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Is He Willing?

Most of us recognize God’s power and ability. We believe that He is able to do all that He has promised to do and more! We would readily agree and believe that there is nothing too hard or too big for God.

But many times, we have a difficult time believing that He is willing to do it for us, personally. Have you ever been there before?  I sure have.  And if you are not convinced and certain that God is willing to do it for you, then do you really believe and trust Him?

Why Do We Have Doubt?

Why is it that we sometimes think that God is not willing to do it for us personally? What is it that causes us to doubt His willingness? Why would we not accept that He is willing?

I learned the answer many years ago.  The answer is feelings of being unworthy or undeserving. I used to wonder, “What I have done to deserve it? What have I done to earn it?”  Much of this kind of thinking is due to sin consciousness and condemnation.

But, when you really think about it, what is it that we could do, or refrain from doing, that would earn His willingness to provide for us what He has promised? That is a big part of the answer, because far too many Christians base their self worth on how much they do or do not do!

Your Actions Have Nothing To Do With How Much He Loves You!

How many Christians do you know who subtly believe that their righteousness and worthiness in God’s eyes is dependent upon their actions?  I used to be like that.

But if that is really true then we wouldn’t have needed a savior!  The Bible says that it was the completed work of Christ that makes us right and worthy in the sight of God.  What a day it was for me when I learned that!

The Scriptures are clear in saying that as a Christian, nothing can separate you from God’s love. That is why His love for you is unconditional.  He put no conditions on it! Your actions do not have anything to do with how much He loves you. Nothing can ever separate you from His love.

Nothing!

He doesn’t love you any less today than He did yesterday. He doesn’t love you more when you are praying. He doesn’t love you any less when you are messing up. His love for you is unconditional! Nothing can separate you from His love.

Part of the problem in not accepting His willingness to perform His Word for us personally, is in not accepting what He has done for us in the completed work of Christ.

Have you ever had a couple of days go by where you prayed a lot, and did things for others, and really felt that you were “walking for Him?” At those times, how confident were you to go to God and ask for the things you needed? You were probably pretty confident, right? But, why was that?

I’ve been there before!  My actions made me feel worthy and right before God. That is an indication that I believed my self worth, my being right in God’s eyes, was dependent upon my actions.

And if that’s what you believe then when you have a period of time where you are falling short or messing up, you have very little confidence to go to God and expect His help.

You Are Already Righteous!

The Bible says that the Christian is righteous. For a long time that was just some nice sounding spiritual word. But understanding what righteousness means will help you greatly in accepting God’s willingness to bring His promises to pass in your life.

Simply put, “righteousness” means that you are just, or, right! It is a state of being right or just according to an established legal standard. In this case, the legal standard is the justice of God.

In other words, in God’s sight, in His high court, you are right; you are just; you belong! You can now stand before God without any sense of guilt, shame, or condemnation. You have been made right. He made you right!

No wonder the Bible says that you are lovely and acceptable in His sight and holy and without blame before Him! It has nothing to do with your works. It has everything to do with the completed work of Christ.

This Has A Major Impact On Your Self Worth.

Can you see how accepting the righteousness Christ accomplished for you and believing it is true can have a dynamic impact on your self worth and your self esteem?

I don’t feel unworthy to open my refrigerator and get some food. Well of course not! I belong in my own house! It is right for me to be there!

The same is true with God. You and I belong in His presence; we are right being there because He made us right! You and I are both righteous.

Not understanding or believing that we are right in His eyes plays a major part in our accepting His willingness to bring His Word to pass for us personally.

But if we choose to accept His unconditional love for us, and, that we are right in his sight, we will begin to accept that He is willing to bring his Word to pass for us personally.

The promises of God come to pass for us when we believe God. We may very well believe that He is able, but if we don’t really believe that He is willing, then we will not believe that He will.

Why not believe what the Bible says about you and accept God’s unconditional love, and believe that you are already righteous in His eyes? It will have a dynamic impact on your confidence that He is not only able to do for you what He has promised, but that He is also willing to do it for you personally.

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Are You Lost?

Some people think they are lost.  I’ve even had people tell me, “I’m so far gone that God would never take me back. I’m just lost.”  Well, let me tell you a story.

My wife has a real long suit in trusting God to help her find things.  She is not usually someone who misplaces things.  But, when things go missing, she is almost always the one who ends up finding them.

She found the timers we use for our holiday lights several weeks ago. I looked all over the house, and I even looked in the closet of my office three times!  That’s exactly where she found them.  But, that’s nothing compared to the little diamond she found.

A Lost Diamond!

A couple of years ago, for our 35th wedding anniversary, I got Kathy a new diamond ring to replace the one she has been wearing since 1971.  The diamond in the ring from 1971 was so small I do not know how they could have even called it a diamond.

But I got her a new one, and it certainly wasn’t extravagant.  It has three diamonds in it, and I think they are pretty tiny.  And if you were to lose one, well who in the world could ever find it?  Kathy could, and she did.  Twice!

We have a metal shed in the back yard that we use for storage.  Kathy had been cleaning it out and noticed the next day that she was missing one of her tiny little diamonds.  She looked everywhere, including in the yard where she had been working.

She looked in the grass hoping to maybe see a glimmer of light.  She looked in and around the three cardboard boxes that were still out there near the shed.  No diamond.

Then, almost two days later, she walked over toward the shed again, and looked. On one of the open flaps of one of the boxes, there it was!  She had found her diamond.

We were so grateful.  She told the people at the jewelry store where we purchased it that there must be something loose.  We had hoped that when they put that little diamond back in the setting that they would have fixed the problem.  After all, they had the ring in the repair shop for two and a half weeks.

No, Not A Second Time!

But scarcely a week went by with the repaired ring on her finger and, no!  It couldn’t be.  The same stone was again missing.   Now I told you Kathy is great at finding things.  But could she find her tiny diamond again, the second time?

About six hours after she noticed it missing, and having looked everywhere, she had a feeling it was in the kitchen.  But how could you possibly even see it if it were in the kitchen?

Nonetheless, she looked around the kitchen here and there, but no diamond.  She checked out the counters, no diamond.  In the sink, perhaps?  No, no diamond.  But wait!  What’s was that tiny sparkling little shining on the tile floor?  Well what do you know?  She had found it again, for the second time in less than three months.

Now here’s my point.  If my wife Kathy, who is so wonderful, but only human, can find a little lost diamond, twice, could a person ever be so lost that God could never find them again?

The truth of the matter is that God is waiting for us to come back to Him.  Read about it in the parable in the Gospel of Luke, often mistakenly referred to as, the parable of “The Prodigal Son.”  It really ought to be called the parable of “The Forgiving Father.”

People feel lost because of their own actions.  They condemn themselves for what they have done.  They end up feeling so badly about what they have done that they feel too ashamed to even approach God.

But, from God’s point of view they are not lost; they have just chosen to distance themselves.  The open and forgiving arms of our loving Father are never far away.  His love does not waver.  No one is ever lost to Him.

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Another Great Site

I Recommend…

God Wants You to Prosper Family Membership Site
By Duke Clarke

This is a great site!  I know, Duke Clarke personally and I have been a member of this site since January 2005.  The site is simply loaded with great information that can really help you concerning prosperity.

Duke is one of the very few people that I know who teaches that prosperity is not just about the money. Most people don’t know the difference.  He is genuinely concerned with helping people to be successful in any area or arena of life.  He teaches sound biblical principles that anyone can apply to get results.

What’s on the site?  If you are a member, some of what you get are his books,   “The 7 Stages of the Prosperous Mind,” and “Get the Skinny on Prosperity: Biblical Principles That Work for Anyone.”  You get the classes, “God Wants You to Prosper Foundational Class” with the manual, his 6 session class, “Building a Successful Marriage,” and the Psalm 23 class.

You also get the monthly Newsletter “Prosperous Living” mailed to you along with the CD of the month, a Monthly Live Tele-seminar, access to his daily blog, along with the archives of the past years – there are some real gems in those!

And there is a whole lot more!  Like I said, the site is loaded, and Duke continues to add every month.

Click the banner below to get to the site and look around.  If you like what you see, then sign up today and be a part of a site I have been a part of for a long time!

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Great Help For Bloggers

I Recommend…

Click here to watch The Conversion Blogging Video

By Yaro Starak and Gideon Shalwick

Do you want to learn some great things about blogging? Maybe even take your blog to the next level?  Before you do anything else, check out this web site!

Yaro offers a lot of great free information, both text and videos that will show you the possibilities for your blog.  That information will help you to decide if you want to really do something with your blog.

The site you are on right now, ConfidenceAndJoy.com is an ongoing result of what I have learned from Yaro, and I couldn’t be happier.

Here’s the great part:  Yaro’s stuff is not expensive.  Trust me, I’ve been around the internet world for a number of years and his material is not only very solid, but priced for everybody.

Go to his site and look around.  Watch the ten free videos.  Download the free eBook and decide what you could do with your own blog.  And if you don’t have a blog, well, this might just inspire you to start one!

Just click the banner below and visit Yaro’s site.
Click here to watch The Conversion Blogging Video

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Another Great Site

I Recommend…

Embrace or Erase
By Cathi Clarke

Cathi started this member web site in 2007 and I have been a member since the site was up.

She has some great material on this site; very practical, and very helpful.  She has both public and member-only sections, so visit the site and look around.

Twice a month Cathi does live Tele-seminars on different topics and coaches members through the many aspects of Embrace or Erase™.

I have known her for many years and she is very good at helping people get to the real issues; you know, the blocks, those sticking points that keep people from being their best.  She is very adept at helping people to identify exactly what it is that is holding them back, and then showing them how to get rid of it.

Cathi describes the site and what you can expect right there on the “Home” page, which is very convenient!  So, when you get to the site, look over the “Tour” there on the “Home” page first.  Then go snooping around!

Click the link below or just click the banner and it will take you right to the site!

Click Here To Get To Embrase Or Erase

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How Could I Not Recommend This?

I Recommend…

Other Side of the Tracks by Blue Avenue Trio
(my daughter and son-in-law!)

Okay, bare with me for a few moments, while a proud daddy brags a little.  My daughter, Paula, and her husband, Tyson, both accomplished jazz musicians, released their first CD in 2007, called, “Other Side of the Tracks.”

Yes, it is secular music, but it is very, very good!  I’m not just saying that because it is my daughter and son-in-law, but it really is exceptional.

Paula plays the violin, and Tyson plays the double bass, and Paula sings on a number of the tracks.

Here is a quick montage of clips from several songs on the CD

For more information, including how to order either the CD or mp3 download, Click Here.

How could a proud daddy not highly recommend this?

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Are Weeds Growing In Your Head?

I have written before about how thoughts can be “weed seeds.” Negative or destructive thoughts in our mind are very similar to weeds in a flowerbed or garden. They will grow and flourish unless we get them out!

Can The Words That We Speak Be Weed Seeds Too?

The Bible says that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. In order to speak something it needs to be in our mind or heart; and then we say it. Many times this happens simultaneously.

Speaking something reinforces the thought or belief to ourselves. For example, you may have heard someone recently say, “If things don’t change, we are going into a deep depression in our country.”

Those Are Words. They Plant Seeds.

Words that you hear can settle in your mind and take root. Then, the next thing you know you are telling someone else about a looming depression. And as soon as you say those words, just like thinking those words, it’s like nourishing that new “weed seed” in your mind. And, we all know how fast weeds can grow!!

I have no control over tiny seeds blowing into my flowerbed. Neither do you! But I do have control over what I plant in my flowerbed! So do you! And I doubt very seriously that you have ever planted a weed. I never have. Why? Because neither of us are that dumb!

So, if I choose to not plant weeds in my flowerbed or garden, why would I want to plant weeds in my head? The things that I choose to think about and say can and do plant weeds.

You Can Choose To Think About “Lack,” But…

If you think about and dwell on your lack, you will see your lack continue to grow. You nurture that lack by speaking about it, by telling yourself and others how much lack you have. And, your focus remains on what you don’t have, your lack! But instead, you can choose to think on abundance! Abundance? How can someone possibly choose to think on abundance when they have lack? How can you dare to plant an abundance seed in your mind during these very critical times?

Well, why not? Abundance and prosperity are promised by God in the Bible! Have you ever considered nourishing abundance and prosperity seeds in your mind and allowing them to flourish?

If you wanted a beautiful flowerbed, you would certainly have no qualms about planting the seeds to grow those flowers. You wouldn’t think that because they are just seeds, they won’t make a difference.

Those who have lack and continue to think about their lack and talk about their lack, will evidence nothing but lack. Each time they do, it’s like watering and fertilizing that lack seed. We certainly would never intentionally do that with a weed in the flowerbed, would we?

Have You Ever Had A Garden Or Flowerbed?

In the flowerbed, or garden we see and recognize the weeds. They are there. We then do whatever we need to do to get them out! We remove them! “It’s time for you to go!” And in its place, we plant what we do want to grow.

Why not take the time to water and nurture the seed of abundance? Yes but, what about the economy? Regardless of whether the economy is up or down, or sideways, it is never God’s will for you to lack. He has promised to supply all that you need so that your life is fulfilled, regardless of the economy.

He has promised to give you the desires of your heart, regardless of the economy. He said that He wishes above all things that you would prosper and be in health, regardless of the economy.

Those are really good seeds to plant in your mind! Why not try those out for a while? Replace the lack seeds with abundance seeds.

Take a look and see what’s growing in the garden of your mind. Take an honest look! What kind of thoughts are you thinking? What are you talking about? In every category of your life, get rid of the weeds and plant the promises of God!

Mike Verdicchio

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Soar With The Eagles!

In 1981, in the Capitán Mountains of New Mexico, a hiking group including myself climbed to the top of Sunset Peak. It has an elevation of 9,000 feet. We reached the summit just before noon on a beautiful cloudless day in January. The view was spectacular!

Sitting there felt as if you could see the whole world. Perched atop Sunset Peak, we saw something so remarkable that I can still see it as clearly in my mind today as it was on that day. And since then, I have never seen anything as magnificent.

We watched in awe as four eagles soared below us with ease! The eagles’ elegant moves were an awesome sight that I will never forget.

They Know When A Storm Is Coming

Did you know that an eagle knows when a storm is brewing long before it breaks? When a storm is eminent, the eagle will fly to a high spot and wait for the winds to come. This is how they respond to storms.

When the storm arrives, they set their wings so that the winds lift them up, high above the storm. And, as the storm rages below them, the eagle soars high above it, effortlessly gliding with ease.

What is fascinating is that the eagle does not escape the storm; the eagle does not suffer through the storm, or hope to survive. The eagle does not fly away from the storm. The eagle just simply uses the winds of the storm to lift itself high above the storm.

The eagle’s response is to rise high above the storm on the very winds that brought the storm close.

How Do You Deal With The Storms Of Life?

At times in life we will all face storms. Sometimes we face small storms and other times we face big storms. But regardless, the storms of life do not have to overcome us. We can, if we choose to, rise above them. An eagle recognizes that a storm is coming and then responds by rising above it.

Pressures in life do not have to stress us out. Challenges we face do not have to discourage us. Set backs do not have to lead us to failure.

It’s really not the storms in life that defeat us. It is how we respond to the storms that will determine the outcome. Just like the eagle, we can soar high above the storm.

Some people choose to run from storms. Others grit their teeth and hope to “weather the storm.” And then, there are those who choose to respond to the storm by rising above it.

I Remember Being Afraid Of A Storm

I remember as a small child hearing some pretty loud thunder followed by some heavy rain. I was afraid. I wanted to hide. But my mother, who had lived through many thunderstorms, reassured me that every thing was going to be alright. And even though I could still hear the thunder and rain, I trusted what my mother said. I was no longer scared. I was soaring above the storm.

God wants your life to be victorious, despite the pressures. He wants your life to be successful despite the challenges. He wants your life to be fulfilled despite the set backs. God is not in the failure business; He is in the success business.

So, when the storms of life come, look to Him for help and direction. Ask Him for guidance. Believe and trust Him to lift you high above the storm.

There’s a verse in the Bible that says,

“Those who trust in the Lord shall mount up with wings like the eagles; they shall run and not being weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

We really can soar with the eagles!

Mike Verdicchio

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What Direction Are You Going?

I have been busy putting up content here on Confidence And Joy.com.  I have been preparing for some time now.  Today, with most of the building of the site completed, I decided to post a good amount of content.

The site still needs some minor tweaking, but hopefully that will be done soon.

Just below the navigation bar, you’ll see a little box with three tabs.  If you click on the tab labeled, “Confidence Articles, you will one called, “How Big is Your God?”  That was the first real post on this site.  And i did that for a reason.  If you want to read it you can just Click Right Here.

Well, it is a brand new year – 2009. I guess i can still say that, right?  I mean we are still in January.

So, what direction are you going?  Do you have any big exciting plans for your life in ‘09?   A lot of people have already started off this new planning on spending the year as a victim of circumstances?  It’s sad, but a lot of people see their lives that way.

Destination?  Problems

Have you noticed that people who complain a lot never seem to run out of things to complain about?  They are focused on “what’s wrong?”  As a result, that is the direction they have chosen for their lives. Their destination is, “problems.”  And that is exactly where they end up.  They have problem after problem after problem.

We really do attract into our lives the things that we choose to dwell on.  It is true that if you want to see things change in your life, you do it by first changing your thoughts.  But be prepared!  You must do this consistently, it takes effort.

LA to NY

If you’re driving from Los Angeles and you want to get to New York City that means you need to drive east for a long ways.  But, when you get to Nevada, if you decide to go north for awhile you are no longer on your way to New York City.

You could then go West and head back to California.  In fact, you could go in circles for weeks if you wanted to.   As long as you have gas and the car is running, it will go in the direction you point it.  Sadly, so many people spend their whole lives just going around in circles.

Where are you going?

Get clear on what you desire for your life for this year.  Refuse to be a victim.  Refuse to allow the circumstances to dictate how your life is going to be.  Focus on where you want your life to go without wavering and flipping back and forth.

God promised that He would give you the desires of your heart.  He can still bring you all that you need to live a fulfilled and successful life.   Your job is to keep your mind pointed in the right direction.  Set your course, and stay on that course until you get there.

Choose to have a great day, and choose to have a great year!

Mike Verdicchio

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Fantasy

The dictionary defines fantasy as,

“An imagined event or sequence of mental images, such as a daydream, usually fulfilling a wish or psychological need; an unrealistic or improbable supposition.”

That Is Fantasy.

However, the vision that you have for your life, your goals, your dreams and your desires, are not fantasy. They are not just daydreams fulfilling a psychological need. They are not just some nice mind games to keep you happy and positive. And they are certainly not unrealistic or improbable suppositions.

Quite the contrary, your goals, your dreams, and your desires really do matter. They are important. Why? They are important because they are YOUR goals. They are YOUR dreams. They are YOUR desires.

Have you ever wondered who decides and determines if your goals, dreams and desires are too big? Does someone exist who has the authority to overrule your goals, desires and dreams? Do we determine and decide for others just how big they can dream, or what goals are simply not realistic for them?

It is not your place or mine to determine if someone’s goals and dreams and desires are too big for them or not. You and I are not the ones to figure that out for someone else. Likewise, it is no one else’s business to decide if your goals and dreams and desires are too big or not for you. They are yours!

So, What About Ability And Resources?

Is that the criteria that should determine the size of our goals? If that were true, a blind man would have never made it to the top of Mt. Everest. And yet, Erik Weihenmayer did just that in 2001. If ability and resources determine whether a goal is too big or not, then three small ships would have never crossed the Atlantic Ocean to the New World. But in 1492, they did.

Sometimes looking at our own present ability and our own present resources are enough to deter us from what we really desire deep inside. That is, unless of course we have the right connections!

Who Do You Know?

Have you ever heard the statement, “It’s who you know that counts?” I’m sure you have. And you’ve also probably heard, “You’ve got to have connections to make it in this world.”

Now I’m not denying that connections can be helpful; many times, they are very helpful. The point I am making is that too often people look at their lack of ability and resources. Then, they look at their lack of “connections” and they give up on their goals. But, they have overlooked the biggest and best connection of all!

As Christians we have a loving Father, unwavering in His love for us, and unlimited in His ability and His resources. With that kind of a connection, why would you ever give up or abandon your goals, dreams and desires? In fact, there is a verse in the Bible that talks about God being able to do that which is exceedingly abundantly above all that we could ask or think!

How Big Can You Dream?

How big can you think? How big can you dream? How big are your goals and desires? It really doesn’t matter what it seems like to other people. It’s not their dream – it is yours! You can have it. And, you can have every desire of your heart!

Fantasy is a dream with no action. Without action, dreams become unrealistic or improbable suppositions. Without action, our desires are nothing more than a sequence of mental images. Without action, our desires just become daydreams.

The vision you carry of your life, your goals, your dreams, and your desires are your prerogative, and they are very important! They are important because they are yours! Don’t let anyone talk you out of them. Especially don’t talk yourself out of them!

Because God loves you, your goals and dreams and desires are important to Him too. Don’t allow them to evaporate into a fantasy. Instead, ask for His help, and begin taking action.

Act now! Do something, no matter how small it seems to you! Acquire information, develop a new skill, or talk to someone. The point is, start moving forward.

Remain confident that your desires will come to pass, that your dreams will be fulfilled, and that your goals will be met, and they will!

Mike Verdicchio