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Jesus was with his disciples giving them some final words before he would be arrested and crucified. The disciples finally realized Jesus would actually be heading to his death. They realized soon, it would just be them and the other disciples left to fend for themselves. Put yourself in their shoes. What would be running through your mind? “I can’t do this without him.” “I’m not ready.” “I’m not good enough.” Have you ever felt like this? Have you ever had a time where you just felt really discouraged? It could be a time like the one we’ve been in where nothing seemed to go the way you planned and you’re struggling to find some semblance of “normal”. You start thinking all kinds of negative things and it just continues to cause you to spiral. Or maybe there’s something from your past that continues to be brought up—something you did or something that was done to you. You can’t seem to outrun your mistakes and all of those words and feelings flood your mind. Maybe you’ve been called something or labeled something that just hurts. We all have seasons where the words we use to describe ourselves or our current situation are filled with negativity, self-doubt, or shame. Can I just let you know? None of that is from God. Knowing the disciples would feel discouraged, Jesus told them, “But I will send you the Advocate”. The original word that’s translated “advocate“ literally means “one who comes alongside to help or encourage”. God has given you and me the Holy Spirit to encourage us and speak words of life into us. The Holy Spirit will never discourage you. The Holy Spirit will only encourage you. Take time to thank God.

Today, let's remind ourselves to let GO... So how can we stop holding on? By realizing that there’s nothing to hold on to in the first place. Most of the things we desperately try to hold on to, as if they’re real, solid, everlasting fixtures in our lives, aren’t really there. Or if they are there in some form, they’re changing, fluid, impermanent, or simply imagined in our minds. Life gets a lot easier to deal with when we understand this. Imagine you’re blindfolded and treading water in the center of a large swimming pool, and you’re struggling desperately to grab the edge of the pool that you think is nearby, but really it’s not—it’s far away. Trying to grab that imaginary edge is stressing you out, and tiring you out, as you splash around aimlessly trying to holding on to something that isn’t there. Now imagine you pause, take a deep breath, and realize that there’s nothing nearby to hold on to. Just water around you. You can continue to struggle with grabbing at something that doesn’t exist... or you can accept that there’s only water around you, and relax, and float. This is the process of letting GO. It can be liberating. Truth be told, inner peace begins the moment you take a new breath and choose not to allow an uncontrollable circumstance to dominate you in the present. You are not what happened to you. You are what you choose to become in this moment. Let go, breathe, and begin...

I created "When You Have Real Power You Can't Lose" to bring together the people most important to us in a way that’s focused, valuable, and––most importantly––all our own. There’s no question it’s a different approach. And a new one, which may have a bit of a learning curve. I could have created a group somewhere else, but I chose this path for a few key reasons: It’s Ours. As we build this community together, we have some great features for creating exclusive content, deeper conversations, richer polls, and online or in-real-life events (when I decide to turn those on). Plus, I have access to great analytics that will make us smarter and faster about what’s working for you, and what’s not. There are More Ways for You to Meet Each Other. There are more ways to introduce people who are near each other, who fall into the same categories, and who care about the same topics. We can’t get that in free groups or on a website elsewhere. We Can Bring Together More in One Place. Right now, I'm juggling a bunch of services in different places. It doesn’t necessarily allow me to create the best experience for you. By launching this community, I can introduce you to more people, unlock valuable collaborations and exclusive content, and I'm freed up to bring you new, fresh ideas and practices to take into your daily life. What You Should Expect From "When You Have Real Power You Can't Lose" I'm aiming to make your experience here awesome. I want you to get five key things from When You Have Real Power You Can't Lose: Experience exclusive content and conversations you can’t find anywhere else. Meet people who share your interests who live near you, who do the same things, or who care about the same topics. Make better, more well-informed decisions about the things that are most important to you. Swap stories, experiences, and ideas (not necessarily advice) around our shared mission. Find a little inspiration, thought-provoking conversations, and expert perspective each and every day. To make this a reality, I'm going to need your help. Every time you contribute a story, experience, or idea, you’re building a knowledge base every member of this community can tap to make better decisions. And when you invite in as few as two new members, you’re adding rocket fuel to what this community can accomplish together. It doesn’t get any better than that. Let’s Dive In! I can’t wait to be inspired by your Post!

We're all here to accomplish the same goals. Therefore, I need your help to keep this community strong and useful. These guidelines were created to ensure that together we're creating a place that’s welcoming, inclusive, and valuable for everyone. With that in mind, I ask that you keep these principles in mind when you post. Focus on knowledge sharing, not giving out advice. There are plenty of places online where we can dole out our expert opinions. I want to instead foster an environment where healthy debate is encouraged and everyone is celebrated for sharing their questions, stories, and perspectives. My goal is to tackle big questions and work together to discover all of the potential answers. That can only happen when we are committed to collaboration and true knowledge sharing. Be respectful. Please be kind and constructive when you add a new post, ask a question, or comment on someone else's contribution. Snark or spam will be deleted immediately. Provide context. I love it when our members share links and resources. If you do, add some commentary or give us some context so that we can understand more about why you care about this particular topic or article. Have questions? We're here. If you see a post in the feed the violates these guidelines, flag it! I will step in to contact the member privately or remove the offending post.

Thank you for joining. I hope that this community can be an platform for positivity, motivation, empowerment, and openness.

As a member of "When You Have Real Power You Can't Lose", I want you to get immediate value from being here. That’s why I'm aiming to offer five simple things: Experience exclusive content and conversations you can’t find anywhere else. Meet people who share your interests who live near you, who do the same things, or who care about the same topics. Make better, more well-informed decisions about the things that are most important to you. Swap stories, experiences, and ideas around our shared mission. Find a little inspiration, thought-provoking conversations, and expert perspective each and every day. Things to Do First Introduce Yourself. If you haven’t already, go to your Profile Page to add a mini-bio and a quick introduction. It should take you less than a minute and you’ll immediately start to see folks like you in your feed. Post One Thing You’re Excited About Right Now. Sharing your first Post is easy. Just write the one thing you’re most excited about right now.

Are you struggling to forgive someone who hurt you? Or are you struggling to forgive yourself? Maybe you are curious about God’s forgiveness and even wondering if He could forgive you for something you regret. If you struggle with forgiving others or yourself, then you are not alone. We are not in charge of the behavior of others, but we are in charge of how we respond. It is only the through receiving the grace and forgiveness of God that we can extend the same to others. The pain and hurt others cause us is a reality for many. But the pain of living with bitterness and unforgiveness can poison your soul and destroy you. When we forgive others, we are not saying what they did was OK, but we are letting go of their hold on us. Forgiving ourselves and others can be one of the hardest things we face in life, but it will lead to the greatest blessings and freedom as a result. Despite the prevalence of unforgiveness in our lives, it seems that many of us have a mistaken understanding of forgiveness and its impact, not only spiritually and emotionally, but also physically. In fact, according to John Hopkins Medicine, forgiveness has a huge impact on your health: “Whether it’s a simple spat with your spouse or long-held resentment toward a family member or friend, unresolved conflict can go deeper than you may realize—it may be affecting your physical health. The good news: Studies have found that the act of forgiveness can reap huge rewards for your health, lowering the risk of heart attack; improving cholesterol levels and sleep; and reducing pain, blood pressure, and levels of anxiety, depression and stress. And research points to an increase in the forgiveness-health connection as you age.” Do not live with the burden of unforgiveness any longer. Find freedom through God’s word. Choose to let go and let God and walk in freedom. “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32 NIV). What keeps you from choosing freedom through forgiveness?

We want everyone to get the most out of this community, so we ask that you please read and follow these guidelines: Respect each other Keep posts relevant to the forum topic No spamming I'm doing something a bit different here with "When You Have Real Power You Can't Lose." I need everyone’s help to keep this emerging community as valuable, authentic, and safe as possible. This means a few rules of the road: Share Stories and Experiences, Not Advice. Nothing builds a beautiful conversation faster than sharing your stories and experiences, and nothing shuts one down faster than just posting advice. If you’ve written the words, “you should…” hold up. On the other hand, if you find yourself writing, “In my experience…” keep going! Troll Elsewhere. There are plenty of places you can spend your time today where trolling is going to get you a lot more attention. If you’re tempted to troll here, head on over to those platforms first and get it out of your system. Have More Questions? I'm here to make sure your time here in "When You Have Real Power You Can't Lose" is worth it. You can see and message me at any time.

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You don’t need to have it all figured out to take the next step. But you do need to take the next step to figure it out. You know the thing you’ve been putting off the longest? That thing you’ve been procrastinating on for the last several weeks? That’s the thing you need to start doing, with passion! Remind yourself that passion is not something you find in life; it’s something you do. When you want to find the passion and inner strength needed to change your situation, you have to force yourself to step forward. Too many of us are still hopelessly trying to “find our passion”—something we believe will ultimately lead us closer to happiness, success, or the life situation we ultimately want. And I say “hopelessly” primarily because passion can’t really be found. When we say we’re trying to find our passion, it implies that our passion is somehow hiding behind a tree or under a rock somewhere. But that’s far from the truth. The truth is, our passion comes from doing things right. If you’re waiting to somehow “find your passion” somewhere outside yourself, so you finally have a reason to put your whole heart and soul into your life and the changes you need to make, you’ll likely be waiting around for an eternity. On the other hand, if you’re tired of waiting, and you’d rather live more passionately starting today and experience small positive changes, it’s time to proactively inject passion into the very next thing you do. Think about it: When was the last time you sat down and had a conversation with someone nearby, with zero distractions and 100 percent focus? When was the last time you exercised and put every bit of effort you could muster into it? When was the last time you truly tried—truly tried—to do your very best? Like most of us, you’re likely putting a halfhearted effort into most of the things you do on a daily basis. Because you’re still waiting. You’re still waiting to “find” something to be passionate about—some magical reason to step into the life you want to create for yourself. But you need to do the exact opposite! Start doing the hard and necessary things, with your whole heart and soul fully invested.

There are four voices that are raging in our heads on a daily basis. Another way to put it could be “The Battle of the Wills”. No wonder there can be confusion in our lives. No wonder people are at odds with one another. No wonder that there can never truly be “peace on earth”. These four wills/voices are: 1.The will/voice of God the Father. God designed each of us ON purpose, WITH purpose, and FOR a purpose. He is the Knitter and the Knower of each day of our lives. We are fearfully and wonderfully made. He designed that we walk in harmony with His plan. He is knocking at the door of our heart always as He longs to speak to us. 2.The will/voice of the enemy. We have an enemy—a thief, who comes to rob, kill, and destroy our lives, our joy, our families and His will. He seeks death over life and has purposed to destroy all that is good and right. He is sneaky. He is real. The battle is on! 3.The will/voice of ourselves. Then we have to deal with our own self-will, our own selfish nature, and our own pride that wants our own way. We all have the common ground of the “human condition”. We all have blind spots. We all are self-centered to some degree. 4.The will/voice of the other. This could be parents, a teacher, boss, neighbor, friend or pastor. There are often many voices in our lives telling us what to do. Or even just suggesting what to do. Most of these voices mean well, but they are still other voices that we hear. Pay attention! Listen to the Voice of the Father. Be aware of the other voices and the choices as the voice you believe will determine the future you experience.

Comparison is the thief of joy. Oftentimes, comparing ourselves to others also leads us into making poor choices. Each of us is unique. God created each of us fearfully and wonderfully and then signed us with our own unique thumbprint. We are not like other people. We were not designed to be them. Not to look like them or live like them. Not to carry their load. We have a unique call upon our lives to be totally and completely who He created us to be. Don’t get distracted by unnecessary and unwanted comparisons. Stay on your own path.  Comparing ourselves to others is an ugly game that we all have played, and it leads to the death of our happiness. Envy can often be the result of this comparison game, and God does not like envy. There is no win in this game. No finish line. No final satisfaction. Keep your eyes to yourself, your giftings and your call. Live for the audience of ONE. Listen to only His voice. Do not carry more than what you are called to do. Unload your backpack from the unwanted comparisons in your life. The internet and social media can amp up comparison to either discourage you or encourage you all in the same breath. It’s so easy to scroll and scroll and have disappointment and jealousy grow with every thumb swipe as we over-analyze and scrutinize the lives of others. Our peace of mind only comes with trusting the Knitter and the Knower for our perfectly imperfect individual design. He gifted each of us uniquely to bless and serve others. Do not be an “elbow” trying to be a “foot” in the body of Christ. We are all geniuses at something, but if a fish spent his lifetime trying to climb a tree, he would feel stupid. Stay in your lane. Shine on as you, and you alone, were uniquely created to do. How is comparison a “thief of your joy"? Prayer: O Lord, blind me to comparing myself to others and help me to understand exactly who You created me to be. Lead me into my unique purpose that You designed just for me.

Even if it wasn’t your kid, I’m sure you’ve at least heard this in a store: “Can I have that? Please? Pllleeeeaaaaaase?” And if the parent doesn’t respond, you hear it again, and again! It’s irritating, right? Why do kids do that? Because it works. Today, let’s talk about being Persistent. Sometimes people pray about something one time, and they think that should be enough. They throw a quick prayer over their shoulder, and then they move on. The truth of the matter is that we actually have some lessons we can learn about persistence from the kid at the store. (Not to be whiny and annoying, but to be persistent—to ask and keep on asking, in faith.) See, what happens when we ask and we don’t get it? We get discouraged. Sometimes, so much so we quit asking—or think God is being mean or doesn’t hear us because He didn’t do it for us right then. I want to propose an idea to you. What if when you don’t get it right away God’s answer isn’t, “No, you can’t have it” but instead is, “No, it’s not ready yet.”  Or what if you’re not ready for it yet? Or what if it’s, “I have something better for you”? Would it change the way you pray if you realized it may not be the right way, the right time, or the right thing for Him to say yes to that prayer? I think it might. Jesus tells us that we are to pray—and keep on praying. Because those who pray and keep doing it, in faith, without getting discouraged, receive answers from God. God is not our magic genie in a bottle just waiting for us to rub His magic Bible with a few choice Christian-sounding words. God is so much beyond that, even thinking of Him like a spiritual waiter taking our order is a grave insult. But when you have submitted your will to His humbly, you’ve learned what He says in His Word and you’re asking specifically according to what the Bible says, you can ask persistently without losing heart until you get His answer.  So I’m obviously not telling you to throw a fit at God like the kid in the store, but next time you’re praying, remember that persistence is a key to powerful prayers.

The children of Israel were given this task of spying out the land in order to test their faith. The twelve spies went in and what they found was amazing. The fruit was so large that it took two men and a pole to carry one cluster of grapes. This land was incredible! Sometimes we need to see things for ourselves, and I think that this was part of the exercise of faith that God was sending them. It is like God was trying to tell them, “Look, this is what I told you it would be – an amazing land!” This was the God Who had freed them from the bondage of Egypt, the most powerful nation on the earth, by doing incredible miracles. They could see the awesome power of God with their own eyes. Then they were trapped by the Red Sea with Pharaoh’s army right behind them. They were about to be obliterated when God opened the waters of the Red Sea and provided a dry passage. As soon as they were safely on the other side, the waters closed on the Egyptian army.  They had seen God’s power and might on display during their wilderness wanderings. They had seen water come from a rock. When they were in danger of starvation, they had eaten bread that had miraculously appeared on the ground. God had provided over and over. They knew God was powerful and capable of providing food, water, and protection for them. Now they were ready to go into the land that God had promised them. They had seen the bounty that God had given them. The land was theirs for the taking. All they had to do was exercise faith in God Who had proved Himself faithful. Are you struggling with a decision to do right? Maybe you know God is calling you to do something for Him. Look back on His faithfulness in your life and know that you can trust Him with your future.

Our passage today reminds us that we can do all things through Christ Who strengthens us. Now the context of this is contentment – and contentment is one of the big hurdles of life. In these days of smartphones, tablets, super high definition TV’s and other technology that seems to change every month, how can we be content? It certainly is a hard challenge, but with God’s help, and with the proper attitude, we can be content with whatever God has given us. Whether we are abased, or whether we abound, we need to find contentment. I think this translates into the other obstacles that we face in life. With the Lord Jesus Christ’s power and ability working through us, and our willingness to let Him work in our lives, He will strengthen us to do whatever it is that He has called us to do. The Scripture says, I can do all things through Christ… but sometimes we do not believe that or act upon it. In Numbers 13, the people of Israel were paralyzed with fear and did not move forward. They listened to the ten spies with the report that said there was no way to conquer the land. They did not listen to Joshua and Caleb who said, “Yes, it is a challenge, but with God, it is possible.” The sad result was that all those people, except for Joshua and Caleb, died in the wilderness. They had been promised the land by an all-powerful God. They were right there; all they had to do was go in and take what God had given them. Had they believed and moved forward, they would have seen God work, but they were afraid. Christian, we can’t let this be our life story – don’t let fear keep us from the blessings that God has promised.

A wealthy man from England died and left his nephew the bulk of his estate. In today’s money, it was equivalent to around five million dollars. The only problem was that the young man had traveled to America years before and disappeared. Scotland Yard was called in to investigate. Eventually, they found the young man – lying frozen in the doorway of a cheap hotel. He didn’t have the money for a hotel room, yet he was literally a millionaire. Many Christians live their lives like this. They live like beggars and paupers when they are an heir of the God Who owns the cattle on a thousand hills. They don’t, however, need to live like this because they have the Lord on their side. Joshua and Caleb believed and trusted the Lord. They agreed that it would be a huge undertaking to enter the Promised Land and conquer the mighty inhabitants, but they also knew that with God on their side, they would be victorious. Because of their faith, Joshua and Caleb were able to enter the Promised Land. Even though Joshua was a man of faith, I’m sure he was still afraid. I am sure that many years later, when it was time to cross the Jordan River and start taking the land, he had many doubts and questions. He overcame that fear by trusting that if the Lord was the One Who put the obstacle in his path, then the Lord was going to help him overcome that obstacle. Life is never going to be exempt of things that we fear. The most successful people in the world are the ones who have many insecurities and fears, yet still move forward in spite of those fears. It is the confidence of knowing that we serve a living God Who is powerful and mighty and He wants to help us

Dear God, as I begin this day, Let me turn my thoughts to you, And ask your help in guiding me In everything I say and do. Give me the patience that I need To keep my piece of mind, And with life’s cares, I hope, Dear God Some happiness to find. Let me live but for you today, Not worrying what’s ahead, For I have trust that you will see I get my “Daily Bread.” Give me the courage to face life’s trials And not from troubles run, Let me keep this thought in mind, “Thy will”, not mine”, be done. And if some wish I do not get Though I have prayed to Thee, Help me to believe and understand You know what’s best for me. I have failed many times I know, But when tonight I rest, I hope that I can kneel and say, “Dear God,” I’ve tried my best.

“I praise your promises! I trust you and am not afraid. No one can harm me.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭56:10-11‬ ‭CEV‬‬ Words are powerful. Like the tide coming in, they can lift us up, or like the tide going out, they can drag us down. Like a crane on a construction site, they can build us up, or like a bulldozer on a demolition site, they can break us down and destroy us. No matter how old we are or what profession or situation we are in, the words people speak over us affect us at some level or other. Right now we might be aware of some negative labels that have stuck with us, some names that have begun to define us and caused us to doubt what God has said about us through his Word. The fear of ridicule is fear of the destructive things people will say about us. From a few comments in the coffee area during our work-break to severe verbal bullying at school, we can’t control the words people say. But what we can control is the power we give those words over our lives. We can choose whether to allow those words to define us or not. The way to disarm a bully is to disallow their words to have any power over us. When it comes to facing the fear of ridicule, it comes down to a choice that each of us must make. In today’s passage the author of the Psalm makes the choice to trust in God rather than in ‘mere mortals,' i.e., other humans. The question is: Whose voice are you listening to? The voice of your creator or the voice of the crowd? We can listen to and agree with what the crowd says about us, or we can choose to accept what Christ says about us. We can listen to what social media says, or listen to what our Savior says. We can listen to the words of man, or listen to the Word of our Maker. Our Maker, our heavenly Father, says that we are fearfully and wonderfully made; that there is a plan and purpose for our life; and that greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world. Let’s allow these positive words to resonate deep in our heart and find agreement with them – and rather than falling into fear in the face of ridicule, we can then stand firm.

Tattoos are permanent. Bruises are temporary. When it comes to failure, we need to understand that it is not a tattoo; it is a bruise, a one-off event rather than a label to define your life. The fact that we fail at times does not make us a failure. It means we tried, and the key is to get up and have another go! We can only do that if we allow failure to teach us and grow us, rather than define us. This way, when we try, we win or we learn, but we never lose. The Bible is full of stories of people who failed; it is also full of stories of many who overcame their failures. The biggest heroes in the Bible are people who failed time and time again, but who God continued to use just because they didn’t give up trying. Micah 7:8 says, ‘Don’t gloat over me, my enemies, although I have fallen, I will rise.’ There is so much hope in this verse. To be aware of a failure, yet being able to keep focused on the comeback is a beautiful thing! Winston Churchill said, ‘Success is to keep failing without losing enthusiasm.’ In life we will have some small, and some epic, fails. Some we forget in a day; others we carry around for a lifetime. The question is: Do our failings make us stronger and wiser, or do they make us fearful to try again; fearful of taking a risk, or stepping out? In some jobs, there is zero tolerance for failure. If you are a pilot or a heart surgeon, there is zero tolerance to fail because lives depend on you. For this reason, they have had years of practice and training where they could fail. Heart surgeons had practice bodies. Pilots had simulators and test flights. These were platforms where there was room for failure many times over that allowed them to grow and become skilled. When it comes to our walk with God, we are all works in progress. We are all on a journey, and failures along the way will happen. Let’s embrace them, learn from them and prevent them from holding us back from where God has called us to go. God hasn’t called us to be perfect. He’s just called us to not give up.

Always end the day with a positive thought. No matter how hard things were, tomorrow’s a fresh opportunity to make it better.

Do you have a favorite season of the year? Perhaps it’s one of the four seasons, such as spring or fall. Or perhaps your preferred season revolves around a certain sport or activity, like basketball, baseball or football . No matter what your favorite time of year is, God has designated every activity—every unique season in our lives—for a certain time. And once that season is finished, it’s time for another to take its place. Instead of being frustrated about a particular season coming to an end in your life, pray and ask God to remind you that with each season comes with new challenges and new experiences—and the opportunity for newfound joy and excitement along the way.

One thing that all of us have in common is that we are all following someone. I wonder if you have ever thought about who you are following and about how they influence your life. I have come to realize that who we follow determines who and what we fear. If we follow someone who is fearless, we will fear less; if we follow someone who is fearful, we will have much more fear. Fear is a learned trait; we can learn it from our parents, our role models and our bad experiences. But the good news is that if fear is a learned trait, then it is possible to unlearn it. Firstly, we need to identify our fears. Once we have done this, we can then choose to either run towards our fears or run away from them; to be overwhelmed by our fears or be overcome by them. Once we are honest with ourselves about who and what we fear, we can then choose to conquer our fears, but the first step is identifying where our fear lies. We can be fearful or fearless, and both have a ripple effect on the people around us - our friends, our kids, our spouse, and our colleagues. When a ‘giant’ comes our way, how do they see us respond? In a financial recession, do they see us full of fear? When sickness hits, do they see us full of worry? When intimidation comes our way, do they see anxiety or fearless confidence? Rather than allowing fear to dictate our lives, let’s demonstrate what it is to be fearless and encourage each other to live a fearless life.

God will take you places that are foreign to you (in the spirit & the flesh) so you can come out a better version of your self. All you have to do is trust in him. He will take you through the storms & sometimes those storms may SEEM to be paradises but do not be fooled stay strong & stead fast in the lord.

We all have plans & ideas, some world/ life changing but God’s plan is the one that matters the most. He will help us along the way more than we think, we just have to let go and let God. You will soon notice that everything has changed for the better including our selves.

The short term pain of change is far better than the long term pain of staying the same.