy nurtures the soul; warms the heart and promises the dreams of tomorrow. Bring them together in your relationships today and watch the seeds of sunshine grow. Laugh often and be full of Joy forever!

Scripture Of The Day
Job 8:21 " He will yet fill your mouth with laughter, and your lips with shouting."

Something To Learn Everyday

"Always walk through life as if you have something new to learn and you will." Vernon Howard - author (1918-1992)

Keeping our attitude and ego in check can be a constant battle for some individuals. For others it may be a lack of confidence that must be battled. When possible, cling to humbleness. Humility is an asset because it allows for an open mind and, open heart. But most of all it allows for a confident attitude that seeks to understand that which we're meant to understand in life.

  So when faced with challenges and/or new situations seek to understand and be willing to learn something new. You may find a whole new level of understanding that prior was not available in your thinking.

I don't think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday. ~ Abraham Lincoln.

Have A Sense Of Humor

"A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs. It's jolted by every pebble on the road." Henry Ward Beecher - Clergyman (1813-1887)

Do you know people that are easily offended, overly sensitive, or quickly irritable and their behavior can permeate their entire surroundings? Little problems in life are simply opportunities to practice attitude adjustment. Some personalities create mountains out of those little stumbling blocks of life. Bring in a happy and jovial individual, a jokester or a comedian type personality and the air quickly becomes light and fun loving. If you are without a sense of humor, set a goal to improve that side of your personality. Read jokes daily, watch hilarious movies, hang around funny people, and watch your attitude change. It will shift away from those pebbles in the road and who knows you may begin kicking up your heels, whistling or frolicking unexpectantly.

Let Peace Reign!

"What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family." Mother Teresa - Missionary (1910-1997)

Peace is an occurrence of harmony characterized by the lack of violence, conflict behaviors and the freedom from fear of violence. Commonly understood as the absence of hostility and retribution, peace also suggests sincere attempts at reconciliation , the existence of healthy or newly healed interpersonal or international relationships, prosperity in matters of social or economic welfare, the establishment of equality, and a working political order that serves the true interests of all. [ Wikipedia ].

Forgiving, accepting and loving begins at home. Learning,  practicing and refining begins at home. Godly values begin at home.  
It stands to reason that the home is the incubator for peaceful beginnings. Abraham Lincoln once said, the best way I destroy my enemies is when I make them my friends. If you want peace to reign, then make friends with your enemies, just make friends with such people and make them your friend. Why go to war and fight for peace before you allow peace to reign while such circumstances ( violence, conflicts)  can be overcomed through mutual understanding and make such enemies your friend. One might argue that why should I make someone who wants to destroy me a friend?

The Holy Bible says in Romans 12:17-21 " Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. "

Honoring God as the core and leader of your family brings strength and peace through the muddy waters of life. Make yours a health one.

Use Courage Instead Of Fear!

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." Winston Churchill - Former UK Prime Minister (1874-1965)

Courage is the ability and willingness to confront fear , pain , danger , uncertainty, or intimidation. [ Wikipedia ]

A research I conducted showed that, most successful entrepreneurs and inventor noted that they will see failure in their massive project undertaking. The inventors and entrepreneurs viewed the possibility of failure with an undaunted attitude because the chance of failure was high as well as expected.

Think of Bill Gates: Gates didn’t seem like a shoe-in for success after dropping out of Harvard and
starting a failed first business with Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen called Traf-O-Data. While this early idea didn’t work, Gates’ later work did, creating the global empire that is Microsoft.

Also, Walt Disney the brain behind today's Disney rakes in billions from merchandise, movies and theme parks around the world, but Walt Disney himself had a bit of a rough start. He was fired by a newspaper editor because, “he lacked imagination and had no good ideas.” After that, Disney started a number of businesses that didn’t last too long and ended with bankruptcy and failure. He kept plugging along, however, and eventually found a recipe for success that worked.

Now Albert Einstein one of the most brilliant minds that ever lived also had his fair share of failure, Most of us take Einstein’s name as synonymous with genius, but he didn’t always show such promise. Einstein did not speak until he was four and did not read until he was seven, causing his teachers and parents to think he was mentally handicapped, slow and anti-social. Eventually, he was expelled from school and was refused admittance to the Zurich Polytechnic School. It might have taken him a bit longer, but most people would agree that he caught on pretty well in the end, winning the Nobel Prize and changing the face of modern physics.

Knowing there was a high probability for failure, these successful entrepreneurs/inventors all had something in common, the will to succeed,they therefore reduced the emotional discouragement and were all able to focus faster on problem solving.
 

INSIGHT
The key factor in this scenario is an equally undaunted attitude brimming over with courage. Can we recognize failure as a stepping stone, get past the emotions and allow an undaunted courage to propel us ahead? Remember . . . No matter the circumstance, courage counts!

Deuteronomy 31:6 says Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

Always be willing to take that step of faith and move from your comfort zone to your faith zone and as God has promised us, we shall Surely succeed, the word surely means it will definitely happen and come alive.
If you are going to walk on sea water then be prepared to get out of the boat.

Pray Without Ceasing.

John Piper interprets Paul’s challenging command : “Praying without ceasing” means at least three things.

First, it means that there is a spirit of dependence that should permeate all we do. This is the very spirit and essence of prayer. So, even when we are not speaking consciously to God, there is a deep, abiding dependence on him that is woven into the heart of faith. In that sense, we “pray” or have the spirit of prayer continuously.

  Second – and I think this is what Paul has in mind most immediately – praying without ceasing means praying repeatedly and often. I base this on the use of the word “without ceasing” in Romans 1:9 , where Paul says, “For God is my witness, who I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you.” Now we can be sure that Paul did not mention the Romans every minute of his waking life, or even every minute of his prayers. He prayed about many other things. But he mentioned them over and over, and often. So “without ceasing” doesn’t mean that,verbally or mentally, we have to be speaking prayers every minute of the day in the fight for joy. It means we should pray over and over, and often. Our default mental state should be: “O God help…”

Third, praying without ceasing means not giving up on prayer. Don’t ever come to a point in your life where you cease to pray at all. Don’t abandon the God of hope and say, “There’s no use praying.”
Jesus is very jealous for us to learn this lesson. One of his parables is introduced by the words, “And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He knew our experience in prayer would tempt us to quit altogether. So he, along with the apostle Paul, says, Never lose heart. Go on praying. Don’t cease.

Teach The Child …

"Do not ask your children to strive for extraordinary lives. Such striving may seem admirable, but it is a way of foolishness. Help then instead to find the wonder and the marvel of an ordinary life. Show them the joy of tasting tomatoes, apples and pears. Show them how to cry when pets and people die. Show them the infinite pleasure in the touch of a hand. And make the ordinary come alive for them. The extraordinary will take care of itself." - Liz Armbruster - Writer.  

Asking, demanding, pressuring, expecting the extraordinary is meaningless if a person cannot experience and value the beauty and simplicity of life and relationships. The infinite pleasure in the touch of a hand speaks of an individual's highest worth in a relationship. To develop a heart soft enough to weep at the loss of a pet or loved one speaks of the depth of the gratitude for that relationship. Without the ability of wonderment in everyday life and of seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary, individual achievement could prove futile and unfulfilling. 

  The love and pleasure found in interacting wholeheartedly with food, fun and friendships are the gemstones. Placing God in the center makes this life complete and truly worth living. Those are extraordinary moments.

Teach The Child Right

"Do not ask your children to strive for extraordinary lives. Such striving may seem admirable, but it is a way of foolishness. Help them instead to find the wonder and the marvel of an ordinary life. Show them the joy of tasting tomatoes, apples and pears. Show them how to cry when pets and people die. Show them the infinite pleasure in the touch of a hand. And make the ordinary come alive for them. The extraordinary will take care of itself." Liz Armbruster - Writer

Asking, demanding, pressuring, expecting the extraordinary is meaningless if a person cannot experience and value the beauty and simplicity of life and relationships. The infinite pleasure in the touch of a hand speaks of an individual's highest worth in a relationship. To develop a heart soft enough to weep at the loss of a pet or loved one speaks of the depth of the gratitude for that relationship. Without the ability of wonderment in everyday life and of seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary, individual achievement could prove futile and unfulfilling. The love and pleasure found in interacting wholeheartedly with food, fun and friendships are the gemstones. Placing God in the center makes this life complete and truly worth living. Those are extraordinary moments.