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Where Is Your Confidence Level?

It’s Another Podcast!

Have you ever noticed that some days your confidence in God is really high, while other days it is really low.  Do you know why?

In this short podcast (4:19) I’ll share something about your confidence with God that is monumentally important!  Having confidence in God is a huge key in receiving His promises in your life, and understanding your confidence in Him can be life changing.

Enjoy the podcast.

[If you cannot see the player below, just click the title above]

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Is He Willing?
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2 Lessons From Colonel Sanders

It’s Another Podcast!

Some people are frustrated and feel like giving up. Over the years many people have given up on many things because of set backs and lack of progress.

This short podcast (5:39) gives you two powerful lessons from Colonel Sanders.  Having these two qualities can make a huge difference in your life. Do you have them?

Enjoy the podcast.

[If you cannot see the player below, just click the title above]

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This Is How We’ve Always Done It
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Are You Distracted?

It’s Another Podcast!

If you’re really busy then you probably know by experience that distractions can really slow you down, right?  If you want to accomplish a lot of things, you have to stay focused on what you are doing right now.

This short podcast (4:34) gives you some simple tips to stay on track, whatever you are doing.  By staying focused you can actually accomplish a lot more.

Enjoy the podcast.

[If you cannot see the player below, just click the title above]

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Where Is Your Life Going This Year?
What Do You Expect?

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Don’t Stop Giving

It’s Another Podcast!

Many people have cut their spending drastically.  We are living in some pretty unstable economic times aren’t we?

There is one area that I recommend you never cut back on; giving.  In this short podcast (6:42) I’ll tell you a great truth about giving I learned many years ago.

Enjoy the podcast.

[If you cannot see the player below, just click the title above]

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Your Protection Is Your Connection
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Bewailing Virginity

PLEASE NOTE – THERE WILL BE A REVISED ARTICLE WITH SOME ADDED INSIGHT COMING SOON. ONCE IT IS POSTED, THERE WILL ALSO BE A LINK ON THIS  PAGE TO THE REVISED ARTICLE.

I have recently posted, on the Home page, a revised version of what I posted here a number of years ago.
The new post is titled, Bewailing Virginity – Revised.

The revised article contains added insight along with additional resources.

Here is the link to access Bewailing Virginity – Revised

At the end of the article is a link to a recent teaching I did in which I shared a good portion of this revised article.

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Shut Up!

I originally published this article in August, 2007.  After what I wrote in yesterday’s Pep Letter, I thought this would be a really good follow up.

Shut Up!

The title of this article might seem obnoxious to some people.  Others might find it down right rude.  But give me a moment or two, so I can explain why you may really need to shut up!

Words are indeed very powerful.  That’s no secret.  But most people do not realize just how powerful their own words are.  The truth is your words can change your life.

I’m talking specifically about the words you think and speak to yourself about yourself.  Some refer to this as, “self talk.” Whatever you call it, we all talk to ourselves.

Throughout the course of the day, we all mutter things to ourselves about ourselves.  We all have thoughts about ourselves.  Very few realize that those words and those thoughts are literally life changing.

What Are You Saying?

The sad thing is that what many people speak to themselves is negative.  They say things like, “I just can’t lose any weight.”  I’ll never find a better job.”  “I can’t find the right person to marry.” “My life is just miserable.”   And on and on they go.

If you consistently speak words of failure, you will continue to fail.  If you consistently speak discouraging words, you will continue to be discouraged.   If you consistently speak words of helplessness, you will not find the help that you need.

Here’s the key.  You will bring into your life that which you mentally focus on. This is reinforced by the words that you speak to yourself.  It is a universal law.  It is the way God designed us!  The dominant thoughts that you hold in your heart is what you will absolutely manifest in your life.

Low Self-Esteem

Do you know someone with a very low self-esteem?  I can absolutely guarantee you that people with a low self-esteem repeatedly speak discouraging words to themselves about themselves.  On the other hand, those with a high self-esteem continue to speak to themselves about victory, success and possibilities.

The words that you speak to yourself, and especially the words about yourself, will either bring you to success or failure.  What a great key in life this really is!  This is something you can do every day, throughout the day!  Speak words of success and victory to yourself.

Yes, it will take effort.  There may be a number of areas that you will need to adjust your thinking and self talk.  But isn’t it worth it?  Of course it is!

This Doesn’t Work

Now I know the naysayer will quickly pop up and try to tell you that you are out of touch with reality.  You can’t say things are going well if they really are not, can you?  That’s living in denial isn’t it?

No, it is not denial. It is choosing to change your reality from where it is to where you desire it to be. When planning a vacation you might hear someone say, “I am going to Hawaii; I can see myself now, lying on the beach…”  Is that being out of touch with reality? Or, is that planning, expecting, and visualizing what is desired?

Start your day by declaring, “This is going to be a great day!”  “Things are going to be fantastic for me today.”  My life is on track and I am headed for success.”  “Yes, I will erase all of my debt.”

Here’s Where “Shut Up” Comes In

When you begin to make an effort to speak positively to yourself about yourself, that little voice in the background will pop up and say, “Oh who are you kidding?  You’re never going to get out of debt.”

Tell the voice to, “shut up!” Then repeat the positives that you have just spoken to yourself.  “My life is on track and I am headed for success! Yes, I will erase all of my debt.”

And don’t just say it; express it with passion; feel it; breathe it; know that it is coming!

And here’s another helpful key. Make a decision to never, ever speak negatively about yourself, ever again!  If you do, then immediately say, “Shut up!”

Now, I know the phrase “Shut up” is a harsh phrase. I could have said, “Stop it,” or, “Be quiet,” or something like that.

But I think, “Shut up” carries a lot more force!  And if there are defeating thoughts in your mind, they really do need to shut up and go.

Just as changing the little rudder on a big ship will change the direction of the ship, so too changing what you speak will change the direction of your life. The words that you speak, whether out loud or silently, are an indication of what you believe in your heart.  

That’s why the words that you speak to yourself about yourself will determine the course and direction of your life.  So, whenever you need to, go ahead and tell yourself to shut up!

Mike Verdicchio
August 2007

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What If Starbucks…

What if Starbucks Marketed Like a Church?

This is a funny video that makes a good point; maybe two or three points!

Imagine going to Starbucks for the first time and finding it’s like going Church?   The real point of this video is about how we treat people and that maybe we ought to stop focusing on numbers, donations, and marketing, but rather on the message.

What do you think?

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Stuck In A Rut

It’s Another Podcast!

Lots of people feel like they are stuck in a rut.  But most do not do anything about it because they don’t want to change.  Change means getting out of your comfort zone!

This short podcast (6:08) is about not being afraid to change.  And, just for fun, it ends with the following instructions from…

1. Keep the clock and altimeter wound up.
2. Carry a railroad timetable in case the plane is grounded.
3. Warn the passengers against throwing their cigars and cigarettes out the windows.
4. Keep an eye on passengers when they go to the lavatory to be sure they don’t mistakenly go out the emergency exit.

Enjoy the podcast!

[If you cannot see the player below, just click the title above]

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Honk! Honk!

Honk! Honk!

That phrase has been included in quite a few of the emails that I have received over the past week. It is in response to last week’s Pep Letter.

Since there are some visitors who do not get The Pep Letter, I thought I’d post that article here on the blog.  I figure in doing that you would then understand what all the honking is about.

So…

Let The Honking Begin!

Perhaps you have heard the sound of a flock of geese honking as they fly by overhead.  But do you know why they honk?  After reading this article you may be encouraged to do a little honking of your own.

Geese are really magnificent birds.  It is always an awesome sight to look up into a blue sky and see them flying in their familiar “V” formation.  This formation is with purpose and it serves them very well.  Because of the aerodynamics involved, it reduces the energy it takes for them to fly by as much as 50%.

It has been calculated, by those who study geese, that by flying together in that “V” formation, it can add as much as 71% greater flying range than if the birds were flying solo.  If you think about it, this is also true for people who decide to work together with others who share a common goal or destination.

But what is all that honking about?  Is that simply their way of singing as they enjoy their flight?  Are those the sounds of fatigue?

Believe it or not, science has discovered that all that honking in formation by geese serves to encourage those at the front to keep up their pace.  In fact the lead goose is the one who sets the pace and really determines the speed the rest of the flock will travel.  And when the lead goose gets tired, he simply rotates back into the formation while another goose takes the point position.

I think it is remarkable that they honk to encourage those at the front to keep up the pace.  Flying great distances, geese work hard flapping those big wings so that they can get to where they are going.  It is not effortless; it is hard work.

Humans could learn some great lessons from the way God designed the geese to succeed at what they are doing.  Perhaps the most obvious is to not try to do it all by yourself.  Flying together with those who share the same common goals and destinations that we do, helps all involved in arriving at the desired destination.

But what about “honking” for each other?  Do you need any encouragement these days?  Do you think someone else could use a little encouragement as well?

We can certainly utilize the concept and principle.  We can encourage others in our own formations.  There are those in our family, those we work with, and those in other interests that we have, who could all use a little “honking.”

The Bible talks about edifying others, building them up instead of tearing them down.  The days that we are living in are very challenging.  As a result, people need to be encouraged, edified, and built up.

We all know how it feels when someone is critical and looks for every fault we have.  But, we also know what it feels like when someone believes in us and encourages us.  And, while there may be a lot of complaining going on these days, we can choose to be one setting the example of encouragement.  If we do that, it will catch on, and others will fly right there with us, honking words of encouragement.

Did you know that when one goose gets sick or wounded and leaves the formation, two other geese follow it down and stay with that injured goose to protect it? They actually stay right there with that goose until it is able to fly again, or, until it dies.  Isn’t that a great lesson of helping and standing by each other during difficult times?

So the next time you see, or hear, a flock of geese passing by, stop for a minute and watch.  Think about the way the Creator designed these winged creatures to enjoy their lives to the fullest.  And, remember, we could learn some valuable lessons from these birds. Let’s encourage each other! Let the honking begin.

Mike Verdicchio
September 2010

By the way, something I didn’t put into this article is the fact that geese mate for life.  So, in that sense, I would encourage you to honk at your husband or wife!


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My Mistake

On Yesterdays post, This Is Really Big, the podcast did not play. I have fixed the problem.

What happened?

It was my mistake. While there are times that glitches do happen in the internet world, this was simply my mistake.

In order for people to be able to hear an audio file I need to upload the file to my web hosting server. Then it is always a good idea to check and make sure that it was indeed uploaded. It was not, and I didn’t check.

At the bookkeeping job yesterday, I received a forwarded email of someone admitting their mistake. A number of invoices have not been paid, and this person just flat out admitted that he made the mistake, and that he was taking care of it.

It was refreshing to me to see him admit his mistake.  Most of the time people either make excuses, or blame someone or some thing for their own mistakes.

Making mistakes is not fun, but everyone makes them. When you do, just admit it, fix it, and move on.

Have a great Tuesday,

Mike