Get The 7 Keys To Improving Your Life Every Day

To say that this book is about improving your life every day is an understatement. This book will show you how to revolutionize your life in such a way that it will change your life into the life of your dreams.

You are going to discover how to live a life that works. A life of peace, joy, happiness, and abundance in every area of your life.

I'll be the first to say that I am a huge fan of Joel Osteen. His first book, "Your Best Life Now" is a book that I have been deeply influenced by. However, as good as "Your Best Life Now" is, (definitely 5 stars), "Become a Better You" is even better.

Because he seems like such a happy positive person, it's hard to believe that Joel Osteen has ever had any problems. It's also hard to believe that he would understand what it's like to come from the bottom and overcome some of the worst problems a person could have but he does.

Osteen offers seven keys to improving your life:

1. Keep pressing forward (This means to never quit)
2. Be positive toward yourself
3. Develop better relationships
4. Form better habits
5. Embrace the place where you are
6. Develop your inner life
7. Stay passionate about life

One of the things I liked best about this book is that at the end of each section he offers a set of action points. These action points cover the main points of the entire section. I found that studying these every day helped me make a lot of progress much more quickly than if I hadn't.

Another thing I liked about this book is that it has 31 chapters. This makes it a good choice to also use as a daily reading to help you further study the material. I've read the book several times this way, and it made it much easier to apply the information. There's just so much good stuff in this book that will help you. You can't read it just one time. It's a book you will want to read over and over.

Two things I was absolutely sure of after I read this book is this: First, God really loves me. He loves all of us, and He really wants to bless us. This means that all of the hell fire and brimstone taught in church is an injustice done to those of us who truly believe. God wants to connect with us, not hurt us.

The second thing is that Joel Osteen truly understands people, and he is committed to helping others achieve the life God has in store for us. I didn't find his teaching to be shallow at all, and it's definitely not the "I'm good, you're good, God is good" type of teaching he has been accused of.

The teaching in this book is completely biblical, and even better, it will change your life. If you want a life that's even better than you can imagine, you definitely want this book.

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Worship Leading

Worship Leading is a far more complex role than most worship leaders realize! They start off thinking that all they need to do is sing and the rest will follow, but over the years I have learned many things about worship leading and managing my musicians and singers. In creating and working with different worship teams I have made made hundreds of mistakes, most if which I don't would like you to make when you are http://www.worship-leading.com/worshipleading/.

In that we must recollect that while we must have a set of basic rules of our groups, we shouldn't be hard set in our worship leading policies. This is a mistake that I made early on and shortly found out terribly quickly a volunteers heart is to serve not be restricted by a bunch of rules. As I recall scripture has things to say about rules that are too stern. Are we going to act like Pharisees, or are we going to step up and act like true worship leaders!

The best leaders lead by motivation, not by overbearing orders and a bunch of rules. If you want the best from your team, become a worship leader of the highest caliber, and inspire the support and devotion of those you lead in your http://www.worship-leading.com/worshipleading/ministry.

Another point to recollect is that we must be open to adapting to the requirements of the team. Remember this is a worship leading ministry. For instance, say your drummer just got a new job. And part of that job requires him to take some night classes. He still wants to be on the team but his classes happen to be on the booked walk Thur nights. He knows that he must rehearse to be on the team. What do you do? Simply ask the rest of the team if there's another night or time that they could meet. Almost all of the time you may be able to work something out. Whether it's childcare or job related or what ever. Evolve to the wants of the people as long as it will not hinder the team in a negative way.

Another frequent mistake many worship leaders is making rehearsals too structured. And you have new songs you wish to work on. But ensure you have fun too. Infrequently the team just desires to fellowship awhile with one another before you rehearse.

Again this is first and most important a http://www.worship-leading.com/worshipleading/ministry. We must never forget that. Get together for at least just rehearsals and the service. Don't simply rehearse and serve together, play together. Have parties. Go on barbecues. Simply put, have fun together away from the band setting. Fellowship together. This is a good way to get to know one another and to build relationships.

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And I will look up and psalm 5

1Give ear to my words, O LORD,
Consider my meditation
.
2 Give heed to the voice of my cry,
My King and my God,
For to You I will pray.
3 My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD;
In the morning I will direct it to You,
And I will look up.

4 For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness,
Nor shall evil dwell with You.
5 The boastful shall not stand in Your sight;
You hate all workers of iniquity.
6 You shall destroy those who speak falsehood;
The LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.

7 But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy;
In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple.
8 Lead me, O LORD, in Your righteousness because of my enemies;
Make Your way straight before my face.

9 For there is no faithfulness in their mouth;
Their inward part is destruction;
Their throat is an open tomb;
They flatter with their tongue.
10 Pronounce them guilty, O God!
Let them fall by their own counsels;
Cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions,
For they have rebelled against You.

11 But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;
Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them;
Let those also who love Your name
Be joyful in You.
12 For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield.



This psalm in particular highlights the one on one relationship with the Lord and reaches a powerful conclusion in the final verse where it says,

For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield.

The psalm contrasts the fate of the wicked and those who have rebelled.

They will be cast aside, and will fall by their own wicked counsels and devices.

Verse 5 says, 5 The boastful shall not stand in Your sight;
You hate all workers of iniquity.

As that Bette Midler song says, “God is watching you>”

The Lord has all in his sight and this is for better or worse depending on what He is seeing.

Verse 4 says, “ For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness.,” Nor shall evil dwell with You

While the Lord does not take pleasure in wickedness, contrasting elements of this psalm show clearly what he does take pleasure in and this is highlighted by scenes of the direct one on one relationship with Him in the fellowship of prayer and presence.


Verses one through 3 are key and read as follows,

1Give ear to my words, O LORD,
Consider my meditation.
2 Give heed to the voice of my cry,
My King and my God,
For to You I will pray.
3 My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD;
In the morning I will direct it to You,
And I will look up.

Amidst all that is out there, what the Lord is looking for is the presence and voice of that one individual, whose meditation is upon him, whose voice is lifted to him in prayer directed at him in the morning meaning first and foremost and right from the beginning or start of things.

This section of verses in this psalm concludes with the astounding words, “And I will look up,”

A key word here is and, because by using and I will look as opposed to I will look up David is giving the reader the understanding that this look is especially pleasing to the Lord. When you say to someone, and I will do this, this has the connotations of something special.

This is astounding because in the context of this psalm, which otherwise is depicting what displeases the Lord in other sections, it is directly showing that the Lord loves when David looks up towards him and this vision of prayer is quite personal and quite heartening as to the pleasure of the Lord in the one individual and in the one on one relationships that he so values in beholding the upward look from his servant David. This is a great inspirational model for the saints today.

The Lord’s favored servants are in such favor, that the Lord greatly values their very look upward.

The final verses continue with the favor of the Lord.

Verses 11 and 12 say,

11 But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;
Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them;
Let those also who love Your name
Be joyful in You.
12 For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield.

These final verses show that there is also the call too many as it says let all.

All who have put their trust in the Lord can ever shout for joy and be joyful in you.

The final powerful verse spells out that the Lord will bless the righteous and brings it right back to the one, whomever that one might be, when it concludes that,” With favor you will surround him as with a shield.”

These concluding words are voiced to the one, to the one who looks up, to the one who will be surrounded in all ways wherever he or she goes with the shielding favor of the goodness of the Lord.

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Homily: Missionary, Evangelist, Herald by Peter Menkin

Missionary: Evangelist and Herald

Channing Moore Williams

A homily,
Peter Menkin, Obl Cam OSB
Church of Our Saviour (Episcopal)
Mill Valley, CA USA
Wednesday Eucharist, December 2, 2009
Lesser Feasts and Fasts, 1994

Acts 1: 1-9

Luke 10: 1-9

Psalm 96: 1-7

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

The prayer today offers, “…that your Church may proclaim the unsearchable riches of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.”

Let us speak of Missionaries today, in specific Channing Moore Williams of the 19th Century. We celebrate this man today. Let us also celebrate missionaries.

Jesus instructed his apostles to make disciples. The Bishop of China and Japan, based in Yode (Tokyo) wanted just that in his work, to make disciples. Most of his effective work was done in Japan, where he ended with just less than 1,000 adherents. That is as many as were the original Christians in the earliest days of Christendom. That makes sense, for beginnings are often small, and it does not take numbers to build a Church.

Channing wrote this in his report of his activities as a missionary in 1889:

Our Church must settle what she is to take in the great work of bringing this people of this interesting country to the knowledge of and faith in the Lord Jesus; and what she determines to do must be done without delay. She cannot think that she has, in any sense, come up to the measure of her responsibility. For the truth is the mission has been sadly undermanned from its commencement to the present; and the fact is especially apparent at this time when, by the new treaties, the whole country is to be thrown open to our missionaries to travel and reside where they may please, without restrictions of any kind.

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