Relationships

Hello: 

Today is our last day for “Preparing for the New Year tips.” 

Let’s review our three main areas and concentrate on relationships today.  

 Focus your goals in three areas:

a.    Spiritual b.    Physical

c.    Financial 

In my Spiritual, I talked only about prayer and fasting and goals concerning reading God’s word but I also include in my spiritual life my family.   Maybe it should be under a different category but I do want to address it.   Take time to ensure that you have a healthy relationship with your spouse if you are married, your kids, immediate and extended family. I have been married for over 16 years with no kids yet.   My husband and I always thought we would have kids immediately but it has not happened yet.   I can honestly say that my husband and I have a “very” healthy relationship.  He is also a phenomenal scholar of God’s word and he is my encouragement, motivation, and mentor in a lot of different areas.  I admire and respect his walk with God and I aspire to be like him in a whole lot of ways spiritually. 

Because of our schedules, my husband and I have to work diligently to keep our relationship fresh, exciting, and strong.  You made have heard this from other people before, but it actually works. 

Each week, My husband and I have a date night.  We can’t always keep it because of certain situations that may arise, but most times we do.  This night is our night.  We turn off the cell phones and we just “be.”  We may go out for dinner and a movie; we may just hang around at home and do nothing or whatever.  This is our time to catch up.  I tell him about my week and catch him up on all my feelings and emotions and desires and even dreams.   I tell him everything.  He is my friend. Sometimes, we get into theological debates.  He is just so “smart.”  (lol).   

You probably will find this shocking but my husband has “NEVER”, I mean “NEVER” had an argument with me in the 16 years that we have been married.  Now, I must admit, I have my little tantrums every now and then more so back then than now, but he simply says HONEY, RELAX. 

My husband’s philosophy of life is “change what you can” and don’t worry about the rest, turn it over to God.  He honestly does not embrace the concept of worrying.  He realizes that worrying does not solve or change any situation.   He actually walks in an amazing peace that I strive for on a daily basis.  My husband and I study together but we also have our own outlets that keep us balanced.   He has his own hobbies and so do I.  

 Relationships-   It is important this year to analyze your relationships with your friends and even some family members and make some tough decisions.  Sometimes, we have just surrounded our selves with so many negative people who are killing our dreams and hopes and we find ourselves becoming more like them instead of reaching for the impossible. I am not saying that we can’t surround ourselves with people who do have issues but I’m saying if they are negatively influencing us instead of us positively influencing them then we need to let them go.  

I always surround myself with people that are on the same level or higher levels of dreaming, believing, faith, and accomplishment but at the same time I am a mentor to many who are trying to accomplish their dreams.   I do provide them encouragement but I will not allow any of their negatively to become a part of my day.   If you are not strong enough to handle encouraging “negative people”  while you are going through your situations then sometimes you just have to tell them that you can’t help them right now and direct them to someone else or to a counselor or minister at the church.    

Forgiveness-  This is so Key.    UN-Forgiveness affects, spiritual, physical, and even financial.    It is so important to forgive and move on this year.   Even if you are not the one that did the wrong, the scriptures teach that if we know someone has a problem with us whether legitimate or not, we are to go to them and attempt to resolve the issue.   Those steps are given in Matthew.  We actually covered them in our lesson last year.  For the steps, you can revisit that lesson.    Well, that’s my plan for the New Year and I hope if you don’t embrace mine that you establish your own.   Again, it is not everything that I am doing but just a glimpse into how I begin my year.   

GOALS are key.   You must have GOALS.   Nothing will be accomplished if you don’t plan.  Remember, the famous saying, “If you don’t plan then you’ve planned to fail.”    Make a plan this year.   Write it down, so that if you get off track, you can revisit it throughout the year and get back on track.  

At the end of the Year, you will be amazed at all that you have accomplished because you dared to dream.    Dreams really do come true.    It just takes a plan to bring them to pass.    You must have something on the table for the Lord to bless.    I will close with this scripture and I think it will help emphasize my point.    Ecclesastes 11: 1 Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, for you will find it after many days. 2 Divide  your portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what misfortune may occur on the earth. 3 If the clouds are full, they pour out rain upon the earth; and whether a tree falls toward the south or toward the north, wherever the tree falls, there it lies.  4 He who watches the wind will not sow and he who looks at the clouds will not reap. 5 Just as you do not know  the  path of the wind and how  bones {are formed} in the womb of the pregnant  woman, so you do not know  the activity of God who makes all things. 6 Sow your seed in  the morning and do not be idle in the evening, for you do not know whether morning  or evening sowing will succeed, or whether both of them alike will be good.   (ASV) 

Okay, so let’s get busy, if you already hadn’t.   Let’s get all that the Lord has prepared for us.   

Stay encouraged!!!! 

All is well, everything is safe, and everything is as it should be.

 Don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily. 

This entry was posted on 9. January 2009 at 12:32 and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.