Category Archives: courage

Your Perception of God Controls Your Life

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The more people I mentor, the more I am convinced that how a person perceives God controls every aspect of their life, especially how they view themselves.

The interesting thing is – despite this critically pivotal state of mind and heart,  most people have little awareness of how they see God.

And so, one of the first things I listen for is my client’s mindset about who God is to them.  This is often revealed in subtle ways, in the words they casually speak, when they they talk of their past experiences, or what their current struggles are.

Their mindset about who God is to them is formed from a variety of sources from growing up, to what they were told in school, to  what they see in the media, or while they’re out and about in the world.   Even what they are taught in church.   (Yes, I understand, people get nervous when I say those kinds of things.)  Slowly over time conclusions about God and a person’s relationship to Him get solidified to the point that they are never questioned, let alone challenged.

Over my many years of being a Christian, I have hit plenty of walls of frustration and fear. But in each instance, God had given me the opportunity to question and challenge my perception of Him, how He related to me, what He had in store for me, what His promises to me were — yes, you probably noticed a theme… ME.

But contrary to the saying, ‘it NOT about YOU,'”  I believe there are times when it has to be about me… and my mindset about God, which gives me my perception of Him, which will control how I experience what I am going through, and what choices I will make as a result.

Often the Lord has shown me that something definitely needed to be tweaked in my mind… I need the spirit of my mind to be renewed, rejuvenated, and often changed.  And He is faithful to do it.  The more I can see Him as Good, and Good to and for ME, the more I experience His goodness toward me.  This leads to greater peace, clarity, and confidence.  I am able to soar and rise above the difficulties, armed with new spiritual and practical tools and weaponry, all in the safe context of a loving God.

If you are feeling like things are not going so well with you, maybe it’s time to challenge your existing mindset. Ask God to show you what may not be working in your thought life, even in your subconscious.  Tell Him through writing or speaking… not just thinking, that you are ready to hear and see.  He is all about your success, freedom, and fulfillment.

God bless you, my friends.

Be Encouraged as You Approach This New Year

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HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

What is your approach to this new year?  Gleeful anticipation?  Armed with new resolutions? Ho-hum apathy? Down and out discouragement?

Whatever it is, I would like to pass on to you a passage our pastor encouraged us with yesterday.

1 Cor 2:9 “… as it is written, eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for them that love Him.”

He then asked us the question, which I now ask you…

“Do you love God?”

“If so, then God has prepared things for you that you have neither seen, nor heard!”

What do you think of that?  Take a moment and breathe that reality in.

Now you may ask — but are they good things?

Years ago, there seemed to be a rash of teachings that promoted the mentality that if it’s something I don’t like or want to do, it must be God.


There was this thinking that God’s desires and our desires were at such odds with each other that surely, if it was pleasurable, fun, or easy…  it couldn’t be God.

Because of that many have turned away from Him, either within themselves, or in full out rejection.

God is a good God!  And this verse suggests good things are in store for those who love Him. (Notice it is not saying that bad things are in store for those who don’t.  We don’t want to go there!)

Here’s another verse that I’ve been meditating on recently, also mentioned in yesterday’s message.  (Don’t you love when that happens?)

Eph 3:19

Now to Him that is able to do EXCEEDING ABUNDANTLY ABOVE ALL that we ask, or think, according to the power that works in us…

God has prepared good things for you… exceeding abundantly above all you could even think!


And how will those things come to pass?  Through His power that is at work within you.

Meditate on this truth as you think about the new year.  Ask God to deepen it within you.

This is partly how we build a mindset of favor.

In a world filled with negativity and for many of us, a history of shame, guilt, and disappointment, establishing a new mindset of favor is essential to moving forward positively, effectively and in power.

God bless you!!
Maryann

Developing a Mindset of Favor

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Recently I proposed to you that much of our frustration can be resolved, and dare I say, even eliminated once we have a mindset of FAVOR. (Click here for that post.)

Because the Lord has so thoroughly convinced me of this, it has become my mission to share the power of this transcendent gift.

Getting rooted and established in His favor has caused a huge shift in how I see myself, the world, and why I am even here.

Also, in all my years of counseling and coaching, I have never seen breakthrough in my clients’ lives like I am these days. It’s quite astounding!

Maybe it’s because one very specific reason Jesus came was to restore us all to a favorable relationship with Him!

Look at this verse.  This was not just some doctrinal statement… this is personal, to be taken personally.

2 Corinthians 5:18-20 (Amplified Bible)

18But all things are from God, Who through Jesus Christ reconciled us to Himself [received us into favor, brought us into harmony with Himself] and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation [that by word and deed we might aim to bring others into harmony with Him].

19It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself, not counting up and holding against [men] their trespasses [but cancelling them], and committing to us the message of reconciliation (of the restoration to favor).

20So we are Christ’s ambassadors, God making His appeal as it were through us. We [as Christ’s personal representatives] beg you for His sake to lay hold of the divine favor [now offered you] and be reconciled to God.

A mindset of favor is to trump all other competing mindsets.
Verbally thanking Him will increase your faith!

So today, thank God for His favor.  Thank Him that He favors you!
Thank Him for coming into this world FOR YOU, to cancel out ALL your sin… past, present, and future.
Thank Him that not only do you HAVE His favor, but you ARE highly favored.  Ask Him to grow this seed of truth within you, change your mind as to how you see yourself, and then, expect Him to do it!!

I love you all!

Maryann

Are you tired of feeling small… yet??!!

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This morning while talking with my husband, I once again saw us like Gulliver from Gulliver’s Travels.  As a kid, I saw the animated movie and later read the book (which by the way, I didn’t really get), leaving this lasting impression on me.  There is a scene where Gulliver is laying on a sandy beach, held down by numerous teeny cords attached to pegs in the ground.

This scene comes up frequently when I think of my own life and the life of my coaching clients.  Here we are, big and powerful, often feeling trapped, held down, and paralyzed by a million little fears that have convinced us that we are small, insignificant, and ineffective.

Well, it doesn’t have to be that way!  I am thrilled to say, God has severed those ties, and freed us from fears produced by lies.  Lies formed from abuse, neglect, abandonment, oppression, betrayal, and just plain old walking on this earth.

We are not small.  We are not bound.  We are not insignificant.  It is not futile.

We don’t have to struggle against the cords … God has already cut them!  We may still see them lying across our chest, or draped over our arms, but they are not attached any longer to any thing.  Each tie represents a lie, and we can continue to lay there and believe we are bound, but instead, let us be encouraged that we can rise up and stand tall, and make every lie told about us bow to the truth.

God does not think of us as small.  He has not made us that way.  Let His opinion be the final authority about who we are.

By the way… I just noticed a new movie about Gulliver coming out this Christmas!  I’m going to see it. Yeah.

How to Seek God

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Writing a book opens all kinds of doors.  And I love that.  More coaching clients, invitations to speak, seminars to present, and book signings to do. Opportunities to witness the move of God in the hearts and minds of so many new, as well as old friends.

I get so excited when the opportunity gets presented… and then, a few days, or the night before the event… a dread falls upon me.  I want to run away, disappear, and go into hiding.

At first, I thought something was wrong, or maybe I’m not supposed to do this, or…. and then, doubt about who I am takes over, and I even lose sight of why I’m doing this.  Quite frankly, it almost overwhelms me!

Has this ever happened to you, or is it just me?

And what is this dread about?

For me, imagined fears of being a failure, or being alone, of feeling like I’m ineffective, inadequate, and non-essential.  Old yukky thoughts still wanting to block and stop me from carrying out the mission God has placed within me.

But…ha-ha!   God is making me savvy.  I see the wiley ways of the enemy who stands to accuse and oppose me.

God is making me smart.  He exposes the plot, and reminds me who I am, and why I do what I do.


He shows me the thoughts that create the feeling of dread are not the thoughts of a highly favored woman of God, co-heir of the King, esteemed and deeply loved child of a Father who has said He would do “whatsoever” I ask.

He uses these times to train me, mentor me, and power me up.  I am then led to speak my agreement with Him.


“Yes, Lord, You are mighty and I am highly favored.  I am blessed to be a blessing.  In You, I am not a failure.  In You, I am not ineffective.  You have chosen me for such a time as this!  When I enter that arena, I will be full of Your love, wisdom, and anything else I need because You are faithful. You are already there, and at the same time, I bring You with me. Flow through me, and touch whoever needs Your touch.  I am grateful and excited to showcase Your love, Your favor, and Your energy.  Thank you for choosing me.”

Well, I am happy to report, the seminar I conducted after my last tangle with dread was sheer delight.  The Lord showed up in a marvelous way as He gave me the courage to transparently tell my embarrassing stories.   All the pieces of the study fell into place, and the ladies responded as baby birds, mouths wide open, hungry for what God was revealing.  It was apparent to all that He was there, at work, inspiring, motivating, and encouraging.  As a friend quoted from Veggie Tales, “I laughed. I cried.  It really touched me, Bob.”  Cute.

Consciously flowing in the favor of God could not happen if I did not “seek” Him.  Not some religious ritual, perfunctorily performed and then checked off, seeking Him is as simple as sharing our secrets with an intimate friend, or relaxing over coffee with a deeply interested relative.


And yet, there is a profundity to seeking Him, where He shares with us the inner workings of His heart and mind.  How secure He makes me feel knowing that every need I have, He has the answer and solution.

Where I once had difficulty carving out time to sit with Him because of all I had to get done, I now am so addicted to it, that everything else gets ordered around this part of my day.   Oh, how much easier, more productive, and satisfying life is!! For those of you who know what I’m talking about… let us rejoice together!

For the rest, oh, how I want that for you!

And so, I asked the Lord to speak to you today, and here is what He said,


“Come to Me as you are.  I know the details of your life intimately.   And I care about it all.  You don’t have to know anything other than I desire you and you desire me.  Sit with Me, and let Me show you My love.  Close your eyes, and look into Mine.  Do you see My delight for you?  You are My heartthrob.  You are My joy.  I know everything in your mind, your heart, your circumstances.. I know it all. I see the good in you, and all are trying to accomplish.  I see your fears, too. Come, let Me show you that I am on your side.

I desire to work with and through you, to give you ideas and what you need to accomplish them.  (I see the Lord lift up your face, and a radiant glow illuminates it, as He says…) I have things worked out for you.  Sit and rest awhile, and then follow my lead and I will show you the path.”

At that point the Lord held you close, until you were almost totally absorbed into Him.  Oh, the sweet satisfaction in His eyes as He held you!

How do we seek God?  Just show up, be ready to receive, and have a conversation.  He is waiting with eagerness and joy.


Have an amazing week!

It’s Java, Jammies, and Jesus time!

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Hi Friends!

Spring has sprung up here in western New York, and though the cliche can get old, for me, the feeling of newness each year never does.

In fact, in Spring, I find it so much easier to see the buds of new attitudes and perspectives that the Lord has been cultivating in me over the past winter.

This “reveal” encourages my heart and solidifies my belief that He is indeed actively working in my heart and mind, renewing it, and thus transforming me.  I love being transformed!

Do you love His transforming process? Continue reading →

From Hint to Heavenly Perspective

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Welcome to another edition of Java, Jammies, and Jesus!

Agree with God
You are the crowning achievement of all His creative power!
*********************************************************************************************
I’m sure you have noticed this, too…. as you go through life, God shifts the direction of your path, or so it seems, sometimes ever so slightly, giving you a new focus or renewing a previous one.

How do I know it’s God?

Because, for me, it starts with a small hint in my heart, a fleeting thought in my mind, but often a persistent and inescapable one.

This particular thought was simply, “I need more of You today, Lord.”

Nothing revelatory, extraordinary, or pivotal.

I often think, “I need more of You, Lord.” After all, that is why I began the practice of being in His presence and writing to Him daily.

So, why does this thought have … this day …. an edge of distinction?Could it be another lesson or a prior lesson tweaked?

The Lord has taught me to come to Him with all my problems, issues, or concerns.  He has shown me His faithfulness over and over.

However, I noticed recently that my letters to Him have become too focused on my concerns.  I’ve talked to the Lord enough about them.  I can definitely sense that.

And yet, I’m not settled or satisfied.

Something is still missing.

Peace is not flowing like a river, and I want it to.

I need it to.

I am looking for that rest that only He can give, but seaching for it does not yield it.  It only seems to make it more elusive.

And then the spontaneous utterance, as if God is forming the thoughts in my mind, only in first person.  “I need more of You, Lord. Not solutions.  You.”

Ah, yes, I detect a slight shift in my soul.  I know there is more.But now what?  Worship?  Pray?  Yes, and sweet it is…. but there’s more… there’s always more…and I want it.

Again, the tug in my heart, “I need more of You, Lord.”  My concerns begin to take a back seat, fading into faith.  I am sensing a heavenly perspective, and it brings relief.

But there is more.

I am drawn to watch a Bill Johnson message. I cry.  My heart throbs for God.  He is all I want.  Any disturbance my concerns had to my peace has dissolved.

I just want Him, His purposes, His manifestations of power and love.

And then, there’s the book.

That book that has been sitting on my nightstand for, how long?  Months maybe?

You know how books and magazines pile up on our nightstands, with every intention of reading them before we drift off to sleep.

But for me, in 2, maybe 3 paragraphs, I’m snoring, glasses still on my face, the book waving up and down as it wants to fall to the covers.  Often my dear husband, takes the book and the glasses, and quietly turns off my light, mostly without my knowledge.

Well, last week I put away all those books, except for one.  One I started months ago, but just couldn’t get into.

This night though, with undeniable attraction, I picked it up, and captured by the love and power of God revealed in those pages, I couldn’t put the book down.

Don’t you love how God moves within us, sometimes so subtly, drawing our attention to what He knows will enrich and elevate us?

The book?   Expecting Miracles, by Rolland and Heidi Baker. Not your typical missionary book where you marvel at the missionary, but end up feeling small and inadequate yourself, maybe even guilty that you are not having such “strong exploits.”

No.  This book is a most inspiring, magnetizing, and hopeful book.  God knew what I needed to read.

In the coming days, I would like to bring you some of the excerpts that have delighted my heart and renewed my perspective.

The point of today’s encouragement for you (and me) is:  God loves us and is in charge of our paths.  He is actively working to bring us into greater and greater awareness of His desire, love and esteem for us.

He speaks, often subtly through our own thoughts, in a first person voice.  So, don’t ever dismiss the power of the heavenly hint.  He wants to lead us, so He can pour out His richest blessings upon us, not the least of which is Rest.

I leave you with one sentence from the Baker’s book that touched me immeasurably:

“In Jesus we are the crowning achievement of all His creative power.” (p. 185)

Meditate on that one for a century!

To His Glory and Love for you all,
Maryann


Agree with God, He really is Your Help!

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Help from the Lord

One of the vehicles in my life that God uses to help me confront and overcome my fears and grow in His Amazing Love is my network marketing business. I often don’t like calling it a business because, for one, I don’t really treat it as a business, but also, it’s one of the ways I’ve been called to help people.

Business sounds so, well, mercenary, though it doesn’t have to be, but that is often the perception. Many of my partners feel the same way. We desire to be a resource of genuine assistance, not people who impose, hurt, or offend.

But in approaching people and offering to assist or benefit them in some way, we sometimes get misunderstood, ignored, or flat out rejected. This can be painful. It can cause us to recoil, slip into oblivion with our heads hung low, want to attack in response, or give up trying.

Maybe we cause some of our own pain by how we approach people. Maybe we could use better words and phrasing, or questions, or timing. Maybe…..

But sometimes we look too hard for “the” answer or the secret to success, that we get lost. We forget why we are even here, what we are doing, and where the TRUE source of OUR help lay. Before we can truly be of help to others, we need to fully understand from where OUR help comes, and how to appropriate that help!

Recently, while in one of those foggy funks myself, my awesome hubby, reminded me of Ps 118. I would like to share this with you over the next few days, because it’s one of those Psalms, that, taken to heart, makes you feel so good!!!

Look with me first at verses 1-4 (AMP)

GIVE thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever!
Let Israel now say that His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever.
Let the house of Aaron [the priesthood] now say that His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever.
Let those now who reverently and worshipfully fear the Lord say that His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever.

Before we continue, let’s notice together what the Psalmist leads us to do….

1. Give Thanks.
2. NOW SAY, “His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever.”

What a good idea! In the middle of funks, Give Thanks! Verbally, out loud. I have found that giving thanks in the face of discouragement is very elevating. So, maybe you can stop what you are doing right now, and …. GIVE THANKS!

Why? Because the truth is, He is good, really, and good to each of us, personally and individually.

So, join me now: “Thank You Father, for You are good, and good to me, always. Thank You.”

If you’re not feeling it, keep thanking until you do. There is real power in your words.

Another reason to Give Thanks:  God’s mercy and loving-kindness endures forever!

This is not just a blanket statement, cold, impersonal, for everyone else but you… it is YOURS!
He loves YOU. He is merciful TO YOU. When you mess up, He has nothing but mercy FOR YOU.

Not condemnation, judgment, or a big ole wagging finger in your face.

Mercy. Loving kindness. That is His heart TOWARD YOU. So, again, Give Thanks!

“Oh, Lord, sometimes people are not so merciful toward me. Sometimes they are not so loving or kind. But You are! Thank You!!!”

There are more riches in this Psalm to explore in the days to come, but for today…. Whatever you may be going through or dealing with, Give Thanks throughout your day.

Let your ears hear your voice say it. Your heart will be blessed. It will elevate you and produce a cheerful countenance for all to see. In the process, they too may be blessed!

Stay tuned for more love to come!
Agree with God… He is YOUR Help!!


How does the pain of rejection affect you?

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Ok.  I know this is not a popular topic.  Avoiding pain, of any kind, is a basic human motivation.  So, I understand if just the mention of this topic causes most of you to “runaway!”  (Sorry, can’t help but think of a segment in the movie, “Monty Python.”)

But some of you are fully aware that the pain of rejection is something you have indeed suffered, are suffering, or continue suffer.  You understand how it has affected you and driven you in various aspects of your life.

It is to you I address this post.  Read to the end…. there may be a free gift for you!

The Lord has impressed upon me recently just how significant this issue is and how it affects relationships, choices we make in our work, and endeavors we choose or don’t choose.  And thus, I am currently working on a project about the pain of rejection and how it directs our lives – positively and negatively.

Would you take just a few minutes and jot down some notes to me as to how it has affected you?  Would you mind sharing a story, a choice, and event where you have seen yourself do something or not in order to avoid the pain of rejection, or maybe how you reject yourself, or how you have tried to compensate for the pain?

For example,  because of being abused, abandoned, and rejected often as a child, I was motivated to become a lawyer.  Seems positive, right?  But once I had achieved my goal, I felt very depressed, rather than satisfied.   Why?  Because I was largely motivated to become a lawyer by my need to prove my worth and secure my future.  I wanted to be esteemed and wanted.

Well, I was esteemed, alright.  But I felt less wanted than ever!  People are scared of attorneys!  Girlfriends thought I was superior to them.  Guys thought I was too smart for them.  And on top of it, in the geographic area I lived in, being Asian, especially a smart Asian, was not a desirable trait.

The desire to avoid and compensate for the pain of rejection caused me to seek this career, but instead of being free of it, I added even more. (Thankfully God rescued me and showed me over many years, His love, esteem, and security that never fades and is in constant operation!)

Another example.  My husband has a business where he must invoice for services rendered.  For a long time we could not understand why he didn’t bill his clients on time, charge for the full extent of his work, or invoice at all!  Eventually the Lord shed light on it:  Gene perceived that the bill was a reflection of his worth.  If there was any challenge to his bill, which does happen in service businesses, it tapped into a hidden fear that he was not actually worth the money he charged.  This pain of feeling worth-less was enough to (subconsciously) keep or delay him from the billing process.  Of course, God pointed this out for Gene’s victory, but seeing and accepting this dynamic was not all that easy!

These are just 2 ways we have seen our choices affected by the pain of rejection.  There are so many more that relate to our relationships, our ministry, what we expect from life, God, and ourselves.

How about you?  Would you share with me how the pain of rejection has affected you and your choices in live?  Do you desire to be free and victorious of it as well?  In what ways are you already?

And here is the free gift part ….. share your story, and receive a $7 gift card to your favorite coffee shop, restaurant, or department store!   You can send me an email privately, or you can add your story here!

Thanks so much!!

Cheers!

Maryann