Archive for December, 2013

Goals :Dreams with Deadlines-Write Them. (L. Fegins)

goals lester brownimages

“Embark upon no enterprise you cannot submit to the test of prayer”. Anonymous

“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” ~ Corrie Ten Boom

Isaiah 32:8 says, “The noble man makes noble plans.”

Proverbs 16:3 promises, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.”

“I do not count myself to have apprehended, but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the mark (goal) for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus”. Philippians 3:13-14

goal setingsimages

Can you believe we are looking at the year 2014? Have you taken the time to write your goals for the New Year? Have you taken the time to write down the goals and steps you will take to achieve them? We do not want to have any “would’ a, should ‘a”, and could have regrets about not accomplishing our goals for this 2014. You may not have written your goals earlier, but it is not too late for “mapping out your goals for 2014”.

What are your goals and what actions will you take to achieve your goals in the New Year? So I am asking you and I am challenging myself too, write your goals. I challenge you to write at least what three goals (but strive to write all of them as much as possible) you will set for this year and what actions will you take to achieve them.

“Goals are a must for any person who desires to accomplish something great. Planning is a part of the process of truly successful people.” Pam Perry. Creating goals is valuable for it helps one’s mind to focus upon the attaining of the thing desired until the goal is realized.

And it is well worth it to begin the New Year right, before the New Year arrives, with a set of goals which can motivate and “catapult you in the direction of the attainment of fulfilling your dreams” Pam Perry.

What are goals? Simply put, goals are the stepping stones to reach a destination which you desire to fulfill. They serve as the plan, the how to, the path you need to walk, day by day, to the realization of that dream.

A goal is a target, the desired end of our efforts. Paul talks about pressing toward the mark in Philippians 3:14. Having a goal doesn’t always mean hitting the target —but it does mean getting closer than you would have if you hadn’t had a goal at all. Someone once said, “It is better to aim for a star and hit a mountain than to aim for a mud puddle and hit it every time.” See Cynthia Bezek, “What are Your Spiritual Goals? July|Aug 2000 issue Pray! Magazine.

The Bible encourages us to write our goals. Isaiah 32:8 says, “The noble man makes noble plans.” Proverbs 16:3 promises, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.” We should have dreams and set goals to reach the dreams, but remember that God holds the authority to say “yea” or “nay”-veto power: “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails”. (Proverbs 19:2)

Goals can be spiritual such as your desire to develop, improve, and seek an intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ in prayer and study of His Word. God wants a relationship with you. We should press, stretch and get out of our comfort zones to maintain a prayer relationship with Him. It is the goal that will have eternal benefits. It is the goal that will give us power, wisdom and guidance about all of our other goals such as improving family relationships, getting out of debt, starting that business, writing that book, starting an exercise plan or healing relationship issues. Prayer is the key to unlocking God’s power in your life to carry out what God has placed in your heart.

Accordingly, goals can be broken up into categories such as spiritual, financial, personal relationships, health and business. We should remember to pray about our goals. I must remember, that while I plan, I know my future rests with the One who holds the master plan, so I , each of us, must always start and end with Jesus.

There is still time, forget about what you have not done so far. Read the last quote at the beginning of this article. Take the time to seek God’s face first, pray, meditate on the Word. Listen to what He states to you and write it down. If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time!” Begin right now praying and thinking about writing your goals for the year. Take the time to seek God’s face first, pray, and meditate on the Word. Listen to what He states to you and write it down. I find this helps me to accomplish the things that are important to me. Sir Isaac Newton, wrote, “All of my discoveries have been made in answer to prayer.”

Again my challenge to each of us is to take time to pray and write at least three goals you would like to accomplish this year. Dr. Deana Murphy, an award winning author and expert on life design wrote: “The key to writing goals is prayer. He gives us the desires of our heart—which are His desires. This is so important”. Indeed, “prayer is the key that opens the storehouse of God’s infinite grace and power”. R. A. Torrey

Some practical suggestions for setting your goals are as follows:

1. Get a journal to write the goals in or a loose leaf notebook and divide the note book under the relevant categories. As Habakkuk 2: 1-4 records, we should “write the vision and make it plain…” so that “…he may run who reads it.” You should then list your goals under specific goal categories such as spiritual goals, educational goals, business/career goals, financial goals and personal goals or other focus areas pertinent to you.

2. Freelance writer, online columnist and former stay at home mom for 15 years, Patricia Chadwick, suggests that you get away by yourself for a day in order to really think about the goals you want to set for you and your family without any distractions. Alternatively, establish 2 or 3 hour sessions until you complete your assignment if you are unable to do this for a day. Turn off the phone and television. Do not go on the Internet –especially Facebook. To set her goals she uses a loose-leaf notebook with a yearly calendar in it and breaks the notebook into 12 categories.

3. Prayer warrior and writer, Cynthia Bezek, in the article “Plan to Grow” suggests that once your goals have emerged, consider each goal and find as many verses as you can to support that goal. Use the concordance to look up key words. Write relevant passages into your notebook. This process helped her to internalize what the Lord was teaching her.

4. Write down promises you may need to rely on and “eat” them in order for God to accomplish each goal in your life.

5. Write down specific action items you must undertake to accomplish your goal in a manner that will help you to measure your progress. Make the steps to the attaining of the goal as practical as possible.

goal planindex

6. Make your goals S.M.A.R.T. — Specific (not just lose weight, but instead “lose 35 pounds”); Measurable (How will you know when the goal has been accomplished by how much or how many?); Attainable (Goal too out of reach may not be completed. 20lbs a week vs 4 lbs a week for the first two weeks ); Realistic (“never eat chocolate again” — , but better to say limit it to one day a week!); and Timely (set a date – If no date there is no commitment).

Goal-Quotes-31

7. Take immediate action. Master procrastination. Once your goals are set, begin to implement them right away. Do not wait on a feeling to get going. The feelings will come more and more, as you reach one goal after another. So don’t wait on a feeling. Start NOW!!

8. Throughout the year review the goals notebook to see how you’re doing. Make a note of the goals upon which you need to revise or begin work on. If you‘ve accomplished a goal, then check it off.

9. God is sovereignly in control of our future. He enables us by grace to pray about and pursue goals that agree with His perceived will for our lives. He has the ultimate say in our destiny. ( See James 4:13-17). God has the final say about our destiny and we must be prepared for God to make changes in our plans. His sovereignty is no excuse for our failure to step out in faith to write the vision and to take action to implement the vision He give us, or to procrastinate or to remain stagnant out of fear.

Linda Fegins, The Prayer Leader, formerly served as Prayer Coordinator for over 13 years for the Lydia Circle of Christian Business and Professional Women, is a member of the Church Prayer Leaders Network and leader of the Intercessory Prayer Ministry at her church. Further, she serves as part of the volunteer team for Girlfriends Pray Ministries, an international women’s prayer ministry and as an intercessor/trainer with Global Missions Prayer Force, a global prayer ministry. She can be reached by email at LDFaygo@aol.com and her blog address is , https://ladyofprayer.com copyright December 24 2013

Tags: , , , , ,

Lord, Use my Confidence in You to Show Others They can Depend on You

Lord, use my confidence in You to show others they can depend on You.

God,the one and only – I’ll wait as long as He says. Everything I hope for comes from Him,so why not?
~ Psalm 62:5 MSG

use_10.18.13

As a child growing up, I was always a talkative child, and someone who was blessed with parents who always made me feel like I could accomplish anything. I took that attitude all the way through school and rarely had the feeling that I wouldn’t grow up to be successful. As my faith walk began to strengthen and I began to get closer to God, I learned that when I placed my confidence in God, His timing and plans ultimately worked for my good. I learned that when I completely surrender my hope to Him, it is then that I feel the most confident and know that He will handle everything in His perfect way. Ask God today how to surrender to His plans and His timing so that your confidence can grow in His will for your life.

dawb Jones 3get-attachment.aspx

Author

dawn_6.28.13_head_shot

Dawn Jones is first and foremost a child of the Most High God and creator of LordThree65.com and resides in Indianapolis IN.

Dawn Jones, creator of LordThree65.com, has been a servant leader for most of her adult life. Professionally, she is a marketing and event planning/management professional with expertise in the areas of social media and broadcast media. She serves as a team lead for multimedia with her church, New Beginnings Fellowship Church under the leadership of Dr. James Anthony Jackson, Sr. and as part of the leadership team for Girlfriends Pray Ministries, an international women’s prayer ministry. Dawn lives in Indianapolis with her son, DJ. Her first book, “Lord Use Me, Three65” is expected for release in Summer 2014.

2014_calendar_cover

Follow LordThree65 on Facebook (www.facebook.com/LordThree65), Twitter (@LordThree65), Pinterest (LordThree65) and Instagram (LordThree65). You can reach Dawn via email at info@LordThree65.com and online at LordThree65.com. The first inspirational product – The 2014 Lord ‘Use Me’ Wall Calendar is now available through the LordThree65.com website. A weekly planner will be available in January 2014.

Tags: , , ,

Lord, Use my Patience to Remind me that the Best is Yet to Come

use_11.18.13

Lord, use my patience to remind me that the best is yet to come.

That’s why we have this Scripture text: No one’s ever seen or heard anything like this, Never so much as imagined anything quite like it – What God has arranged for those who love Him.
~ 1 Corinthians 2:9 MSG

I am the first to admit that sometimes, my patience wears thin. Sometimes it can be as simple as driving behind someone in a car who has decided to take a Sunday afternoon drive on Monday morning. Sometimes it’s the question after question after question all prefaced with ‘Mommy…’ from my 9 year old son. And sometimes it’s waiting on God to deliver on a personal prayer request. It is in these times that we must remember that God has a perfect plan for our lives and in due time, we will receive those blessings. So while we wait, we must remember that we are not waiting in vain. Ask God how to wait patiently while He is preparing His best for you. The best, His best, is always worth the wait.

dawb Jones 3get-attachment.aspx

About the Author

dawn_6.28.13_head_shot

Dawn Jones is first and foremost a child of the Most High God and creator of LordThree65.com and resides in Indianapolis IN.

Dawn Jones, creator of LordThree65.com, has been a servant leader for most of her adult life. Professionally, she is a marketing and event planning/management professional with expertise in the areas of social media and broadcast media. She serves as a team lead for multimedia with her church, New Beginnings Fellowship Church under the leadership of Dr. James Anthony Jackson, Sr. and as part of the leadership team for Girlfriends Pray Ministries, an international women’s prayer ministry. Dawn lives in Indianapolis with her son, DJ. Her first book, “Lord Use Me, Three65” is expected for release in Summer 2014.

Follow LordThree65 on Facebook (www.facebook.com/LordThree65), Twitter (@LordThree65), Pinterest (LordThree65) and Instagram (LordThree65). You can reach Dawn via email at info@LordThree65.com and online at LordThree65.com

Tags: ,

Lord, Use my Feet to Walk in the Path You Have Ordered for me.

use_10.12.13

Lord, use my feet to walk in the path You have ordered for me.

Steady my steps with Your Word of promise so nothing malign gets the better of me. ~ Psalm 119:133 MSG

There are times when we walk in the path that God has intended for us. These are times when we see the blessings of God overflow in our lives. Then… there are times when we don’t walk in the path God has for us and this is when we struggle. It is in these times that we seem to wonder why we are suffering and dealing with loss and feel like we are going backwards. It is when we feel like we are disconnected from God. Why? Because we are! Ask God today either to continue or begin to guide your steps within His will so he can protect you at the same time He is using you for His glory.

Dawn Jones

bottom.letterhead

About the Author

dawn_6.28.13_head_shot

Dawn Jones is first and foremost a child of the Most High God and creator of LordThree65.com and resides in Indianapolis IN.

Dawn Jones, creator of LordThree65.com, has been a servant leader for most of her adult life. Professionally, she is a marketing and event planning/management professional with expertise in the areas of social media and broadcast media. She serves as a team lead for multimedia with her church, New Beginnings Fellowship Church under the leadership of Dr. James Anthony Jackson, Sr. and as part of the leadership team for Girlfriends Pray Ministries, an international women’s prayer ministry. Dawn lives in Indianapolis with her son, DJ. Her first book, “Lord Use Me, Three65” is expected for release in Summer 2014.

Follow LordThree65 on Facebook (www.facebook.com/LordThree65), Twitter (@LordThree65), Pinterest (LordThree65) and Instagram (LordThree65). You can reach Dawn via email at info@LordThree65.com.

Tags: , , ,